How to: Create a home theatre - part 3

In this third and final part of this series we will look at putting the finishing touches on your home theatre project. These are the aesthetic decisions that will determine not only how the room functions, but also how it looks. This makes it an important stage at which to consult your better half to make sure you don't have to do any remedial work later down the line.

Is your home theatre built to last?

Of course you hired the best saw for the job, a really good screw gun and invested a fair bit in premium building materials - but your home theatre still might not stand the test of time.The electrical components of your system should be selected for their energy efficiency, which will add value to your home theatre in the long run.

According to the Department of Industry and Science, about a third of the electricity used by Australian home is consumed by electronic appliances. Five percent of that third is taken up by home entertainment, 19 per cent by the TV and 10 per cent is lost to standby use.

Finishing touches

It's time to think about some DIY painting and selecting your floor coverings. Painting largely comes down to aesthetic preferences, although a darker room will help you to focus more on the screen, whereas a the reflection on light, glossy paints can be distracting.

Soft floor coverings will help to absorb sound, and coupled with your acoustic panels from the previous article in this series, you'll have quite a nicely sound-dampened room.

Selecting furniture

Choosing your seating will determine a lot about how you use the room. Typically home-theatre enthusiasts tend to prefer single-seat recliners that emulate a cinema feel with a bit more luxury. Of course, you may choose a couch or even bean bags.

You should determine whether your seating will be at the optimal height i relation to your screen - you may even want to build an elevated platform on which to place your chairs or cushions.

Try and keep the decorations in this room to a minimum. Using an electric screw driver from Kennards Hire, you can wall-mount your speakers, TV and other appliances. This means that additional furniture may take away from the clutter-free aesthetic you have achieved.

Decking out the room with movie memorabilia or posters is a great way to really get the movie-house vibe in your home, but again, make sure you don't create a messy collection that gets in the way of actually relaxing and enjoying your favourite films.

It's time to sit back, put your feet up, and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Now where's that remote control?