7 Garage Home Theater Ideas You Need to Try

The idea of the garage has come a long way in American history.  Carriage houses were one conversion away from becoming this staple in the American lifestyle, and nowadays, garages are more than just places to shelter your car.  Garages have become a place of building, inventions, bonding with family and neighbors, and learning. If you find yourself daydreaming about your next home improvement project, take a look at these great garage home theater ideas.



And with this new use of the American garage, homeowners are coming up with even greater purposes for their functionality. The idea to transform a garage into a home theater is bold and brilliant. After all, why bother with a movie theater when you could have one right next to your house a few steps away?

Soundproof Your Garage for the Ultimate Sound Effect

The one aspect that a theater has that makes going to the movies worthwhile is the amazing surround sound.  Sound and movies go together like peanut butter and jelly, you really can’t have one without the other. A garage, on the other hand, is not exactly built for the greatest acoustics, therefore soundproofing is the first step in transforming your garage into a super theater. Proper insulation is a given when converting your musty garage into an inviting theater because aside from the goal of soundproofing, insulation will prevent you from freezing during your favorite movie. Insulation deadens outside noise, keeping it to a minimum and allowing you to invest in some high-quality speakers. Determine how much insulation you will need and add on to accommodate for odd spaces and room for mistakes.  Fiberglass insulation is one of the better options for soundproofing and keeping the dampness that is often associated with garages out.

Install a Drop Ceiling for Acoustics and Aesthetics

If you are starting from square one, then you will likely need to install a drop ceiling to complete the look.  A drop ceiling might make you think of an office with fluorescent lighting, but a drop ceiling doesn’t have be standard or boring by any means. Your local hardware store offers drop ceiling tiles in a variety of different styles, and you can bet that there’s a one just right for the theme of your garage movie theater. And if you are thinking that a theater is too dark to have a bit of embellishment included on the drop ceiling tiles, think again.  With excellent recessed and ambient lighting, guests will be able to appreciate your unique decorating and architectural features.

Add Seamless Built-In Storage

You don’t have to give up the extra storage space that your garage offers in order to have your dream theater—you can have both.  All it takes is creative built-in storage, and soon enough you will have places for storage and areas to keep movies, games, and consoles. Even for a small garage, a built-in wall unit can offer a large amount of room for vertical storage.  If you are choosing a projector for your home theater, you can either project directly onto the wall or onto a movable screen.  The perks of a movable or pull-down screen are that you can use the wall space behind it for storage. Big or small, adding in built-in storage units to your garage home theater will allow you a versatile space that is able to function as both a theater while the movies are rolling and as extra storage.

Make it Like the Movies with a Projection System

Even on a budget, you can really deck out your garage-turned-theater into a place that feels like being inside of your favorite cinema.  Installing a projector for your garage home theater will add to the effect and the best part is, it’s easy to do. Once you’ve painted, drywalled, insulated, and added all of the finishing cosmetic touches to your theater, it’s time to make this area shine, literally.  Hang a projection screen front and center. Then, build a platform for your projector to rest, ensuring it is as straight as possible.  You may have to play around with the projector placement to get the appropriate screen ratios. Home theater projectors range widely in cost, and you do get what you pay for.  While you don’t have to break the bank on a projector, consider spending a little more on this perk because a good quality projector will bring your theater to life.

Set the Mood with Unique Lighting

A theater isn’t a theater without the perfect lights.  Help transform your garage home theater into the perfect setting with unique lighting.  Ambient light can set the mood while styles like recessed lighting can add the perfect amount of illumination in a dark theater.


The top three styles of theater lights are:

• Recessed lighting
• Lighting aisle strips
• Wall sconces

The right type of lighting goes a long way and can even show off the best architectural embellishments of your home movie theater, like trim work, crown molding, or movie posters.

Consider Adding Raised Platform Seating

For die-hard theatergoers, raised stadium-style seating is a must.  While it may be a given to have the most comfortable, relaxed seating, to have tiered seating goes above and beyond for the ultimate movie-watching experience. To get the most use out of your garage home theater, and to truly have a unique and unforgettable place to watch movies, you should entertain constructing raised seating. Constructing and planning out raised seating can be a challenging task, even for a more experienced do-it-yourselfer.  If building raised seating isn’t for you but you still want to include it in your ultimate home theater, you can consult a contractor or even purchase pre-built risers online.

Carpet for Style and for Comfort

Installing carpet in your home theater is a great idea to ensure that your new area feels nothing like a damp garage.  Not only will carpet make watching movies in your theater garage more comfortable, but it will also help with the quality of sound. Utilize your interior decorating skills to select a carpet that will make your theater feel homey, comfortable, and welcoming.  Chose a patterned carpet for a unique and stylistic look, or go with a soft neutral color that will help focus all the attention on the big screen.  No matter what you end up with, your guests will appreciate the added comfort of carpet. From damp, dirty garage to a comfortable and impressive home theater, this is one project that can be enjoyed continuously.  The best part about a home project such as this one is that you can design and plan out your home theater to accommodate your needs and style. There are hundreds of different ideas for home theaters, but transforming your garage into a space to watch movies can get a little tricky.  Just be sure to ask the professionals when it comes to the more difficult tasks of remodeling your garage. Your new home theater will entertain guests and serve as a functional space at the same time While starting from scratch on a big project such as a garage to theater conversion seems daunting, remember how it will feel when you are watching your favorite movies on the big screen. Is your garage too small for a home theater? Danley's builds custom garages fit for your needs. Get a free quote now.