Home Theaters - Examples in Design

Furniture layout and design planning today for us designers is all about taking into consideration the way we live and how we all have evolved as a culture. Part of our daily challenges is helping our clients bring together both AWESOME design and style (of course!) but also function, which is something I refer to plenty on my design posts.

The thrill of tailoring each and every room, not only bedroom, to my clients desires and needs is what makes our job exciting. No two days will ever be alike.

So what is the best use of our space? Do we adhere to the traditional separated dining room and living rooms areas, with all their formality while they remain unused throughout most of the year but are what our real estate agents expect from us?
Or, do we break free from those restraints and use each and every inch of our homes the way we live, with open kitchen/dining/living floor plan combinations and spacious family and TV - Home Theater Rooms?

These are only but a few examples of some of the Media - Home Theater rooms that have been filling my inspiration boards as I help my clients create their dream family room..
Which is your favorite?


Traditional Media Room by Chantilly Home Media Design & Installation Encore Custom Audio Video

Contemporary Media Room by Freeland Kitchen & Bath Designers Designtech Custom Interiors

Contemporary Media Room by Costa Mesa Architects & Designers Brandon Architects, Inc.

Contemporary Media Room by Bethesda Architects & Designers SBK Partnership, LLC - ARCHITECTURE

Contemporary Media Room by Montclair Architects & Designers Maxey Hayse Design Studios, Inc

Traditional Media Room by San Francisco Architects & Designers Sutro Architects

Traditional Media Room by Naples Architects & Designers Stofft Cooney Architects

Mediterranean Media Room by Solon Design-Build Firms Palmieri Builders

Contemporary Media Room by Newport Beach General Contractors Prestige Builders

Contemporary Media Room by Bellevue Architects & Designers Gelotte Hommas Architecture

Traditional Media Room by Raleigh Interior Designers & Decorators Steiner Design Interiors

Eclectic Media Room by Denver Home Media Design & Installation Colorado Media Systems

Media Room by Toronto Home Media Design & Installation Intainium Home Cinemas

Contemporary Media Room by Des Plaines Schools and Organizations National Association of the Remodeling Industry

Modern Media Room by El Segundo Architects & Designers Rockefeller Partners Architects

Modern Media Room by El Segundo Architects & Designers Rockefeller Partners Architects

Contemporary Media Room by Milwaukee Architects & Designers Deep River Partners

Modern Basement

Traditional Basement by Harrisburg Interior Designers & Decorators Custer Design Group

Contemporary Media Room by Victoria Photographers Joshua Lawrence Studios INC

Contemporary Media Room by Bethesda Home Media Design & Installation Bethesda Systems

Contemporary Media Room by Atlanta Kitchen & Bath Fixtures Insidesign

Contemporary Media Room by Bethesda Architects & Designers SBK Partnership, LLC - ARCHITECTURE

Asian Media Room by Kamuela Interior Designers & Decorators Willman Interiors / Gina Willman, ASID

Contemporary Media Room by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Clark Gaynor Interiors

Contemporary Media Room

Modern Media Room by New Canaan General Contractors Jablonski Associates

Traditional Media Room by Salt Lake City Interior Designers & Decorators Harman Wilde

Traditional Basement by Duluth Design-Build Firms John Willis Homes

Contemporary Spaces by Costa Mesa Architects & Designers Brandon Architects, Inc.

Contemporary Media Room by Scottsdale Architects & Designers Swaback Partners, pllc

Contemporary Media Room by Los Angeles Home Media Design & Installation Bliss Home Theaters & Automation, Inc

Contemporary Media Room by San Diego Interior Designers & Decorators Blackbird Interiors

Contemporary Media Room by London Architects & Designers Hill Mitchell Berry Architects

Rustic Kids by Breckenridge Architects & Designers Gunson Custom Mountain Architects

Peek-a-Boo: Home Theater Design

All this talk about the Super Bowl, Man Caves, Media Rooms, and Home Theaters has driven me absolutely crazy!

But... there is something to be said about giving the public what it wants ~ and as Leslie Carothers from The Kaleidoscope Partnership shared with us last night on a Live Web Talk Radio event: "if there is in increase in the Super Bowl facebook page by over 3000 "likes" in less than one day, well then".. who are we to argue with those kinds of numbers, right?

So, today's Peek-a-Boo post is going to delve a little deeper into Home Theater design for every size type home! Not all of us have $6 Million dollars to spend on a specialized media room like Jeremy Kipnis



Jeremy Kipnis

But once you start searching for ideas on home theaters or media rooms, some really out-of-the-box ideas pop up!

Themed Home Theaters

Home-Theatre Design



asktheadvisorsdesign

malibu theme via tktheters.com

asktheadvisors design



Multi-Functional Home Theaters



Sweety Design



J Bilhuber



Or this more traditional setting, where a BAR has been incorporated into the scheme..
What I like about this example is that it goes against the trend of designing a media room in dark colors but instead is all white! With the right equipment, and great lighting, we really don't need to have the room designed in all dark colors which can sometimes become very overwhelming especially if you are in a basement.



Home-Theatre-Design-Ideas

But as another alternative, and if you really don't have the space for a Private Movie Theater in your home, there are always other alternatives to making movie night fun, like how Vicente Wolf uses an easel to create an extremely original support for the TV in this open plan space.

Vicente Wolf via House Beautiful


So how would I design a Media Room..
Well there are always a few elements that I like to consider so that everyone feels comfortable in this space, and at all times, besides the technical lighting, sound and all the equipment which are fundamental and are a priority for most when considering this room in their home.




ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER:
Velvet, Comfortable seating
Textures - on soft furnishings, walls (grasscloth,
or fabric covered walls)

Turner David Interiors

Of course there are amazing options for reclining movie theater style seating which I have used but in this option I felt other alternatives would be a little more exciting and add that touch of flexibility ~ allowing you to be able to reincorporate some of these pieces in other areas of your home later on.




My Mood Board ~ Home Theater via Olioboard

These are some inspirational images of materials which in one way or another I would incorporate into a design scheme for this type of room right now.



Betsy Brown

I love the idea of introducing wood as another natural element into a home theater.
This is an outstanding example where the TV can be hidden if necessary.

So are you getting ready for your Sunday Super Bowl party?
Perhaps you are feeling inspired by this post to start rearranging some rooms in your home and making "movie night" a weekly event.


Give me a call.. let's talk design strategy!



Weekend Inspiration: Wooden Beams ~ Design for MEN?

I spent a lot of time on my Pinterest boards this weekend.

I find that while doing this for awhile I am able to spot certain trends, patterns, colors or even architectural details that seem to appear repeatedly. A type of "Trend Spotting" a la Dec-a-Porter.

This Weekend Inspiration post, focuses on exposed wooden beams in design and how to design for men.

The first thing that comes to mind when I see an image of a room with exposed wooden beams on the ceiling is, how those that practice the art of Feng Shui consider it a very negative force.

Anantara Qasr Al Sarab

It is thought as "a poisoned arrow" so the belief is that you should avoid sleeping, sitting, working, studying under it whenever possible.







Some believe that you can alleviate some of these negative energies by painting them white, making them visually less apparent, or by covering or softening their impact from them with fabric, hanging bamboo, or even firecrackers!

via aubreyroad.blogspot.com

uxus design

But on the other hand, with the Super Bowl only days away, and with so much emphasis being placed on design and room layouts that take into consideration the "male" population of the home ~ this does seem to me to help introduce a more masculine quality to the design scheme.

Jute Interior

Is it that heaviness of the wood, or perhaps the 'visual stability' that it inspires that makes me feel this when I look at some of these examples?

I'm not sure. But, I can say that when designing a basement or a TV / Theater room in a home there have been many occasions where I have been asked to introduce these types of elements into the design scheme - even though there may not necessarily be a true structural reason for them.

California Home & Design ~ Erin Martin

Cheryl Tague ID

via Scot Meacham Wood blog

Celerie Kemble

 

Kate Walsh's TV Room via InStyle magazine

So what do you think? Beams, or no Beams?
Do they make you feel the same way?