Maximize Home Entertainment With A Screening Room Build Out

Sure, the year of home projects that was 2020 may be over, but now that we’ve gotten comfortable being at home, why not maximize the experience? 

California Listings Corona del Mar expert Timothy Tamura and his team at Valia Properties are taking the best of what they’ve seen at their listings and helping us create the ultimate home theater or screening room! Whether you’re working with an empty room or a corner, here are some tips and tricks from the Valia team:

Upgrade Your Television

The central fixture in your home theater is going to be the television screen, so naturally it’s worth an upgrade. After all, this screen above at Craig Knizek’s Encino property was made for blockbusters! But quality is more important than size. If you’re working with a space that has blank wall space, consider investing in a projection system.

Don’t Forget The Snacks

If you want to create a true movie-going experience, you need to have a snack bar! Valia recommends finding a vintage popcorn machine (there are plenty of options both large and small online), or, if you have the real estate, consider creating an actual bar.

This home theater and bar combo above, as seen in Anthony Maguleas’ Pacific Palisades listing, would ensure that you and your guests never have to leave the theater.

Lean Into The Decor

A home theater presents an opportunity to design and decorate a space that feels completely different from the rest of the house. You could lean into Hollywood kitsch, go old school (like this regal red Hermosa Beach screening room below, courtesy of Bryn Stroyke), or keep it personal with family photos and mementos. 

Expand Your Sound

Whether you’re commandeering a corner with a more casual media room (as seen in this Palos Verdes Estates listing from Molly Hobin Williams) or going full-on screening lounge, don’t neglect your sound system.

The Valia team notes that Forbes has a ranking of the best home theater sound systems, starting at $300. However, if you generally have a home full of people who may be elsewhere in the house, Tamura recommends investing in a wireless headset function, too.