Loft Home Cinema Room — Hertfordshire
An 8-Seat Cinema in a New Barn Conversion, for £60,000
This client in Hertfordshire asked us to design a home cinema for the loft area of a new barn conversion. The result seats eight people — on the client’s existing Chesterfield sofas — and delivers genuine reference-level performance for a technology budget of around £60,000.
The Home Cinema System
This room packs a considerable amount of technology into a relatively simple-looking space. A 3.8m acoustically transparent projector screen displays the image from a Sony 4K laser projector — bright enough to deliver a contrast and colour result closer to an OLED TV than a typical projector. Behind the screen sit three Artcoustic SL24-12 speakers handling front left, centre and right duties, with two substantial Artcoustic Control 3 subwoofers providing low bass. On-wall rear and surround channels — one set per row of seating — are handled by Artcoustic SL8-4 speakers, with Artcoustic Architect speakers in the ceiling completing the height channels. A high-end Audio Control receiver decodes surround sound from multiple sources, handles 4K video switching, and routes audio to every speaker as required.
Setting the Mood
A Crestron lighting control system allows every lighting channel in the room to be dimmed precisely, creating the right viewing environment and adding genuine atmosphere to the space. Each cinema seat is individually highlighted by its own pool of light, with the main thoroughfare lit by a stepping-stone effect from spotlights above. Little Greene paint was chosen to echo the colour palette in the rest of the home, finished in matt to minimise the reflections that can distract during viewing.
Our Home Cinema & Home Theater Services
Read more about our Home Cinema and Home Theater work:
Design
Calibration
Treatments
Seating
Theatres
Cinema Ideas
Easy to Control and Use
The client had a free choice of sources for the cinema and settled on a Sky Q feed for everyday television and sport, alongside an Apple TV 4K for streaming and paid content. The whole room — including the lighting — is managed by a Crestron Home control system. Watching a film is as simple as pressing “Apple TV” on the remote: Crestron monitors the status of every piece of equipment and knows exactly what needs to happen to deliver the correct cinematic experience. This room is genuinely easier to use day to day than most living-room AV systems.
Frequently Asked Questions — Hertfordshire Loft Cinema
How much does a cinema room like this cost?
This installation’s technology budget was around £60,000 — covering the Sony 4K laser projector, full Artcoustic speaker array, Audio Control receiver, Crestron lighting and control system, all built into a loft space within a new barn conversion.
Can existing furniture be used in a dedicated cinema room?
Yes. This room seats eight people on the client’s own existing Chesterfield sofas — proof that a dedicated cinema doesn’t always require specialist cinema seating to deliver a comfortable, high-performance result.
Is a loft a practical space for a home cinema?
Yes, with the right acoustic and lighting design. This barn conversion loft demonstrates that a converted roof space can deliver genuine reference-level performance — acoustically transparent screen, full Atmos-capable surround array and precise lighting control — within a realistic budget.
Project Details
- Location: Hertfordshire (barn conversion loft)
- Screen: 3.8m acoustically transparent
- Projection: Sony 4K laser
- Audio: Artcoustic SL24-12 front, Control 3 subwoofers, SL8-4 surround, Architect ceiling height channels
- Processing: Audio Control receiver
- Control: Crestron Home — lighting and AV
- Seating: 8 — client’s own Chesterfield sofas
- Budget: Approximately £60,000 (technology only)
Home Cinema Installation → · Artcoustic Speakers → · Crestron Home Automation → · Discuss your project →
