If you search on social media, many of the trending DIY home ideas include transforming a room into an at-home movie theatre and hosting outdoor movie nights for your friends and family. In fact, #MovieRoom has more than 15.1 million views on TikTok! At Spencer’s TV & Appliance, we have team members available who have expert insight on how to renovate your space. Below are our tops tips for creating DIY movie rooms and hosting outdoor movie nights.
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Transform spare rooms into movie theatre quality spaces
If you have a spare room in the house, whether it is the basement or a makeshift guest room, this is the perfect opportunity for having a fully furnished media room.
Below is a checklist of products and ideas to create the perfect movie room:
1. Choose the right TV
4K UHD resolution is becoming the household standard and you can opt for virtually any screen size, so long as there are three to seven feet of viewing distance between your seating and your TV set. 4K UHD resolution enables you to sit closer to benefit from the lifelike picture quality. If you’re a sports fanatic, ask about TVs that allow you to set up reminders and score notifications for games with Sports Alert. For the movie buffs, you can also search for Smart TVs that automatically adjusts the color tone to fit the mood of your content.
Additionally, if you are a tech-savvy person that enjoys following up on the latest electronics and gadgets, an 8K TV might be the product for you. 8K resolution doubles the number of 4K pixels—to a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels. These ultra-high-resolution TVs offer a lifelike viewing experience so you can appreciate details as slight as a speck of dust or as sharp as an individual strand of hair.
2. Create the perfect audio system
No media room is complete without surround sound. For an elevated home theater setup, industry experts recommend investing in a 5.1 wireless speaker set with a soundbar, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer. The soundbar, or center speaker, produces most of the dialogue in the content you watch and is usually positioned below the TV, either on a stand or mounted on the wall.
By contrast, rear surround speakers produce a full range of frequency and are tuned to a higher amperage, which makes for an immersive experience with sound effects and a music score you can not only hear but feel. For well-rounded, theater-quality sound, subwoofers add an extra “oomph” so that you can really appreciate your action movies and sports games in all their thunderous glory.
3. Consider media furniture and seating
When it comes to entertainment room furniture, there are many options to choose from, whether you prefer the look of a standard TV stand with minimal shelving or a tall entertainment center with generous storage options for your devices.
If you’ve got a wall-mounted TV but still want concealed storage for your Blu-ray collection and video games, a media chest will fulfill this desire. Alternatively, a media console is a great option if you prefer to display your collection, along with knickknacks, picture frames, and gaming systems, thanks to windowed cabinets or shelves.
Depending on the size of your media room, you can outfit your space with a few chairs or ample seating. Leather recliners have become a standard option for most rooms, regardless of their dimensions—with some loveseats even offering a console to hold your beverages.
If you want to foster a more modern aesthetic, round swivel chairs, sofa futons, and two- to five-piece sectionals are a great choice. And for added comfort, beanbags and floor pillows bring forth memories of childhood slumber parties.
4. Compact refrigeration
You can’t forget the concessions! Your media chest or console can certainly work to store your bags of chips, gummy candy, and other pantry snacks, but what about your drinks? A mini fridge or beverage center can hold all of your favorite refreshments so that whenever game day arrives, you can crack open a cold one. Or whenever you’re hosting a movie night, you can whip out your artisanal sodas for guests.
Host the perfect outdoor movie night
Arizona weather is gorgeous right now, which means its perfect timing for an outdoor movie night. Keep your guest list short, mind the weather forecast, and look at the below checklist for inspiration!
1. Set up your movie screen
If you’re looking for a temporary setup, roll out your living room TV and hook it up where there’s wiring. For a more permanent arrangement, invest in an outdoor TV that is built with a weather-proof exterior that also protects the internal components. The best outdoor TVs offer enhanced contrast in addition to an anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coating outside the LCD screen.
If you prefer a bigger screen, consider an outdoor projector. A WiFi-enabled model provides you more flexibility in terms of where you set up your outdoor movie night, whether it’s against a blank wall or a portable projector screen.
2. Hook up the outdoor sound system
To better replicate the experience of going to the drive-in, an outdoor speaker system is a no-brainer. But not just any Bluetooth party speaker will do. A WiFi-enabled soundbar will pair perfectly with smart projectors and most modern TVs, including outdoor TVs. With a Sonos outdoor speaker, you can easily take the party outside for music-filled evenings on the terrace and afternoon BBQs. Because it’s also a smart speaker, you can ask your portable and weather-resistant Sonos Move Smart Speaker (Move-BK and Move-WH) to adjust the treble and bass to drown out ambient noise.
3. Arrange seating
If you have a patio furniture set, most of the work is already done. Just remember to thoughtfully arrange your lounge furniture so that everyone can enjoy your outdoor movie night regardless of where they sit. Don’t forget to clean any fabric upholstery and decorative pillows that have already withstood a summer’s worth of use.
Or better yet, exercise some creativity! Floor pillows, picnic blankets, and soft throws make for a more intimate experience that reminds us of summertime sleepovers. Lastly, dangle some Edison-style string lights and prop up some LED candles for ambiance.
4. Don’t forget the snacks
An outdoor movie night just does not feel complete without some good barbecue. Fire up that grill to serve up some BBQ deliciousness, whether it’s tri-tip steaks, hot dogs, charred corn, shrimp skewers, grilled chicken, or burgers. If that doesn’t sound dreamy enough, how about some grill-smoked s’mores? That’s right—you don’t need a bonfire to make these ooey-gooey delights. Along with the usual fixings of jumbo marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars, high heat (about 400 degrees) and about one minute of patience is all you need.
Whether your ideal movie night is underneath the stars or in the comfort of an air conditioned movie room, the DIY tips that we’ve highlighted above will wow your guests. Creating a special movie room can be done on any budget and will create endless memories for your family and friends.
Anthony Conti is the director of digital marketing at Spencer’s TV & Appliance For more than 47 years, locally owned Spencer’s TV & Appliance has grown to 10 locations through maintaining a focus on personal service and customer satisfaction. Spencer’s TV & Appliance is an employee-owned discount appliance, electronics and mattress store based in Arizona. Since 1973, Spencer’s has grown to be one of the larger TV and appliance retailers in the U.S. For more information, visit spencerstv.com/.
