With homes seeming to get bigger and bigger these days, and families getting smaller, one of the trends we have seen come, and stay, over the past 15 years, is Media Rooms.
I have five children, so I am going to say, these rooms are fantastic! There are a few reasons why…
- Media Rooms provide the perfect space and atmosphere for the children (including adult children.. ha ) to be fully entertained in a whole world of fantasy or reality TV, as well as documentaries and sport… (of course!)
- The space provides great evening movies or Netflix watching for adults, friends, or the whole family together.
- It is a space that is separate from the other living areas, so games and activities can happen in there apart from just TV watching or playing electronic games, actual old style board games are wonderful and an excellent family activity.
- A Media Room provides a space for multiple activities whatever size or type of family or friends you have.
The term “media room” has evolved into a generic definition for a multipurpose space that has a large flat screen Television, surround sound and comfy seating.
So what you need to decide is how exactly you are going to use the space. I have spoken about this in past blogs, knowing how you are going to use each space in your home and what you are going to put into it makes a difference to how you finish it and furnish it. Meaning the Colours, textures, fittings and then the final icing on the cake which is the furniture and homewares, and window coverings.
Media Rooms that are dark and moody provide a great atmosphere to watch movies… so you would want to use dark paint colours and carpet to create the mood, along with blackout blinds or heavy curtains. Rooms such as this tend to be more Theatre Rooms and are pretty much used for movie watching, sport or gaming only… they don’t usually serve much other purpose.
Alternatively, if you are using the room for different things, make it lighter, brighter and more airy by using lighter paint colours, carpet and furnishings, but have the option to darken the room to gain that moody feeling.
It’s important to note here that LIGHTING is important in these rooms. Dimmable lighting is a must, to create atmosphere and set the mood for whatever the activity is that’s happening there. A fan or airconditioning is also important as the room is generally closed off the other air sources, so can get hot and stuffy.
These spaces don’t need to be huge, as long as the furniture and equipment is well placed. Lounges should be placed against the wall, to as far away from the TV or projector screen as possible to provide the ultimate Movie Theatre experience. All cables and leads should be hidden in the walls or behind the equipment.
Storage for the gaming equipment and other bits and pieces can be placed at the front of the room under the big screen or TV.
Does having a multi purpose media room, that has the equipement and fittings to give you a great Movie experience or family time make your home worth more money at the end of the day?
Well that does depend on if you have over capitalised your site, but generally, I would say, YES, it does help with the sale of the home, as most families love to have a space that is separate from the rest of the home but is only a door away ….closed or open.. up to you….!!!
Integrity New Homes designers have included some great media or home theatre rooms in our standard custom designed homes for years, a couple of my favourite homes with such a room are the Presence Series, the Saltwater Series and the Seascape design. These homes are such well thought out designs - the flow through of the home just feels great. We have built these homes several times as display homes and many people have bought a home through Integrity New Homes just because they have fallen in love with the house as they walk through it.
It’s a fantastic thing if you can design a space and every person who walks through it says, ”Í want this home exactly how it is”!
To check out lots of our awesome designs, go to https://www.inh.com.au/designs
You will be sure to find one you fall in love with.
Most our designs can be changed to suit your site.
