Tuesday 9 July 2013

YOUR OWN PRIVATE HOME THEATER

Even though owning a private home movie theater is considered a luxury by most people, and is the least of things a Nigerian would think about in the midst of the problems facing us everyday like poverty, bad roads, poor electricity to mention but a few, I know that occasionally, some of us still look forward to going to Silverbird Cinemas or Ceddi plaza anytime we go to Lagos or Abuja just to watch a movie on the big screen for the sheer fun of it. We are willing to pay to watch the movie, buy some coke and popcorn and watch TV for 2 hours. I must confess, I know I enjoy it too.

However, even as much as I love to watch these movies on the big screen, I can't do it everyday and I most definitely can't be in these cities everyday as I don't reside there. This is therefore essentially for movie lovers like myself who don't get the chance to do what they love as often as they love to. 

Now moving on to create that home theater for you. If you are not a celebrity, then you may not be able to afford another extra room just for the sake of watching TV and also may be unable to get that HUGE screen reserved for proper theaters but I'm guessing you can at least buy a big LCD 3D television and you already own a living room.The main stuff you'll be needing include;
  • Furniture: Get your regular sofa with few extra couches or armchairs just enough for the space so it's not crowded. Infact seating for your living room the way you'd want it in the day-time. Have some bean bags and throw cushions in the storage for when extra friends come along to serve as extra seating.
  • Lighting: Here you'd have 2 sets of lights, the bright ones for regular days and a few embedded in the ceiling of wall-edge lining so its not so bright on movie night to recreate the proper movie set.
  • Appliances: Of course your big TV and sound system
  • Sound-proof windows if you need them and can afford them
  • Thick curtain drapes to give you the cozy and comfy feel
  • Snacks: may be popcorn to take-out, doesn't matter. Just something to nibble on.









Creating your own home theater has some advantages to it and they are as follows;
  • Spice up that relationship: For couple who barely find time to spend with each other, you don't have to go out all the time for date nights especially if you have kids and have difficulty booking a nanny. This way you can have some fun while keeping an eye on the kids.
  • Family time: There is nothing more special than a little family time, it helps with bonding. Currently in my house, my younger brother has formed a mini home theater for us, he just connects his laptop to the HDMI of the TV and says "Royce Cinemas now showing" and everyone comes out to watch. Right now, we look forward to those days.
  • Socialization: Get one friend to come over once, believe me if they enjoyed themselves, they will be coming again with more friends. Make sure however, not to overdo/allow it so they don't encroach on your "me-time". Most guys have already formed the habit when it comes to looking for places to watch the league football matches.
  • There is also a little something for the very romantic ones. Take it a step higher and take your theater outside to the patio (Naija - your backyard), pull out some mats or mattresses, light a little burn fire (in a fire pit), get the barbecue going (Naija- Suya), or popcorn, the original movie snack n have yourselves some good time. Oh! and if you can't get a TV outside use a projector as shown in the photo below.


So you see there isn't much in creating your own home theater, you just have to find the balance between your day time living room and your theater at night. Don't forget to improvise. Cheers!

1 comment:

Thank you for visiting.