How to turn your home into a luxury cinema

A cinema room, once the preserve of celebrity types and film industry executives, is fast becoming the must-have addition to Britain’s aspirational homes. It’s not a “shhh” room, just for watching Netflix; it’s where friends and family can gather to watch sporting events, live rock concerts or compete on virtual gaming platforms and simulation screens controlled remotely.

For the sticklers among us, it’s time to get in with the professionals and understand these audio visual playgrounds. “A media room is a high-performance area with a focus on relaxation,” says Dominic Wilder, founder of Wildercreative. He works with architects, interior designers and private clients to create bespoke carpentry for spaces like these, from design through to installation.

“The room needs to be big enough to allow for the various activities, and acoustically equipped to scatter sound. We use a variety of materials including dense fibreglass, foam-based products and wood to create the desired effect.” A pure cinema room needs a darker environment, sound isolation and comfy seating against a backdrop of blackout blinds and curtains.

Budget-wise, a more than adequate media room starts at around £10,000, but a fully-fledged cinema room can cost up to £300,000.

But what if you haven’t any space within your castle? Can you make use of a redundant garage or outbuilding? Experts Philharmonic AV converted a client’s Essex cowshed into an entertainment space where two zones were created: one for watching a movie with full surround sound, and the other to push back the sofas and turn the volume up for dancing.

“We hid the technical equipment within purpose-built cabinetry, so it didn’t impose on the interior design,” explains director Phil Turner. The budget was around £35,000. Philharmonic AV has set up a show home to offer a try-before-you-buy experience, such is the importance of getting it right.

The media room, however, is fast becoming a battle of budgets within couples, especially when “improving not moving” is on the cards.Increasingly, the kitchen is taking a hit to make way for enhanced technology elsewhere in the home.

Katie Sparrevohn from West London AV Solutions says it’s a nice trend to have one room where the family gathers but tastes are changing apace.

“We created a cinema room that cost nearly £200,000 which the family only used five times, then ripped it out to install a simulator for driving cars,” says Sparrevohn. “The really wealthy can afford multiple media rooms in multiple properties across the world, so we go wherever they want us to.”

Period properties at the luxury end are being adapted for the 21st century media moment. The historic grade II listed Medenham Abbey in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, includes a media room with ring-side tiered seating for 20. Duntisbourne House, set on a Cotswold country house estate, dates from 1760 and has a lower ground floor media room with valley views for daytime activities, and its own night kitchen hidden behind bespoke wooden doors for after dark.

Themed rooms are no problem for Finite Solutions, which was asked to create a cinema room for a James Bond enthusiast where 007 would feel at home. As well as highly sophisticated acoustics and cinematic technology, an automatic curtain glides open as the screen powers on, accompanied by the iconic Pearl and Dean advertising jingle – all for a cool £250,000.

If that doesn’t have you reaching for a hotdog, the club-style cinema games room at Papillion Hall certainly will. The semi-subterranean retreat, built below the vast detached swimming pool complex, is a paradise for gamers with interactive screens and plenty of space for a pool table.

Media rooms are also the latest must-haves in high end developments says George Kyriacou, head of the real estate firm CIT, which is developing the landmark South Bank Tower in London into 191 luxury apartments.

Residents can book the cinema any time of the day or night to indulge in their favourite films or televised sporting events in absolute privacy for themselves and their guests.

“It completes the five-star lifestyle package residents demand,” he says.