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Max seats or comfy seats?

post #1 of 7
3/18/13 at 3:08pm
Thread Starter 
Hey,

I'm new here, hope to chat with many of you.

Currently doing some planning, and wanted to get your feedback.

I'll have some flexibility on space, and the size I have to work with. Right now, thinking about the number of people I want to have seated in the theater.

Should I try and go for maximum seating capacity, or bigger (and I'm assuming) more comfy seating?

I have a big family, but most of the viewing won't be the whole family.

What do you think?
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post #2 of 7
3/18/13 at 4:05pm
Advice would be to plan for a size that provides comfortable arrangement for your typical usage with some excess, and then perhaps the ability to add "overflow" seating for those few times where you've got a lot more folks...

Couches allow for more squeezing in, especially with kids, since they don't necessarily consume a full recliner, for example. Bar seating behind the main row(s), space in the front for Cuddlebags (bean bag chair-ish), other temporary seating are all options.

I had originally intended my theater to seat 15 - but I didn't plan the space large enough, really, and once I actually did the math for recliners (15 times any recliner price is enough to make you think!), I started really thinking about options. How often did I really expect to get that many people over for a movie?

I ended up with 8 recliners and a bar with 4 more seats, and on the occasions I do fill it up, I'll bring in a folding chair or two (usually for me in the back!).

Having a variety of seating options can also be a plus as folks self-select both distance and style. I have folks that always sit at the bar regardless of recliners being available. And others that always sit in the front row.

Hope that helps, but really this will very much depend on your personal usage.

Jeff
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post #3 of 7
3/19/13 at 12:51am
A lot is driven by your HT goals and layout, plus How you feel Ingress/egress of people should be.
Door location comes into play.

Do you want equal space on both sides of seats from wall.

From acoustic viewpoint try and avoid exact midpoint of room for seat location, and also not directly against the rear wall.

Cozy vs lots of seats.....
My HT 14.5ft x 18.5 ft, front row has love seat in middle, then a seat on each side.
With young kids we can get 3 there if need be for 5 in row 1, or 2 for comfort and 4 then in row 1.
Our kids still small, 7/9/11 years old, they still like to get close to mom and dad smile.gif
Overall 2 row of seats planned for 8, with folding chairs we've had 14 in there for big events.

If you have the length the bar seating behind 2nd row give that added flexibility for big event seating, like posted above.
My brother in law did that.




Sent from my 32GB iPhone4 using Tapatalk
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post #4 of 7
3/19/13 at 10:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jautor View Post

Advice would be to plan for a size that provides comfortable arrangement for your typical usage with some excess, and then perhaps the ability to add "overflow" seating for those few times where you've got a lot more folks...

Couches allow for more squeezing in, especially with kids, since they don't necessarily consume a full recliner, for example. Bar seating behind the main row(s), space in the front for Cuddlebags (bean bag chair-ish), other temporary seating are all options.

I had originally intended my theater to seat 15 - but I didn't plan the space large enough, really, and once I actually did the math for recliners (15 times any recliner price is enough to make you think!), I started really thinking about options. How often did I really expect to get that many people over for a movie?

I ended up with 8 recliners and a bar with 4 more seats, and on the occasions I do fill it up, I'll bring in a folding chair or two (usually for me in the back!).

Having a variety of seating options can also be a plus as folks self-select both distance and style. I have folks that always sit at the bar regardless of recliners being available. And others that always sit in the front row.

Hope that helps, but really this will very much depend on your personal usage.

Jeff

Thanks, this is helpful. Especially the point about kids squeezing in the couches...
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post #5 of 7
3/19/13 at 10:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtbdudex View Post

A lot is driven by your HT goals and layout, plus How you feel Ingress/egress of people should be.
Door location comes into play.

Do you want equal space on both sides of seats from wall.

From acoustic viewpoint try and avoid exact midpoint of room for seat location, and also not directly against the rear wall.

Cozy vs lots of seats.....
My HT 14.5ft x 18.5 ft, front row has love seat in middle, then a seat on each side.
With young kids we can get 3 there if need be for 5 in row 1, or 2 for comfort and 4 then in row 1.
Our kids still small, 7/9/11 years old, they still like to get close to mom and dad smile.gif
Overall 2 row of seats planned for 8, with folding chairs we've had 14 in there for big events.

If you have the length the bar seating behind 2nd row give that added flexibility for big event seating, like posted above.
My brother in law did that.

Sent from my 32GB iPhone4 using Tapatalk

I like that idea too, having the loveseat in the middle. I can see how that is five across, with the three kids in the middle. Thanks!
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post #6 of 7
3/19/13 at 10:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottFrankl View Post

I like that idea too, having the loveseat in the middle. I can see how that is five across, with the three kids in the middle. Thanks!

My arrangement uses the two-recliners-as-a-loveseat trick in the middle, too. I will say that it works for kids, but it's not the same as a real loveseat, in that the "middle" is not particularly comfortable...
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post #7 of 7
3/20/13 at 12:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottFrankl View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by mtbdudex View Post

A lot is driven by your HT goals and layout, plus How you feel Ingress/egress of people should be.
Door location comes into play.

Do you want equal space on both sides of seats from wall.

From acoustic viewpoint try and avoid exact midpoint of room for seat location, and also not directly against the rear wall.

Cozy vs lots of seats.....
My HT 14.5ft x 18.5 ft, front row has love seat in middle, then a seat on each side.
With young kids we can get 3 there if need be for 5 in row 1, or 2 for comfort and 4 then in row 1.
Our kids still small, 7/9/11 years old, they still like to get close to mom and dad smile.gif
Overall 2 row of seats planned for 8, with folding chairs we've had 14 in there for big events.

If you have the length the bar seating behind 2nd row give that added flexibility for big event seating, like posted above.
My brother in law did that.

Sent from my 32GB iPhone4 using Tapatalk

I like that idea too, having the loveseat in the middle. I can see how that is five across, with the three kids in the middle. Thanks!

Here's a picture to visualize, when the kids get along its nice 3 kids in 2 seat space, when they are pushing each others "button" - you know that stupid sibling fighting thing - then we separate them....

One thing I will add, the armrests on the wedge, between loveseat and single outboard seat, are wider which makes balancing remote/other there easy, the armrest on the outboard side while ok for elbows if you put a remote there it may fall off.
I got these berklines 12006 from AVS roman.
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