My Retreat Garden Rooms · Surrey, Berkshire & Buckinghamshire

Garden Room Cinema | Home Cinema Rooms Built in Surrey

No queuing, no bad seats, no strangers on their phones. A dedicated garden cinema room built around your screen, your sound and your sofa.

My Retreat Garden Rooms  ·  020 3818 5911  ·  Surrey & Home Counties

A garden cinema room is one of the most enjoyable spaces we build. The combination of a properly insulated room, a large screen, a decent sound system and a space that is entirely yours makes for an experience that a living room setup simply cannot match. No interruptions, no compromise on volume, no fighting over what to watch.

We design and build bespoke garden cinema rooms across Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. Whether you want a simple, well-built room ready for your own AV setup or a fully integrated smart cinema with professional installation, we manage the whole project from first conversation to final handover.

Quick answer
A garden cinema room from My Retreat typically starts from around £18,000 for the building itself, depending on size and specification. AV equipment, acoustic treatment and smart home integration are priced separately and can range from a few thousand to considerably more depending on the level of finish. See our full cost guide for a breakdown of the build cost.
Garden room cinema with large screen projector and tiered seating built in Surrey by My Retreat Garden Rooms
A My Retreat garden cinema room — purpose-built, fully insulated and designed around the screen and seating layout from day one.

Why a Dedicated Cinema Room Makes All the Difference

The issue with a living room cinema setup is the compromises it requires. The screen size is limited by the room. The volume is limited by the rest of the household. The lighting is never quite right and there is always something else going on. A dedicated cinema room removes every one of those constraints.

Because the room is built from scratch, everything can be designed around the viewing experience. Screen size and position, seating layout, acoustic treatment, blackout, lighting circuits. None of it is retrofitted into an existing space. It is built for the purpose from the ground up.

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What We Build and What We Can Arrange

My Retreat builds the room. The insulation, the structure, the electrics, the acoustic preparation and the finish. For customers who want a fully integrated AV and smart home system, we work alongside At Smart Homes, an award-winning home automation specialist based in Surrey, who handle the screen, sound, lighting control and everything in between.

Reinforced wall and ceiling mounts

Strengthened fixings for projector mounts, large screens and speaker brackets. Rated for the actual weight of the equipment rather than just the wall studs behind the finish.

Dedicated power supply

A cinema setup draws significant current. Projectors, amplifiers, subwoofers, smart controls and lighting all need to be accounted for at the design stage. We size the consumer unit and circuit layout for the full equipment list before installation begins.

Acoustic preparation

Our standard build provides meaningful sound reduction. For a proper cinema experience, additional acoustic treatment to the walls and ceiling can be incorporated at the build stage. This is considerably more effective than panels applied to a finished room.

Year-round insulation

Standard foam EPS insulation in walls, floor and roof, with the same thermal performance as Rockwool. A cinema room that is cold in January or hot in July does not get used. Proper insulation is not optional on this kind of build.

Blackout and lighting control

Recessed LED spotlights as standard. For a proper cinema setup, a separate dimmer circuit and blackout to the windows and doors can be incorporated. We design the lighting layout around the viewing position and screen placement.

Air conditioning upgrade

A closed room with multiple people and high-draw AV equipment generates real heat. Air conditioning is available as an upgrade and is a sensible consideration on any cinema build where the room will be used for extended sessions.

Garden cinema room interior with themed decor and large projection screen in Surrey
A My Retreat garden cinema room fully fitted with projection screen, tiered seating and themed interior — designed and built to the customer's brief.

Smart Home Integration with At Smart Homes

For customers who want a fully integrated cinema experience, we work closely with At Smart Homes, an award-winning smart home specialist based at Lavershot Barns in Windlesham, Surrey. They handle the AV system, intelligent lighting, multi-room audio, automated blinds and the full home cinema setup, while My Retreat manages the building. Between us, we manage the whole project so you are not coordinating two separate contractors.

If you would like to see what a fully integrated system looks like in practice, At Smart Homes have a working showroom at their Windlesham base where you can experience it before committing to anything.

At Smart Homes — AV & Smart Home Partner

Award-winning smart home and home cinema specialists based in Surrey. Intelligent lighting, multi-room audio and video, automated curtains and blinds, bespoke home cinema systems and outdoor entertainment.

Visit the At Smart Homes website ↗    01252 741266
Garden room cinema exterior at dusk in Surrey with warm interior lighting visible through glazed doors
A My Retreat garden cinema room at dusk — fully insulated, fully fitted and ready for film night every night of the year.

What to Think About Before You Build

A cinema room has more pre-build decisions than most garden room uses. Getting these right at the planning stage avoids significant expense later.

Size and seating layout

The minimum comfortable cinema experience starts at around 4m x 3m for two to three seats and a reasonable screen distance. For tiered seating, a larger screen or more guests, 5m x 4m or larger gives you a proper cinema feel. The seating layout and screen position should be decided before the room is designed, not after, as they determine where sockets, mounts and lighting circuits go.

Screen or projector?

A large flat screen works well in a garden room and is the simpler option. A projector and screen gives you a more immersive experience but requires a longer throw distance, controlled ambient light and a ceiling mount position that needs to be accounted for in the build. Deciding this before the room is designed affects the ceiling structure, the electrical layout and the acoustic treatment approach.

Acoustics

A cinema room without acoustic treatment will sound hollow and reverberant regardless of how good the equipment is. Our standard build provides meaningful sound reduction from the outside. Internal acoustic treatment to the walls and ceiling, incorporated at the build stage, makes a significant difference to the quality of the listening experience inside the room. This is worth budgeting for as part of the initial project rather than adding panels to a finished room later.

Power requirements

A full cinema setup with projector, amplifier, subwoofer, streaming equipment and lighting control draws considerably more current than a standard room. We size the consumer unit and circuit layout for the full equipment list at the design stage. If you are working with At Smart Homes on the AV side, we coordinate the electrical specification between both teams before installation begins.

Planning permission

Most garden cinema rooms fall within permitted development rights and do not require planning permission. Whether that applies to your property depends on factors specific to your home, including whether your permitted development rights are intact, whether you are in a conservation area, and how much of your garden is already built on. It is the responsibility of the customer to confirm their planning position before proceeding. If you need help with this, we have an architect available as an additional service. Read our full planning guide for more detail.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a garden cinema room cost?
The building itself typically starts from around £18,000 depending on size and specification. This covers the structure, insulation, electrics, glazing and finish. AV equipment, acoustic treatment and smart home integration are separate costs and vary significantly depending on the level of finish you want. A basic setup with your own TV and sound bar will cost far less than a fully integrated projector, surround sound and smart control system. See our full cost guide for a detailed breakdown of the build cost.
Do I need planning permission for a garden cinema room in Surrey?
Most garden cinema rooms fall within permitted development rights and do not require planning permission. Whether this applies to your property depends on factors specific to your home, such as whether your permitted development rights are intact, whether you are in a conservation area, and how much of your garden is already built on. It is the customer's responsibility to confirm their planning position before proceeding. If you need help, we have an architect available as an additional service. Read our full planning guide here.
Is a garden cinema room usable all year round?
Yes. Every My Retreat garden room is fully insulated using foam EPS insulation in walls, floor and roof, with the same thermal performance as Rockwool. With a standard heater or the optional air conditioning upgrade, the room is comfortable throughout the year. A cinema room that only works in summer is not worth building.
Will my neighbours hear it?
Our standard build provides meaningful sound reduction compared to an unconverted space. With additional acoustic treatment to the internal walls and ceiling incorporated at the build stage, the level of sound transmission to neighbouring properties is reduced significantly further. No garden room is fully soundproof, but a properly treated cinema room used at reasonable volume is unlikely to cause issues for neighbours in a typical Surrey garden setting. We discuss the specifics at the consultation stage.
Do you supply the AV equipment and screen?
We do not supply AV equipment directly. For customers who want a fully integrated system, we work alongside At Smart Homes, an award-winning home cinema specialist based in Surrey. They handle the screen, projector, sound system, lighting control and smart home integration, while My Retreat builds and fits the room. We coordinate the project between both teams so you are not managing two separate contractors. Contact At Smart Homes directly on 01252 741266 or visit smarthomes.tv for more information.
What size screen can I fit in a garden cinema room?
This depends on the room size and whether you are using a flat screen or a projector. A 75 to 85 inch screen works well in a 4m x 3m room with comfortable seating distance. For a projector setup with a 100 inch or larger screen, you need a longer throw distance and a room of at least 4m x 4m, ideally larger. We design the room around the screen and seating layout you want rather than the other way around.
How long does it take to build a garden cinema room?
The My Retreat build itself typically takes 3 to 5 days on site. Lead time from order to installation is usually 8 to 12 weeks. If At Smart Homes are also involved in the AV installation, their work follows the build and is scheduled separately. We give you a confirmed installation date for the building when you place your order, and coordinate the AV timeline at the same time if applicable.
Does a garden cinema room add value to my home?
A well-built, fully insulated garden room typically adds between 5% and 15% to a property's value. A dedicated cinema room is a distinctive feature that stands out in property listings, particularly in the Surrey market where buyers are increasingly looking for versatile, high-quality additional spaces beyond a home office.

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