Monthly: April 2022

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Setting up a home cinema

You might be one of those lucky people who has plenty of space in their home and wants to set up a home cinema room. These are a great idea if you are entertaining on a regular basis – imagine having your friends around for a movie night – complete with pizza and a few beers – without the need to disturb anyone else in the house.

Room decor

As the focal point of the room is going to be the screen, you don’t need to go overboard with the decor. Opt for a large screen TV rather than a projector-type screen. The TV can then be used for streaming movies from online services such as Netflix and Prime. If you can, use a room that gets only a small amount of natural light. This means that the screen will not be distorted on bright, sunny days.

For the other walls, why not consider a few movie posters? There doesn’t need to be a huge amount – just one or two will do. Look online for a few bargains, maybe consider finding posters relating to some of the classic movies such as Gone With the Wind.

Consider comfort

It is possible to buy cinema-style seating and if you really want to create a cinema feel in your home then you may want to choose these. The advantage is that as they are connected together you will fit more of them in, which may be just what you are looking for if you want to host movie nights for ten people or more.

However, you could consider the ultimate in comfort and choose armchairs and sofas instead. A couple of two-seater sofas and a couple of armchairs will be just the thing for a family-sized evening of movies and relaxation. You don’t have to pay a great deal for these either. Why not consider purchasing second hand and then matching each piece using Ikea Karlstad sofa covers? The beauty of Ikea Karlstad sofa covers is that they are easy to fit and clean, so when the room needs a little spruce up it will not take long at all. The sofa covers can also be coordinated with the general decor in the room. If you’ve decided to go with neutral walls then pick out a color that works well with it. As an example, if the walls are a soft green, go with a darker green sofa cover with lighter colored pillows as a contrast.

It is important not to forget though that people will also need somewhere to put their drinks. If you’ve chosen armchairs and sofas you will need side tables next to each person so that they aren’t left holding their drink all evening. These will be the perfect finishing touch to the room and can also be painted to blend with the general decor.

A home cinema room is a great thing to have if you have the space and it is a good way to unwind at the end of a long day at work.

Plants in movies

If you have an interest in anything horticultural then you will have already noticed just how often plants of some kind play an important role in the outcome of famous movies. In some cases, these are fictional plants and these often feature in horror movies, so will pose some kind of danger to the characters, but occasionally there are perfectly innocent plants that help to form the backdrop of the movie.

Harry Potter

The Harry Potter movies are filled with plants. Some of them friendly and others are definitely ones that the characters need to keep an eye on. In the very first movie, we see the Devil’s Snare – a plant that is used to guard the Sorcerer’s Stone. This plant traps the three main characters and threatens the success of their mission, but they are able to free themselves when they figure out how it works. In the second movie, the Whomping Willow tree poses a danger to Harry and Ron when they crash a car into it. The plants used in the films are generally plants with familiar names but they are given magical qualities to challenge and help the characters.

Ordinary plants

It is amazing how many movies feature houseplants in the background. They add texture to the set, particularly when the movie’s scenes are in someone’s home. Anyone with an interest in plants can have a little fun trying to identify different plants that appear. These movies are not the best way to pick up plant care tips though so if you want to know how to repot zz plants then you may be better using a plant care app. Understanding how to repot zz plant is one of the key things you need to know. In fact, repotting any plant is key to their care and the right app will help you to understand when and how to do this.

The science of plants in movies

In The Martian, Matt Damon plays a botanist stranded on Mars. His skills help to keep him alive thanks to the plants he grew for food. Sean Connery played a doctor in Medicine Man, using plants found in the Amazon rainforest to try to find a cure for cancer. Both of these highlight the importance of plants for human life and health.

Movies are a great source of entertainment though and some of those mentioned here use plants as a key part of the storyline, showing just how big a role plants play in our lives and most of the time we aren’t even aware of it.

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