Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Blog

The lights dim, the guests sink into plush seats, the high-def wall springs to life, and the booming sound fills the room with the latest blockbuster. A night out at the movies? No. Just another evening at home in a swanky screening room.

This Sunday, it’ll be gorgeous gowns, tony tuxes, and glimmering gold as the “88th Academy Awards” turns the eyes of the world toward whether or not Jennifer Lawrence falls down or Leonardo DiCaprio finally walks away with the big prize. The Oscars is the perfect time to fill the seats with friends and family and celebrate the love of movies. And, in the days that follow, you can get caught up with the winning films without even having to put on shoes.

Home theaters are a multibillion-dollar business in the United States, led, not surprisingly, by Hollywood elite and entrepreneurial heavyweights. This luxury amenity can cost tens of thousands of dollars just for the design and décor in a simple space, and that’s before the car-size screen, surround sound, A/V calibration and control system. Opt for top-of-the-line components, and the cost can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then some.

“Transformers” director Michael Bay built an art deco, 40-seat, Crestron-powered, IMAX theater with a 20-foot elliptical star dome and the same 64-speaker Dolby Atmos technology he uses in his movies, according to Architectural Digest. Former Penthouse executive/Broadway producer Marc Bell patterned the home theater in his former Boca Raton estate after the bridge on the “Star Trek” starship, per Forbes. If you want to watch a movie on the first IMAX in-home theater in the country — remarkable for its 23½-by-18-foot screen — you’ll need to be a close personal friend of “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

If you want to buy an incredible home with a screening room, your options are vast as these spectacular spaces marketed by the Coldwell Banker Previews International® program will attest.

Grand European architecture abounds throughout this Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, estate, and that’s true in the home theater as well. Ornate molding, light fixtures, and textiles remain in the spirit of this ultra-luxurious manse and illustrate that even the most high-tech spaces can be sophisticated and stylish.

For those who prefer movie viewing in the privacy of their home, perhaps this contemporary screening room in Laguna Beach, California will do. This stately, paneled full theater room features a state-of-the-art screen and plush seating for all to enjoy.

This elegant L.A. mansion overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club features a large screening room that marries architectural distinction with professional-quality equipment. Dark wood beams echo the home’s detail, while carpet featuring a filmstrip motif is an unmistakable nod to the local industry.

Here are a few others worth checking out: