ENTERTAIN Bring the family together with softly lit home cinemas and games

NIGHTS IN

Bring friends and family together with ultimate at-home entertainment, from plush mini cinemas, to backgammon by the fire or a drink at the bar, writes Tallulah Rushaya

HOME COMFORTS

Left: Eichholz Lando modular sofa in blue by Sweetpea & Willow, £1,180 Below: drinks served in the Tim Oulton Home Theatre; Stirling drinks trolley, £329, Atkin & Thyme

Lockdown saw a rise in finding ways to create sumptuous indoor entertainment spaces, such as cinemas and funfilled games rooms, all in the comfort of your own home. Increasingly, designers and brands are exploring ways to tailor the indoor experience to suit clients’ needs. As the days grow colder and with Christmas not too far away, enliven your home through the use of colour and texture, and let the fun begin.

PICTURE SHOW

Top: Home cinema by René Dekker Designs Right, from top: William Yeoward Paddy velvet cushion in Espresso, £79, by Amara; Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiff any’s print, £90, King & McGaw; Togo sofa, £2,087, and footstool, £922, Ligne Roset; Gourmet popcorn maker set, £50, Joe & Seph’s CINEMA ROOM

There are many avenues that can be explored when designing a cinema room, such as lights, tones and seating. But at its core is comfort and ambiance. “It is a great space to layer furniture and accessories, upholstered stools, throws and side tables (for the grazers!) which can really give some personality,” says Jane Landino, design and creative head of studio at Taylor Howes. With seating Landino recommends comfortable large seating, armchairs or beanbags for children, and “to add an extra layer of comfort we always include cushions and throws”. She explains, “when designing cinema rooms, we tend to use darker tones coupled with dramatic lighting as it creates an instant air of luxury and sumptuousness.” To add some movie magic, Landino reveals, “for one private client and their family we designed a celestial sky on the ceiling, with fibre optic lights to evoke the feeling of lying under the night sky when watching a movie.”

For acoustics to enhance the cinematic experience, René Dekker, creative director at René Dekker Designs advises, ‘‘flat finishes are better as shiny finishes reflect which will also distract from the screen. Velvets and felts are better than satin. As much fabric as possible as this will give the best sound, as polished plaster or vinyl wall coverings don’t absorb sound.”

BAR

“Open shelving displaying beautiful barware can offer a point of interest that goes beyond functionality,” explains Shalini Misra, interior designer and founder of The Design Buzz. “Fluted glass fronted cupboards are popular at the moment so adding fluted glassware offers a consistency to the look. Beautiful decanters with leather trays further add to that sophisticated feel.”

The bar area of any indoor entertainment space can provide the final touches that bring themes and colours together. It gives a chance to show off personal style with

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CORE VALUES

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PLAY HOUSE Clockwise from below:

George bar cabinet, Design Buzz; Maltese sideboard by Hamilton Interiors, House of Isabella; Globe cluster pendant, Cox & Cox; Tenbury Games Table, Amara; Ascot rug, Brook & Wilde; Rex lamp, Timothy Oulton; Jacques game table, Goldfi nger dining chair, Jonathan Adler; Traveler Bar High sideboard, Colección Alexandra and Lion decanter by Artel, Design Buzz; chess set, Amara

accessories such as coasters and glassware. Shalini advises, “if you include a pool table, consider echoing the green felt through similarly toned tiles or stone for bar tops. Juxtaposing materials and finishes always adds a layered, luxurious feel, so featuring embossed leather in front of a timber bar works well. Maximising space is often something to think about for a home games room. Look into travelling bar cabinets, I particularly like the trunk style.”

GAMES ROOM

A games room should provide an immersive experience. “One of the few upsides of lockdown was that families were forced to find new ways to entertain themselves as they had much more time together at home,” says Alexander WalderSmith, founder of The Games Room Company. “Many discovered that physical games like pool and table tennis provided a relief from screen time and were multi-generational in their appeal, allowing family members to start reconnecting with each other in ways they had completely lost over the years.”

Boardgames, especially chess have enjoyed a renaissance, due to Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit, starring Anya TaylorJoy as chess prodigy Beth Harmon. There has been a growing demand for bespoke boardgames. Alexandra Llewellyn, founder of Alexandra Llewellyn London, designs a range of exquisitely made boardgames explains, “each bespoke commission is completely different. Whether a gift imbued with love, a biography of the client’s life, or a brief to match the surroundings where the game is destined for. It is a joy not only to create objects that are beautiful, but that are games that bring people together for generations to come.”

LIGHTS

With varying types of lighting from wall sconces to pendant, LED and floor, in an

entertainment space, they create different effects. “Lighting is even more important for an entertaining space as it really sets the mood,” remarks Andrew Watson, managing director at Heathfield and Co.

“Soft lighting relaxes, accentuates and creates an inviting setting,” adds Tom Raffield, founder of Tom

Raffield. “Pair together ceiling pendants, wall, table and floor lights to curate a well-considered display that has all light-level bases covered for indoor activities. Mixing designs allows you to add personality and play with contrasting wood types for a contemporary look.”

While pendant lighting could be more suited for game rooms, specifically for cinemas, dimmed lighting can transform your viewing experience. “Recessed LED downlights are a fantastic choice for home cinemas or games rooms. They can be fitted on ceilings, or along walls. Combine with wall lights to provide task lighting for walkways,” says Lee Lovett, founder of The Soho Lighting Company. “Take it to the next level by installing a dimmer switch with your lighting setup. This will give you the ultimate control over your lighting. In a cinema room you will want to minimise the lighting to to minimise the lighting to avoid glare yet ensure avoid glare yet ensure that light levels are that light levels are relaxed.” As Timothy relaxed Oulton, founder of Oulton, founder of Timothy Oulton Studio Timothy Oulton Studio says, “The room should be somewhere that transports you away.” L