Homes With Media Rooms – Is it For You?
Media Room
Because Los Angeles is the home of media celebrities, it stands to reason that many of them would have media rooms in their homes so that they can watch, or listen, to their favorite media in style.
Very people have as glamorous and fashionable as the late Aaron Spelling, whose house had both a separate media room and screening room. The screening room looks very much like just another large living room. That is, until a switch is flipped. Suddenly, all the windows have shutters that come down, some pictures move revealing projectors, and a super large screen that comes up from the floor.
Most other media rooms aren’t quite that lavish, but each has its own sense of style. Media rooms are often in secluded areas of the house, mainly in the basement because extra acoustics don’t have to be built in. Some are built like movie theaters; others are built like family rooms. Some have surround sound in them, while others only have two speakers in front of them. Some people like to combine their media rooms into a full activity room, where they can have pool tables, bars, games, and even popcorn.
Media rooms are built mainly for sound quality, because people love to hear whatever it is they want to hear. Some people love to hear their explosions loud. Some people want to make sure they can understand what everyone is saying. Some people love having sounds coming at them from all angles, as if they’re a part of what’s going on. Many media rooms have the speakers built into the walls, so that wires are hidden from view.
This doesn’t mean the visual part isn’t taken into account. If someone loves watching movies, they like to capture the experience. Some people build cushioned seating in the house, maybe 4 seats in a row, while others, wanting to have visitors come over, will build anywhere from 8 to 16 seats, layered like a movie theater. Popcorn adds to the movie experience, but in today’s world, projection screens, which are high definition, can be built so that television can also be watched on these separate big screens.
Unfortunately, not that many celebrities will show their media rooms off when they’re trying to sell them, so it’s hard to do a full comparison of different types. One celebrity that did, besides Aaron Spelling’s wife Candy, is Mary J. Blige, who showed off a media room with 12 chairs that look like regular living room furniture, but in three tiers of four chairs each, with movie posters from the past lining the walls. It’s only a media room; no games or other distractions.
However, many other celebrities do list media rooms as a part of their homes, whether they’re up for sale or for rent. Some of those names looking for action at the present time include Courtney Love, Michelle Johnson, Ashton Kutcher (his bachelor pad, where he lived before marrying Demi Moore), Mams Taylor, and Alan Thicke.
The best part about this, though, is that whether a house already has a media room or not, most people who can afford to buy houses even in the $500, 000 range can probably afford to have a room converted into a media room if they really wanted one. In today’s world, it may cost less than $10,000 to outfit a room with a 46″ flat screen TV, surround sound system, and comfortable chairs or couches for seating.
Of course, if you want something more spectacular, you’re going to pay for it. Still, a media room can enhance your living experience, and is definitely a nice selling point when you’re ready for something new.
