A family entertainment area is a perfect place for spending quality time with your family. It?s not just a spot to watch movies or play video games. An entertainment hub can also provide you with numerous opportunities to bond with your family members, share some precious moments together and even contribute to the general development of your children.
After watching a movie, you can organise a family discussion and share some valuable lessons with your kids. So, if you?re ready to set up the perfect entertainment space for your family, there are several essential tips you need to implement.
Imagine your perfect hub
Starting with an idea of your perfect family entertainment area will help you design a space that meets your needs. You should gather inspiration with your family and decide which features your home entertainment centre must include. It?s important that you decide whether you want just a visual entertainment room or a multifunctional space where you can greet guests, play video and board games, organise movie nights, etc.
Rethink your living room
The living room is typically the most appropriate area for your entertainment hub unless you have an empty room that you can transform into a media centre. However, using your living room for this purpose is more convenient and affordable because you just need to optimise it to meet your needs. You need to set up the perfect layout that will provide everyone with a clear view of the TV set. You should push your furniture to the back, but still maintain a semi-circle layout that will enable you to communicate with each other, too. If your living room has a square shape, you should consider adding false walls or partitions to create a rectangle since it?s more suitable for your audio system.
Finally, you need to embellish your living room with different materials that will absorb the sound. If you have hardwood flooring, make sure to introduce soft carpets or area rugs.
Upgrade your furniture
When it comes to furniture, you should provide everyone with a comfy seat so that they can really enjoy the show. A large, plush sofa is the perfect choice for a family, but make sure to include additional armchairs for your guests. You should also consider adding several side tables instead of a coffee table so that everyone has their drinks and snacks within their reach.
Set up your TV
Your TV set is the focal point and one of the most important elements of a family entertainment area. Since you?re turning your living room into an entertainment centre, you should pick a LED TV or LCD because they?re brighter, so they?ll be suitable for a room with a lot of natural light. If you choose a plasma screen, make sure to place heavy, dark curtains on your windows because this type of screen requires a darker space. Instead of placing your unit on a lower shelf, you should consider mounting your TV on a wall safely because this will keep your living room functional. In addition, this will provide all of you with the optimal viewing position aside from freeing up a lot of space.
Install a sound system
You cannot have an entertainment hub without a high-quality sound system. For the most spectacular experience, you should go with a 5.1 or 7.1 surround system. This means that you?ll have a subwoofer and from five to seven speakers placed around the room. When placing your speakers, you should slightly angle them towards the seating area for the best effect. If you want to further improve the quality of sound, you should invest in a great soundbar to complement your TV set.
Go wireless
One of the greatest problems when setting up a home entertainment area is hiding all those wires. While there are plenty of tricks to organise and hide the wires, the most functional solution is to pick a wireless system. Nowadays, you can even find systems with wireless compatibility at the same price as the regular ones.
Adjust the lighting
With proper lighting, you?ll be able to set the perfect mood for your entertainment area. You should consider adding blackout curtains that will enable you to darken your living room during the day. In the evening, you should have subtle lighting that will create the perfect ambience. You should consider installing dimmer switches that will enable you to adjust the lights depending on your needs. In addition, make sure to have enough wall sconces or lamps that you can use instead of an overhead fixture. A chandelier or a pendant will give off an unpleasant glare and ruin your experience.
Consider going with a gaming system
If you want to bring your home entertainment hub to a higher level, you should consider adding a gaming system, as well, especially if you and your family members are gaming enthusiasts. There are plenty of family-friendly games that guarantee a night of fun. In addition, this will undoubtedly create an immersive experience that you?ll all enjoy.
Designing an entertainment hub will provide you and your family with the perfect spot to have fun and spend quality time together.
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Lucas is a real estate agent and renewable energy consultant with many hobbies and passions, but above all, he enjoys the most spending time with his wife ? Mara. He also likes Lord of the Rings. He, actually, very much likes Lord of the Rings. He is a regular contributor at smoothdecorator.com