Ride out the cold winter in the comfort of your screening-savvy living room!
Winter can be a tough season. The days are shorter and the temperatures are colder, which means you probably want to stay inside more. There is, however, one massive benefit to being indoors for extended periods of time: binge-watching. (It’s truly remarkable how many TV episodes you can go through in one sitting, if you really put your mind to it.)
The key to successful binge-watching is creating a space that’s both comfortable and stocked with the essentials. Here’s how it’s done.
Great Seating Setup
You’re going to need plenty of seating–and not just any seating. To truly achieve movie-watching magic, you’ll need an arrangement that allows you to switch between sitting up and lounging. This probably means a couch as well as recliner chairs. For occasional extra seating, bean bag chairs and storage ottomans are ideal for scattering around the room.
Keep It Comfy
Now that you’ve solved the seating (the hardest part, really), it’s time to make your home theater super comfortable. Fill your space with tons of throw pillows and blankets. When it comes to blankets, more is always more. Nothing ruins a good reality TV marathon like being unable to reach an optimal and comfortable body temperature.
Snacks on Snacks on Snacks
When you want to finish a whole season in one sitting, you should have provisions close by. Great news: There’s no law that says pantries can only be in the kitchen. For the ultimate snack hack, add a cabinet to your living room, and stock it with your favorite snacks. If you’re a popcorn person (and aren’t we all?), a popcorn maker is a great on-theme piece.
Don’t Forget Drinks
For beverages and snacks that need to be kept cool, a mini fridge is a solid move. Fill it with your favorite drinks, and you’ll never need to hit “pause” because of thirst (or a sudden craving for ice cream) again—though sipping a lot will create an alternate need to take a break.
Keep the Essentials Close
Binge-watching involves sitting for long, uninterrupted periods of time. It’s glorious, until something comes and needlessly interrupts the sitting, like the need to reach for your glass of water, grab some popcorn, or–gasp–search for a remote that seems to have gotten up and walked away. Putting end tables near your seating makes it so you and any guests don’t have to reach far to grab your drink.
A basket for your remotes (leave it on the coffee table and don’t move it) will make it so that when Netflix asks “Are you still watching?” you can say yes without having to spend precious time searching for it between couch cushions.