How To Design and Build A Home Theater

How To Design And Build A Successful Home Theater

Overview

Below is a step by step discussion of each phase required to build a successful Home Theater. If you are converting an existing room in a Home Theater, then Step 2 will not apply to your situation.

If you have a relatively small budget for your design, then you can probably skip Step 5 (Formal Documentation). We do offer complimentary renderings and general design services which includes a basic layout of your theater.

Probably the most over looked aspect of the Home Theater process is the inclusion of acoustic panels in the design. Simply put, great equipment, will not sound great in a room containing too many hard surfaces.

Decorative acoustic panels can enhance your design as well as optimize your equipment.

Step 1 - Create A Budget For Your Theater

You must begin designing your theater with a workable budget. Once you have a comfortable range to work with you then need to determine how you want to allocate that budget.

You can break this down into the following 3 categories. A/V, Interior Design, Acoustic Treatments.

At this point, you need to examine what are my priorities and how should they be reflected in my budget. If sound is the most important part of your theater, you may invest more money in your speakers and Sound Control products.

Other people may be more interested in having the best and largest screen possible and will invest heavily in a projector and screen.

Furthermore, some people want to create a really elegant design for their theater and will prioritize these element in their budget.

Step 2 - Home Theater Dimensions

Clients often start their conversation with us with the question "What size should my theater be?". If you are building a new house or room, then you may have the freedom to determine the precise size of your theater.

In this scenario, determine the number of chairs that you want and how much space you need behind the chairs for a counter top, bar, storage etc. If you want two rows of 4 chairs without anything else in the rear part of the theater, then you really don't need a theater much larger than 14' x 19'. For each additional row of chairs and/or bar counter, you should add 6'-7'. But remember, the longer you make the room, the wider the screen should be. The width should be 30" - 72" wider than your seat configuration.

You can design an amazing Home Theater from just about any sized existing room. You may be limited in the rows of seats you can have, but still create a wonderful theater.

Step 3 - A/V Equipment

Now that you have a general budget and room size, you should now consider the equipment for your theater. The screen size is very important to your overall theater experience. The optimal viewing distance is about 1.5 x the width of the screen. So a larger room will require a larger screen. If the room isn't too long, don't purchase the widest screen available because you will be seated too close to the screen.

As previously stated you need to determine what is most important to you. A true audiophile will focus on the Audio and Sound Control products of the Home Theater and allocate a larger percentage of their budget to these elements.

Other people may place more emphasis on their viewing experience which will be reflected in a better projector and screen and not spend as much on their Audio system.

Take a moment to reflect on the most important feature of your theater.

Step 4 - Theater Design Concepts

At this point your focus should be on the design of your theater. Your choices are limitless so start by considering if you want a Traditional, Modern or Thematic Home Theater. Then determine your preferred color scheme.

Many people believe their theater decor should be consistent with the rest of their home. That's fine, but the theater is the one room where you can really express your personality and passion. You can have a great deal of fun with this room so think beyond the box and consider all the possibilities that are available to you.

During this phase you also need to consider acoustic panels for your Home Theater. Using decorative prints or patterned fabrics, the panels will compliment your design as well as enhance your listening experience.

We offer complimentary Photo-Realistic 3-D Renderings which allow you to examine multiple design schemes.

Step 5 - Formalize Your Theater Design

It is now time to start making your Theater a reality. To do so, you need a formal set of architectural drawing that your vendors can use to build and install all the elements of the theater from. This includes the following:

Electrical Drawings - show the wiring for lights and equipment.

Construction Drawings - Show the physical build outs for chair risers, stages and prosceniums.

Design Elevations - Reflect the size, quantity and location of the acoustic panels, columns and any other architectural elements of your theater.

During this phase, we analyze and integrate the A/V equipment into the theater design. This is often overlooked, but is essential for designing a successful Home Theater. We will also analyze the layout and the equipment to determine the best acoustical solutions for your theater.

Step 6 - If You Build It, They Will Come!

All of the essential elements of your theater should now be fully analyzed and documented. You can now begin planning the installation for the first part of your theater, which includes:

Internal wiring for the proper locations of the speakers, lights, projector etc. If you are using in-wall speakers you can install the speakers as well.

Construction of the riser, stage and other architectural elements, which is usually completed by a local contractor.

Some theater designs may require the installation of sophisticated sound control products in the internal wall. This set up is used most often with a stretched fabric (print) system that can cover an entire wall without seams.

Step 7 - Home Theater Installation

Once the initial phase of wiring and construction is completed, you can now start installing the interior design and A/V products that will be visible in the theater.

Interior Design:

Acoustic Panel, Columns, Wood Trim, Sconces, Proscenium, Curtains, Carpet, Chairs, Fiber-optic Ceiling and any other custom architectural products for your theater.

Electronic:

Speakers, Lighting Control, Projector, Screen, Step lights, other lights in the room.

After all these elements have been installed, your A/V Dealer should calibrate the equipment so that it can perform at an optimal level for the new Home Theater environment that's been created for you.

Step 8 - Lights, Camera,Home Theater

Now it's time to sit back and enjoy your new theater. You should be proud of the room you helped design. You will be amazed at how great the room sounds (because you included acoustic products in your budget and design) and looks.

Your theater will become a room where your family and friends can spend hundreds of hours in the cozy confines of your home.

Enjoy!

We Offer 3 Levels Of Theater Design Services

Silver Theater Design

Typical Cost For Panels: $2,000-$7,000

For clients who are basically just looking to purchase our Decorative Acoustic Panels.

This includes a basic room where the panels will be the primary design element in the room. It can also be for a more complex room that has already been properly engineered and constructed but only requires our panels to complete its design concept.

Includes complimentary 3-D rendering and some general design advice about the size/location/quantity of the panels, color combinations for the theater, and chair layout.

Design Fee: Complimentary

Gold Theater Design

Typical Cost For Entire Theater: $10,000 -$20,000

For clients interested in a more complete Home Theater Design which includes the acoustic panels, columns/pilasters, frames and moldings. To keep the cost relatively modest, we recommend a local contractor install all the materials that we would supply. This will save you the expense of having us fly, house and feed our installation crew.

Includes complimentary 3-D rendering and some general design advice about the size/location/quantity of the panels, color combinations for the theater, and chair layout.

Design Fee: May require an additional design fee to create design/construction/engineering documents which will properly integrate all lighting, A/V and design elements of the theater.

Platinum Theater Design

Typical Cost For Entire Theater: $35,000 and above.

For clients interested in a high-end home theater that may contain detailed architectural elements, quality Home Theater seating, sophisticated lighting, Proscenium(stage, curtains, false walls), fiber-optic ceiling, custom bar area etc.

Design Fee: Requires an additional design fee to create design/construction/engineering documents which will properly integrate all lighting, A/V and design elements of the theater. Includes project management of all vendors involved in the theater.

May require initial on-sight visit and consultation to document all the dimensions and features of the room and to facilitate a detailed discussion pertaining to the ultimate design of the theater.