How to Lay Out Home Theater Seating

As average home square footage in the U.S. increases and excessive spending decreases, more people are choosing to install theaters in their homes. With flat televisions that look like movie screens, and surround sound systems that make you feel like you're living within the picture, spending Saturday night on the couch starts to sound a lot more appealing. To make home theaters even more authentic, some families are opting for stadium-style seating. Laying out home theater seating is a simple task that requires just a little planning.

• 1

  Take into perspective the dimensions of your room. Use a measuring tape to determine wall lengths and available floor space. If your room is organic in shape, take into account any loss of floor space. Make note of window placement as you won't want the sun's evening glare to hit you and your movie guests in the face. If your television or projector screen is not yet in place, be sure to hang it on a wall adjacent to the windows if possible.

• 2

  Think about how you want to arrange your theater seating. Seats will, of course, need to be facing the screen. One big mistake you don't want to make is placing the seats against the back wall. Another common mistake is placing the seats right in the middle of the room. Because bass frequencies travel up walls and fade away in the center of the room, placing furniture in either of these places will limit your sound quality experience. If your space allows for it, place theater seating about 4 to 5 feet away from the back wall.

• 3

  Think about being in a traditional theater with a really tall person in front of you. It's never fun trying to peek around either side of his head. If you plan to have more than one row of seating in your home theater, you can eliminate this problem by boosting up people in the back. Sit a second or third row of theater seating up on risers. Follow manufacturer's instructions for securing risers to the floor to prevent tipping.