Designing Dramatic Home Theatres

Perhaps it's just another element of the societal trend of cocooning. Or maybe consumers are tired of paying $9.50 (not including snacks) for the privilege of watching movies in an excessively air-conditioned theater, surrounded by people yakking on their cell phones, and others who figured it was OK to bring their screaming 2-year-old to an R-rated feature.

Whatever the reason, the elaborate home theater has become the latest must-have element of the luxury home. And just like the once-basic bathroom has metamorphosed into a fully equipped spa retreat, what started as a modest expansion of the family entertainment center has evolved into a palatial fantasy space.

Do homeowners care more about a theater's ambiance or technical performance? Both, theater designers and installers agree. However, unlike other trends like the outdoor kitchen, where a modicum of Internet research makes for an informed consumer, even fairly techno-savvy homeowners tend to get confused by the level of technological sophistication involved in a home theater.

"Sometimes they ask a question and the answer obviously becomes overwhelming to them - and then they don't ask so many questions," quips Terry Morton, owner, Land & Sea Entertainment in San Diego. The technical side, he adds, "… is our job. They don't have to go to school to purchase a home theater." But even those homeowners who don't really want to know, say, the difference between axial, tangential and oblique modes of sound, or the definition of a sound transfer coefficient rating, take a proactive, involved approach to creating their home theater system."

"Most of the clients just want to know they're getting the big sound, the big sight, and really have that movie theater experience within their home," says James Theobald, marketing director, Theo Kalomirakis Theaters in New York.

Manuel Andalia, principal, AVL Pro Inc., Naples, Fla., adds that it's important to consider a client's lifestyle before commencing theater design. For instance, a movie buff client will want a system that accommodates VHS in order to screen their collection of obscure old movies not available on DVD, whereas someone who's mainly interested in viewing new releases should go with a DVD-only system.

The audio/video contractor also should determine exactly who will be utilizing the space. For those with children or grandchildren, Andalia likes to put in a big comfortable couch, or little stools, in addition to reclining theater chairs. "We try to make it playful for them," he notes. Similarly, Theobald likes to install flip-up theater chairs for kids. In another project, a couple added a formal stage so their performance-oriented grandchildren could put on plays, tap dance and otherwise perform for the family, Andalia recalls.

For kids - and many adults - video gaming is another standard element of the home theater. Games require an additional lighting scenario, Morton notes. "You're going to want the projection system to be bright enough but you're also going to want to have light on your controllers, so you can see what you're doing."

Another issue is whether or not the client wants the AV equipment visible. "Generally, the electronics are concealed," Theobald says. "It's nice to sit in a room that's designed so well you really don't pay attention to where the sound and picture are coming from."

"I don't like to have (equipment lights) blinking inside the theater," Andalia adds. He places the equipment in a vestibule, or the back of the theater, hidden behind stained glass doors or "something that looks like part of the architecture."

Morton adds that 80 percent of his clientele want the components concealed, but the other 20 percent like to show them off, especially if they're paying for high-end equipment. "There's a certain amount of vanity in this for people, especially the person who's trying to build a better theater than their friend just built," he quips. Enclosures or façades are the usual way to hide speakers. An in-wall system is an elaborate installation option that's more feasible for new construction rather than for retrofit.