Dr. Decorator Examines The Home Theater
It is an age-old adage that the kitchen is the heart of the home. But 20th century technology is giving that theory a healthy dose of competition. The heart of the house has become the room that has the largest television in the house.
In some homes, the television and kitchen are sharing the hearth concept. The great room concept — where kitchen and family room and dining area share a large open space – has become an almost ubiquitous architectural theme in new home building. The family and their guests can focus on daily living while keeping their eye on the big screen. The open design plan allows for viewing from all over the room.
This elegant setting showcases many of the important features of a successful home theater. the plush carpet, padded walls, and curtain panels help to modulate the sound-control elements and will keep sound from resonating throughout the space.
For those fortunate home owners with the extra space, the newest “must have” room in the home theater or “media” room. It can be installed anywhere in the home in a variety of spaces ranging from a finished basement, a first floor living area, or even an attic retreat. The only requirements are for generous seating, a large screen, storage for audio/video equipment, and sound control from the rest of the house.
In many homes, the media room is the most popular room in the house. My firm recently designed a home theater in a beautiful Long Island home. The house was under construction and the husband and wife were in dispute as to whether to use a particular space as a library or a home theater. The husband wanted a library to function as his private retreat. The wife favored a media room because she felt that it would bring pleasure to the entire family. After numerous conversations, the wife won the dispute. Our firm then went to work to create a beautiful family oriented media room.
The requirements for creating a media room go beyond the audio and video equipment.
Sleek black leather is a worry-free option for the theater-style seating. Other options include a variety of leather and plush fabric coverings.
The room needs seating, flooring, and other functional and decorative elements. Window and wall treatments are needed to control light and sound. There was lots of work needed in creating this family fun space. Platforms were built and carpeted, walls were paneled in wood and upholstered in ultrasuede, movie theater style leather seating was installed. And Voila – the family had their own private movie theater. The bonus is that the hesitant husband now says that his is his favorite room in the house.
When creating a home theater or media room there are many elements to consider. Firstly, the equipment must be selected. An expert in the audio video field must be consulted because the technology changes rapidly. The next requirement is to create the layout. Ceiling heights are very important in the decision as to whether to install platforms and theater style seating. Seating is available in a variety of styles and materials and colors but leather seems to be the favorite because of durability.
This home theater features a chair-mounted control panel. This is a practical and comfortable update on the concept of the hand-held remote.
Sound control is a crucial element. Carpeted floors and padded walls keep the sounds from vibrating and modulate the tones of television viewing. Any hard surface will reflect sound. Reverberations and echoes are unpleasant distractions from serious movie viewing. The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association recommends that 25 percent of the surfaces in a room be absorptive and 25 percent be diffusive, the latter of which helps to spread the sound around the room. Absorptive materials include carpets, padded walls, upholstery, and window coverings.
Window coverings serve a dual function for both sound control and light control. Motor operated blinds and curtains are often selected for ease of controlling exterior light sources. This is especially important in rooms where there are large walls of windows. This is great for admiring the view but not as good for watching a movie. Too much light will wash out the picture.
Cabinetry is also important to hide the varying types of equipment that are needed to create an audio video space. Another popular element in cabinetry is to install a bar or mini kitchen. Movie goers can get hungry and they don’t want to travel very far for their snacks. Cabinets can also be used to hide speakers. When this is not an option, wall mounted speakers should be painted the color of the walls to make them less visually prominent. Ceiling mounted speakers are a viable and less obtrusive alternative to in wall speakers.
Once the functional requirements have been accomplished, it is time to think about fun. The aesthetics of the space can create a showcase for personal taste. Where one homeowner wants his media space to simulate an old time movie theater, another may select a space ship décor or any other fantasy theme. This is a room created for fun and gives us the opportunity to have some fun in creating the décor. Decorative selections can run the gamut from old time movie posters to a ceiling painted to replicated the night time sky. The options are endless. Once the space is created, just sit back and have fun. You are at the movies. The rest of the world should fade away as you are absorbed in the new world being created on the screen in front of you.
