Wondering just where you're going to fit in all those extra hours of family time?
Well, we have the perfect solution for you, right here: A garden room cinema!
It’s a great way to get everyone together in one place, spend some quality time and create some memorable movie nights.
You can have a cinema experience at home without having to ever leave your house - fit a good quality speaker system and you’re all set for movie night! Pop some popcorn and enjoy.
Quite a few of our previous clients have asked us how they could create their own garden room cinema, so we thought we’d share our top tips.
Before we do that, though, there are a few things to consider…
Things To Think About Before You Build
The list below are important points to think about before you start construction on your garden room cinema.
- Location.
- Electrics.
- Doors and windows.
- Insulation.
- Décor.
- Lighting.
- Screen and projector type.
- Speaker/sound system type.
Location
The location of your garden room is an important factor to consider. You’ll want to make sure that the space gets enough natural light during the day. Also, if this is a room you're going to be using often, you may want to locate it as far away from your neighbours as possible. Even though the insulation (which we'll talk about later) will help, you don't want to be getting complaints about the noise!
Electrics
Like any other outbuilding in your garden, your garden room cinema will need electric sockets. Planning the location of these sockets before the build starts is crucial - you’ll want to make sure that they're placed in a way that's convenient for you and any equipment you're going to install.
Doors And Windows
If you were mainly using your garden room as an office, the location of the doors and windows wouldn't be as important. However, for a cinema room, you’ll want to make sure that there are no windows directly behind the screen - this will cause a reflection and likely ruin your movie experience if you were watching during the day.
You can always buy blackout blinds or curtains, but it's still nice to have the option of letting natural light in during the day.
Double-glazed windows and doors are a must for any outbuilding - not only are they incredibly energy efficient, but they do also help with noise reduction.
Insulation
We briefly mentioned this earlier, but the insulation of your garden room cinema is really important. You want to make sure that the sound is contained within the room as much as possible. Consequently, you'll need to invest in some good-quality insulation material.
Here at Cabinmaster, we use the very best Kingspan insulation in our garden room buildings. This is to ensure that our customers get the best possible noise reduction and insulation for their money + it allows the room to remain nice and cosy during those cold winter months!
Décor
The décor of your garden room cinema is completely up to you. You can go for a more traditional cinema look with red velvet seats and popcorn machines. Or, you could opt for a more modern approach with comfortable sofas and a large TV. It's probably best to involve the whole family in this decision so that everyone is happy with the final result.
Lighting
No matter the type of lighting you go for, make sure they are dimmable. This will allow you to create the perfect ambience for movie night.
If you want to go all out, you could even install LED lights that change colour. This is a great way to get everyone in the mood for a fun family film!
Bonus: If you're really high-tech, you can also opt for the smart home device setup. This allows you to control the lights, sound, and temperature of the room from your phone or tablet. This isn't technically needed (pardon the pun), but super-impressive when entertaining guests! It also means you can control everything in your garden room cinema without ever leaving your seat.
How cool is that!?
Screen And Projector Type
Now, before you go too mad with the décor, you need to think about what type of screen and projector you're going to use. This will determine how much space you have and where everything needs to go.
There are two main types of screens that people use in their garden room cinemas - fixed and pull-down.
A fixed screen is exactly what it sounds like. It's a screen that's permanently fixed to the wall or ceiling. The main advantage of this type of screen is that it doesn't take up any additional space when not in use.
A pull-down screen is a bit more versatile as it can be put away when not in use. However, it does take up a bit more space as you need to have enough room to store it when it's not in use.
The type of projector you use will also play a role in the type of screen you choose. For example, if you're using a short-throw projector, then a fixed screen might be the better option.
This is because you won't be able to place the projector far enough away from the screen if you're using a pull-down screen.
Once you've decided on the type of screen, you need to think about the size; the size of the screen will depend on how many people you want to be able to watch the movie with. A good rule of thumb is that you need 1 square foot of screen for every 2 people. So, if you want to be able to accommodate 4 people, you'll need a 2 square foot screen.
You also need to think about the aspect ratio. The most common aspect ratio for movies is 16:9. However, there are some movies that are filmed with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This is known as Cinemascope.
If you're only going to be watching 16:9 movies, then you don't need to worry too much about the aspect ratio. However, if you want to be able to watch Cinemascope movies, then you'll need to make sure that your screen has an aspect ratio of at least 2.35:1.
Sound System
Again, the location of these speakers will be determined by the type of screen/projector you choose. For a fixed screen, the speakers will need to be placed either behind or to the side of the screen. For a pull-down screen, the speakers can be placed anywhere as long as they're pointing toward you (the audience).
As for the type of sound system, there are two main options - 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos.
5.1 surround sound is the most common type of sound system for home cinema setups. It uses five speakers (left, right, centre, left rear, and right rear) and a subwoofer to create the illusion of being in the middle of the action.
Dolby Atmos is the newest and most advanced sound system for home cinemas. It uses ceiling-mounted speakers to create a more immersive sound experience.
If you're not sure which sound system to go for, we recommend getting a 5.1 surround sound system to start with. You can always upgrade to a Dolby Atmos system later down the line.
In Summary
That’s it! These are the things you need to take into account when looking to create a beautiful garden room cinema.
The amount you spend is entirely up to you. However, we would suggest investing in a good quality screen and projector as these are the two most important pieces of equipment.
As long as you have those, the rest is just down to personal preference so, have fun with it and make your garden room cinema unique to you! A Cabin Master garden building is not just an investment in your home, it can add value to other areas of your life and even your home. See for yourself at cabinmaster.co.uk, call 0115 932 8888 or visit our show site just off the M1, junction 25.
