How To Turn Your Home Gazebo into a Home Theater

Getting a home gazebo for your backyard? It’s going to be amazing! Finally, you have another space, albeit substantially large than a normal room in your house. The best part is you can do just about anything with it. But if you don’t have a particular use for it now, might the suggestion of turning it into your own home theater interest you? Think about it: your own little cinema where you can enjoy movies much more comfortably and privately. No couples kissing next to you. No kids screaming and making a fuss in front of you. And no rowdy teenagers making a ruckus behind you.

Did these points tempt you to go for a home theater instead? Wise choice! However, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Turning your home gazebo into a mini cinema is no easy feat. But to help you out, here are ten steps to guide you along the way! 

Step 1: Go For an Enclosed Gazebo

            First thing’s first, go for an enclosed gazebo. Gazebos are usually open, held up by poles and such. And while you can still make use of it, that’s not exactly the type of gazebo that will work well for a home theater. You need one that has walls and is an actual structure in of itself. An extra mini-house, if you will. Or a larger room, however you want to see it. As long as it’s enclosed, you’re good to go! 

Step 2: Buy Blinds For Your Windows

            Now, you’re likely going to have big windows for your home gazebo. Most backyard structures are. Intrinsically, gazebos are supposed to be open, even if it’s just made up of big windows. But this shouldn’t’ discourage you from turning it into a home theater. You’ll just need some blinds to cover them up, that’s all. And go for the big block ones that will really turn off the lights inside the structure.

Step 3: Ensure There’s Electricity in the Gazebo 

            Perhaps you can trust your contractor to do this part of the process. But if you forget to talk to him/her about it, not to worry. There’s a simple and delightfully easy solution: extension cords. If your home gazebo is just a few paces from your house, you can still incorporate electricity in it with the help of extension cords. Just make sure that you’re using them safely. Only plug in the necessary equipment to ensure you’re avoiding any possible fire hazards.

Step 4: Pick A Wall For Your Screen

            Here come the fun parts. The first one is to pick the wall in your gazebo for the screen. Now, there’s a lot to factor in when choosing the wall. It’s not only a matter of picking the biggest one for a bigger screen but also consider how your’re gazebo is structured and how you want to arrange the seating. For one thing. don’t pick the wall closest to the door. when one opens it, he/she might block the projector and ruin the experience.

Step 5: Install your Entertainment System 

            When you finally have your wall, it’s time to install your home entertainment system. Though this may sound complicated, it isn’t really. It’s only a matter of buying a screen and a projector and installing them in the right places. Again, strategic positioning is key to ensure maximum entertainment pleasure in your home theater. Once that’s done. just plug them in your DVD player or laptop and you’re good to go. You choose which one to use, that’s the best part about it!

Step 6: Install A Surround Sound System

            What separates a home theater to a normal entertainment room in your house? Surround sound? Installing a surround sound system will really cap off the cinematic experience and make it feel more authentic. And with gazebos, you have more than four corners to install your speakers. Depending on how many you get, you might even be able to install one speaker in each corner. And when that movie started, the experience will be out of this world. Possibly even better than at an actual cinema!

Step 7: Install a Few Chairs

            Now for your seating. Here’s where you can get a bit creative. If you want to go for traditional cinema seating, go right ahead. Though it’s not always the best idea to plant chairs permanently inside—it makes the space less versatile for other uses. For a more homely and more relaxed appeal, why not just get bean bags instead? They’re comfy, fun, and you’ll really enjoy watching. You can also go for a couch or Lazy Boy chairs for maximum comfort! 

Step 8: Put in A Refrigerator

            It’s not actually imperative for you to have a fridge in your home theater gazebo, but it will really help. Imagine people going in and out during the movie for refreshments. It would be annoying, wouldn’t it? They will be opening and closing the door, letting in the light from the outside in the middle of the movie, and it will ruin your experience. They’ll already be doing that to go for the bathroom, what more when they want something to eat or drink? Perhaps a mini-fridge inside the gazebo will help.

 Step 9: Include A Pop Corn Corner

            And speaking of refreshments, no cinematic experience is complete without popcorn! It’s simply not done! You need the popcorn to really enjoy the movie. And oftentimes, if you’re watching a horror film, it helps you stay brave. So why not put in a popcorn corner at the back? Place it as far from the screen as you can so that the noises won’t bother you that much. You can go for the classic traditional popcorn maker (the one that really pops) or you can go for just a microwave.

Step 10: Enjoy the Show

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the show! After months, weeks, and days of turning your gazebo into a home theater, you’ve finally done it. Now, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy it. Invite the whole family and watch old home movies of your youth. Get a date and Netflix and chill inside the gazebo. And when you’ve got a movie you’ve been dying to see (again), get the DVD or download it legally and watch it with your friends!

You might think to turn your home gazebo is too difficult but it isn’t!  It’s an easy ten-step process and before you know it, you’ll be watching movies left and right inside your home gazebo!