How to achieve the ultimate style for your home theater

Strike a balance between design and entertainment with the right tools

In previous blogs, we've focused on the many steps we take to optimize performance during our home theater installations. From equipment to lighting, we do everything possible to get the best audio and video quality in your Memorial, TX home. That doesn’t mean we don’t take aesthetics into account as well. We can work with your interior designer to extend your stylistic vision to your entertainment spaces. Below we highlight a few home theater design tips that will help you create an environment that appeals to you.

Go Bold or Go Invisible

Speakers are often the biggest stylistic element in home theater installations. Since a truly immersive surround sound system requires from 5 to as many as 11 speakers throughout the room, it’s easy for them to overwhelm your décor. One solution is to go with architectural models that hide within your walls and ceilings. You can create a completely concealed speaker system using these products or mix them with traditional speakers to have the best of both worlds. Another solution is to make your speakers a stylistic statement. High-end audio manufacturers like Wilson Audio, Martin Logan, and B&W offer innovative designs that could easily be a showpiece in your theater and give the best sound possible.

Camouflage Your Screen

When you're not using your theater, a large gray or white screen can take away from your interior décor. There are a few ways that you can sidestep this issue. One option allows you to hide your screen behind a large piece of art, then use a motorized lift to reveal the screen when you're ready to watch a movie. Our partners at Screen Innovations also have retractable models that can disappear into the ceiling or custom cabinetry when not in use. This can be especially useful when taking the concealed theater approach.

Acoustic Treatment

Many of our clients like the idea of improving the room acoustics but don’t like the idea of boring acoustic panels attached to the wall. From custom designs to specialty manufacturers, we can offer a wide range of acoustic treatments that will make everything sound better, but blend into the room aesthetics. Laser cut wooden baffles with dampening material behind them look more like art and less like acoustic panels. There are even under carpet products that are very effective but totally invisible. We utilize many of these solutions in our showrooms and most people never even notice them as part of the décor.

Incorporate Decorative Lighting

Sconces are a common addition to our home theater installations. They help to recreate the feel of a commercial theater and provide lighting that won't affect your screen since it's directed elsewhere for ambiance. Because we incorporate smart control in our theaters, it's easy for you to dim these fixtures to the ideal intensity when you sit down to watch a movie. Hitting a “watch movie” button on a remote not only fires up the A/V components needed, it also adjusts the lights and closes the shades to give an immersive feel to the experience.

Add Some Finishing Touches

Depending on the theme for your theater you’re going to want to add some décor once it’s all set up. From a sleek iPort sleeve for an iPad with a coordinating table top mount, sometimes it is the small details that stand out. Relocating thermostats out of site and using hidden sensors to adjust the temperature can also clean up the look. LED lighting under steps or behind a screen add life to the room when the movie starts. Like with most projects, proper planning and design can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Do you have any other stylistic concerns when it comes to our home theater installations? We can help you with your inquiry and advise you on the best solution for your space. Just give us a call at 713-933-0606 or fill out our online contact form.