Home Theater

Similar to the increasing trend towards full-time Home Office rooms, large entertainment centers and dedicated home theater spaces are becoming increasingly popular in my client's homes.  These units are designed to provide plenty of storage for the televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, and speakers that make up a home theater package.  In addition, they are called upon to store all the associated media elements of a home theater including video tapes, DVDs, CDs, records, cassettes, and so on.  Complicating the design requirements for these units is the client's frequent desire to make the TV and other electronic components disappear when the room is used for other purposes.  In other words, the cabinets need to have a very strong "furniture" appearance and should effectively conceal the contents from view.  Fortunately, there is an ever increasing variety of high tech hardware to make this goal possible. 

Keep in mind that it's critical to design and construct these furniture and cabinetry pieces so that the electronics do not overheat and convenient routing of the wires and cables can be managed.  A number of kitchen cabinet builders have branched out into this area without properly taking into consideration the unique design requirements for home theater systems.  Since stereo and home electronics have always been a personal avocation of mine, I've taken the time to study this area and modify my home theater cabinet designs accordingly.

Finally, if you require assistance in selecting the electronic components to go into your home theater, I can assist you in that area as well.  In my spare time, I read extensively about current developments in evolving areas including:

• Display devices - plasma screens, DLP projectors, CRT projectors, and rear projection televisions, including HDTV

• Surround sound systems - 5.1 and 7.1 capable A/V receivers and component systems

• Speaker selection - probably the most confusing area of home theater installation

• System cabling - speaker wire and component interconnect cables

• Room control systems - in-wall volume/source controls, IR repeaters, multi-room installations, integrated remotes

• Multi-media servers - computer-based audio/video content streaming via wired and wireless networks - this area of technology will be explosive over the next 3 to 5 years

I also utilize home theater configuration DVDs, RGB light filters, and sound level meters to adjust the lighting levels of the display screen and sound levels of the speaker package to create the most convincing, immersive A/V experience possible from each home theater system.

Nearly all the home theaters shown on this page were initially designed and rendered using my CabinetVision software.  Please visit the Cabinet Design page for more information on the advantages of this powerful tool.  Also, as you consider selecting me for your home theater project, please take the time to review my policy on installation labor.  As stated there, quality installation is a big factor in the final outcome of a project and my approach insures your long-term satisfaction.

When viewing the items below, click on any of the photos or names to see the details of that piece. 

Painted & Glazed Bookshelves        Featuring stained maple upper bookshelves along with painted & glazed base cabinets, this expansive built-in wall unit houses a complete home theater and a concealed lighting system.

Contemporary Flat-Panel TV/AV Stand        Commissioned by a client in Houston, this highly-stylized TV/AV stand employs graceful curves and angled/tapered legs adorned with mottled makore, ebony, and birds-eye maple veneers.

Cherry Home Theater Cabinets        Along with the installation of these custom-made cherry cabinets, this home theater project included the installation of a large LCD TV, a multi-function AV receiver, and multiple video game consoles.

Antique Cabinet with TV Lift        This aged and distressed cupboard was creatively transformed from a heavily-used piece of antique furniture into a cleverly-concealed AV cabinet with motorized lift, and is now at home among the client's numerous fine furnishings.

Contemporary Oak Home Theater        Sitting behind a large set of custom bookcases, this home theater cabinetry conceals massive amounts of power and data cabling and provides storage for numerous AV components and a large DLP television.

Maple Corner Entertainment Center        Utilizes quilted maple veneered door panels for a stunning look.

Bubinga Mantel & Plasma TV Enclosure        This contemporary mantel features exotic bubinga veneer and cleverly conceals a plasma HDTV behind hinged panels with touch latches.

Contemporary Mahogany Bookshelves        Made from ribbon-stripe mahogany, these bookshelves were also designed to hold a home theater system with a 42" plasma screen.

Concealed Home Theater        With the exception of the 50" plasma screen, all other components of this home theater are installed inside the walls of this master bedroom suite.

Fireplace Flat Panel TV        Mounted above a cherry corner fireplace mantel, this flat panel TV delivers news and entertainment to a home office.

Birdseye Maple & Ebony TV Stand        Accented with birdseye maple and Macassar ebony veneer, this TV stand was designed to perfectly fit a large rear-projection DLP television.

Curly Cherry Custom Loudspeakers        Meticulously covered with vibrant curly cherry veneer and finished with a polished piano lacquer, these curved-front custom loudspeakers are truly state-of-the-art.

Satellite Speaker Stands        These stands place side/rear satellite speakers at an ideal listening level and completely conceal all wiring.  Similar units can be built from many wood species to match your specific speakers and décor.

Cherry Stereo Alcove        Designed to match the color and tone of  a set of  Curly Cherry Loudspeakers commissioned previously by the client, this cabinetry contains an audiophile-grade granite turntable, other electronic equipment, and portions of a large LP album collection.

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