Sdallnct

I'm looking for ideas for theater seating. I'm going to have two rows. I have already decided that a couch will make the front row.

I have built a little over 6" riser for the rear row (2X6 + 3/4 plywood). I was originally going to go with real movie theater style flip up seats. And I still might. But having sat in a few, I thought something a little more comfortable would be nice. But I really don't want to go with those very large, leather recliner things (not a cut down, just not the style I want).

Is there anything "in-between" the movie theater seats and large recliners? I have looked a dozens of web sites, but seems it is either movie theater style seats or large recliners. Cost is an issue as not only am I trying to build this media room on a budget, but, I may put as many as six or seven seats on this rear row.

Sdallnct

I spent most of the day looking at stores and surfing the net. I got the idea of an arrangement of the rear row to be;

two movies theater style seats on the far left
two movie theater style seats on the far right
two leather recliner types (Berkline, Lazyboy or something) in the middle

I could then have small tables between the theater seats and recliners. This is just an idea. I just don't like the idea of look of 5 or 6 leather recliners back there or 6 or 7 theater style seats back there. So maybe breaking them up with two different styles might be the answer.

Here is a couple of photos of my room that is still a work in progress. BTW since these photos I have removed the 70's track lighting. Any other ideas?

spartanstew

How wide is the space? Are you sure you can fit 4 movie style seats and 2 recliners? Your main concern should probably be the height of your riser. Is there a reason you only made it 6" high? I would think that unless your screen is placed higher than normal, the view from the rear is going to be partially blocked. For this reason, I would make sure that the rear seats are taller than the seats in front. For example, you could probably put recliners in the front and a couch in the rear (non-reclining), or perhaps you could put recliners or a couch in the front and theater seats in the rear (elevated, if possible). I wouldn't put recliners of any kind in the rear with a riser that short.



Stew

Sdallnct

Yea, in all honesty, I kind of screwed up on the height. I had planned to go with 2X6's plus 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood. At HD I decided to just put the joists closer together and only use one piece piece of plywood. But I screwed up and didn't go back and get 2X8's. I really couldn't go any higher due to the window ledge.

I got about 12 feet wide. And yes, after looking closer at measurements, I probably don't have room for 4 movie seats and 2 recliners.

I kind of wanted the couch in front so I could have a sofa sleeper. But that is not critical. I could go with two love seat types things on the riser and recliners on the front.

My goal is to try to seat about eight if possible. Got my wife and two kids, plus my parents only live four houses down. So six people will be an every day event.

Maybe a 6' couch on the riser with a non-reclining chair on each side. Then whatever on the front.

Y2K Falcon

Question: What are you going to do for lighting control? Are those REAL curtains that can be drawn, or decorative ones?

Or is this theater only open at night?

Sdallnct

Yes, the curtains can be closed. Got them at BBB, and very reasonable as complared to theater curtains. They are not totally black out, but they are thick and heavy. I need to go get the matching top piece for them.

I plan to replace the track lighting I removed with something more modern. Including a couple of those tear drop lights. In addition, I will have rope lighting under the ledge on the riser and may run some over the curtains. Not sure how that will work, so will just try it before screwing in place.

Brian Shannon

My local Price Club has a Berkline set (090?) I think, three chairs and two wedges, all motorized for $1799.99.

FWIW the couch I have sitting on my riser is a Lane, with a recliner in each end.

Good luck!.

Sdallnct

Yup, that is what I'm leaning to now. Couch in back and either theater chairs or a 2nd couch in front. Thanks for the Costco tip, will check it out.

Y2K Falcon

Sdallnct,

Is that a "formal living" room, and you have a less formal separate living room/family room/den for your main TV watching?

All of you with basemen..... errrr.... "sunken media centers" make me jealous.

Sdallnct

In June I bought a roughly 2800 SF "ranch style" (read 1 story) home that is roughly in a U shape with an exterior courtyard. The home was built in 1976.

This room was a den that was at the tip of one of the "ends" of the U next to the garage and is roughtly 16 X 13 wall to wall (but there is a built in cabinet along one long wall). Since all the bedrooms are at the opposite end of the house in the other tip/wing of the U, this "den" seemed idea for a dedicated media room as it would be easy to control light and there would be no an issue noise spilling to the bedrooms. For light control I only had to worry about what would work for the media room, but the room did have a sliding glass door and 2 largish windows to deal with. As mentioned BBB has some pretty nice heavy (but not quite black out) draps that are very reasonable price.

Yes we have a seperate "living room" at the bottom of the U where the front door is. This is where we mainly watch TV, etc. I call it a living room, as we are trying to make it more formal then a "family" room, but not as stuffy as "formal living" room. We do have a surround system here and eventually plan on upgrading the TV. But right now working on the media room.