Are you ready to turn your living room into the perfect movie watching space?

There’s lots to consider when upgrading your media space, or adding surround sound to your living room. It’s easy to overcomplicate things which confuses users. What you’re aiming for is an ultimate home theater system setup that everyone in the home can operate easily.

The ideal audio set up for any room involves a combination of great products and acoustics.

Here are the top things to think about when selecting products, to make sure you’re investing in the right areas and focusing on what really matters when creating the best home theater or media space.

Top tips for the ultimate home theater in 2025

1. MEDIA ROOM BUDGET

There are DIY and professional solutions to suit every budget.

If you’re looking for a high quality, design-led consumer product then look no further than a Sonos surround system. It’s scalable and can be wireless or a combination of wired and wireless. As a starting point you’ll want an Arc Ultra soundbar and a Sub. Both are plug and play and controlled via the Sonos App. You can then add rear speakers to amplify sound effects like vehicles zooming by, thunder rolls or approaching footsteps.  If you have speaker wires in your home then you can have rear speakers professionally installed in your walls or ceiling. Alternatively the Era 100 speakers from Sonos are designed to be wall mounted or placed on stands or furniture and plugged into an outlet. Your budget will be anywhere from $1500 to $3000 for a Sonos system.

If you want a true Dolby Atmos surround sound system then consider a 5.1 system or above, with recessed speakers, a powerful subwoofer and an AV Receiver. This will will increase the budget from something closer to $2500-$15,000.

Similarly, there are loads of screens to choose from. Do you want a video wall or a single screen? Is there a particular model you have in mind or are you using an existing screen? For a high quality screen you want to be considering prices upwards of $1500 but it really comes down to how much you want those colors to pop and bring the scenes to life.

 

2. SURROUND SOUND SPEAKERS

True surround sound calls for amplification of the main audio via front speakers plus surround speakers for special effects and a subwoofer for bass. This can be scaled from a 5.1 (see diagram below) system upwards.

You can replace the front left, center and right speakers with a dedicated LCR soundbar. Again the rear speakers ensure you don’t miss any sound effects, while the other speakers fill the room with voices and other sounds. And don’t forget about a subwoofer for the all essential bass. For this solution you’ll also need to budget for an AV Receiver, which generally start at around $1000 for a reputable model such as Sony, Marantz or Denon.

You can spend a lot of money on a 7.2.4 surround sound system but it will only ever be as good as the speakers you’ve installed. This is where consumers need to take the time to look at the size of the room, the layout of the room and budgets before buying a lower quality system just because it promises it’s the biggest. Bigger doesn’t always mean better and a carefully thought out 5.1 system utilizing great speakers is going to pack much more of a punch than an off the shelf 7.2.  Also talk to an AV company about whether your speakers need to be in-wall or in-ceiling, and how high that ceiling is!

 

3. CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCREEN SIZE FOR MOVIES

Where do you plan on sitting?  Your viewing position combined with the size of the room determines the size and position of your screen.

If height isn’t a determining factor then we’d always recommend going as big as possible. If you have room for a 75″ or 85″ TV then go for it. The ultimate home theater set up allows you to be fully immersed in the visual experience. Anything smaller than a 65″ will require the sofa to be quite a bit closer to the screen (less than 6 feet away).

Ideally you don’t want to be tilting your head up while relaxing watching a movie so high fireplace locations may lend themselves to a moveable mount such as this one from MantelMount.

 

4. CONTROLLING YOUR MEDIA ROOM

When it comes to sitting down to watch your movie, how do you want to set the scene? Multiple remotes isn’t ideal, so why not invest in a single remote which does it all? A control system such as Crestron Home will allow you to dim the lights and start the movie, all from the comfort of your seat and at the touch of a button. When it comes to window treatments and lighting, another fantastic product with hundreds of fabrics and opacities to select from is Lutron. The Lutron Triathlon range of battery powered motorized shades is ideal for any home upgrade and integrates with most control system. They can also be controlled independently via the PICO remote.

You can also add a Josh.AI Micro device, and ask Josh to “dim the lights and turn on The Last of Us” and let Josh handle the rest.

These solutions are scalable—ideal for both media rooms and full smart homes.

 

5. MEDIA ROOM INTERIOR DESIGN

What does your dream home theater look like? Well firstly, there is a reason movie theaters have carpeted floors!  Audio bounces so think about your interior furnishings when setting up your surround sound. Bare floors and windows don’t lend themselves brilliantly to amplified sound.

Soft furnishings such as rugs and drapery are a great way to soften the audio without losing clarity.

Also think about how the room is used the rest of the time. Nobody wants their living room to suddenly look like a theater if it’s also used for entertaining and as a flow from the kitchen and dining areas. For a multipurpose media space, carefully consider a stunning media console or custom reclining sofas to finish the space and balance style and function.

Looking for stylish media furniture? Brands like Salamander Designs offer sleek media consoles and custom recliners that blend seamlessly with your living space.

Ready to Design Your Dream Home Theater?

Our team offers custom home theater consultations tailored to your home and lifestyle. Whether it’s a simple upgrade or a full renovation, we’re here to help.

Call us at (281) 465-9101
Or message us directly via this website

We’d love to bring the big screen to your living room!