Plan it before the room is finished

Home cinema decisions made after decorating cost considerably more to fix than decisions made before. These guides cover the choices worth making before cables are hidden, walls are painted and furniture is placed.

Planning · Priya Sandhu · March 2026
Planning a Viewing Room: The Decisions That Are Hard to Undo
Screen position, seating geometry, acoustic treatment basics and cable routing — the structural choices that determine what you can and cannot do once the room is finished.
Dark home cinema room with deep navy ambient lighting, glowing screen, no people visible
Sound · Marcus Holt · February 2026
Where to Put the Speakers: A Room-by-Room Approach
2.1, 5.1 and Atmos speaker positioning using the listener position as the primary anchor point. Specific guidance for different room shapes and sizes.
Display · Priya Sandhu · January 2026
Projector or TV: When Each Makes Sense
Ambient light tolerance, screen gain, throw ratios and long-term cost comparison. The decision is more nuanced than it looks from either side of the argument.

Home Cinema Planner

Enter your room dimensions, screen type and intended sound system. The planner returns layout recommendations and a list of decisions to make before the room is decorated.

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