FEATURE: Home Theater Trends

Trends inHome Theater Design

By Kirsten E Silven

1 The owner of this award-winning home theater turned an unused portion of his basement into a space the whole family can enjoy, with a hand painted 10-foot celestial ceiling, massive 138-inch screen optimized for displaying 4k content and plenty of cozy seating for family and friends. Other touches include a Sony 4k projector, a Dolby Atmos receiver, Paradigm speakers and Savant control system. Photo Courtesy of Electronic Time.

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2 Situated in the finished lower level, this home theater is a sports-lover’s dream, with multiple screens so the homeowners never have to miss the action when their favorite teams play. Recessed smart lighting with several blue LED accents and custom built-ins give the room a polished vibe, while stadium seating and sound absorbing material on the wall behind the screens fine tune the entire experience. Photo courtesy of Professional AV Solutions.

3 Concrete walls and flooring lend this ultracontemporary home theater a clean, progressive feel, while floor-to-ceiling windows allow natural light to flood the space when the homeowner so desires, and hidden automatic blackout shades are ready to dim the lights at the press of a button. A double-sided gas fireplace provides a cozy feel and warms up the space, which does not require special sound absorbing or deadening materials due to its cavernous size. Photo courtesy of JLC.

Aconfluence of circumstances, including more time spent at home, better content, an ever-shrinking window between theater-to-home release dates and major advancements in technology, have all come together in a perfect storm to make at-home theaters one of today’s top trends in home entertainment. In fact, recent years have seen a major shift from theatrical to home entertainment—even in the pre-COVID era; a trend that has only been strengthened by the pandemic.

Many consumers have opted to use the money they would have otherwise spent traveling to upgrade their home entertainment systems, in an effort to make lockdowns and quarantine more bearable. According to the Digital Entertainment Group, consumers spent more than $1.5 billion on digital entertainment during the second half of 2020 alone, representing a 54% increase over the same period just one year prior.

In addition, the cost to build out a fabulous home theater room has dramatically decreased in recent years. Today, you can create a state-of-the-art installation that would have once cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for just a fraction of that amount, and at the same time integrators and A/V professionals have access to more tools and technologies than ever before to really wow clientele.

“We have been getting more requests for short-throw projectors, because they can give clients very large images—usually 100 or 120-inch diagonal—and they also cost less than even a middleof-the-road 85-inch or 86-inch television,” shared Dan Moore of Blue Grass Home Entertainment in Lexington, who holds ISF, HAA, THX, CEDIA (both Designer & Technician), Sony, Sencore and Dolby technician certifications.

Moore says another popular product they carry is lighting control, adding that his clients today are more into saving energy and reducing their carbon footprint than ever before. By simply dimming a light by 30-40 percent, it reduces the amount of electricity used by the same amount. “With LED lights being much more efficient, if clients use LED lights and dim them to an acceptable level, their electric bill—at least for the lighting portion of their home—is much lower.”

According to manufacturers, smart lighting products pay for themselves in about 7-10 years, making them a wise investment. Builders also love them, because they feature a keypad instead of many different switches, which takes up less room and leaves a cleaner look on interior walls. Homeowners also reap the benefits of smart lighting products, which can set a scene and create the perfect mood for an entire evening with the press of just one button.

“Of course, installing the proper materials for sound absorption is also key to enhancing the detail and clarity of the home theater experience,” Moore said. “But it’s important to note that large, open rooms need less in the way of sound-absorbing materials... And when it comes to design, remember that choosing a darker color scheme will help make videos really pop.”

Regarding at-home cinema seating, sound-absorbing sectionals and oversized bean bag chairs remain popular, along with cozy recliners in a stadium-style layout. And since comfort is paramount, many home theaters also provide easy access to snacks and drinks by adding a bar that is complete with a popcorn machine, candy, soda fountain, adult beverages and whatever else the homeowner desires.

There’s no doubt that home entertainment is king right now, and new cinema technology has created a dramatic opportunity to provide an amazing experience for families to enjoy. Regardless of whether you need to update an existing multimedia room or are interested in starting from scratch, home theaters today can be tailored to meet virtually any style or design aesthetic, with incredible new audio-visual technology that will wow even the most seasoned moviegoers!

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4 This sports-themed home theater and man cave in one has a number of fun touches, including a hardwood floor in a subtle herringbone pattern that is also painted with half-court lines, ample room for signed jerseys and other memorabilia from the homeowner’s favorite players. And with four super comfy recliners that are perfect for watching the game, there is never a bad seat in the house! Photo courtesy of Hampton Roads Electric.

Boasting an impressive Star Wars theme, this award-winning home theater has an audio system that provides quite a bit of impact and rumble, which required custom crafted sound deadening materials and sound absorbing panels to be installed. Other touches include Sony 4k projection, a Screen Excellence projection screen and a Control4 system to manage the entire installation. Photo courtesy of CEDIA Theater.

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6 A star-studded ceiling is gently illuminated with LED recessed lighting to create an out-of-this-world home theater experience in this scaled down version of a traditional cinema. Featuring super comfortable sectional and recliner seating for the ultimate relaxing movie night at home. Photo courtesy of RDC Electrical.

7 Boasting a modern take on a tray ceiling with clever recessed lighting, state-of-the-art sound absorbing material on the walls and sound deadening material inside the walls, this home theater room was initially created so the family could still enjoy movie nights during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has since become a favorite gathering spot. Other features include oversized sectional stadium seating and memory foam Cuddlebags (aka bean bags) that also help absorb sound, along with high-quality speakers hidden in the walls and a custom cabinet surrounding the TV. Photo, design and installation by Blue Grass Home Entertainment. 7

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8 Deep red tones on the bar, carpet and walls are dark enough to let the screen pop but also deliver rich color throughout the room, while the creamy white seating, trim work and ceiling color provide pleasing contrast. This sleek modern space also boasts recessed dimmable and programmable LED smart lighting and a full bar to complete the luxe vibe. Photo courtesy of Peter Mukerje.

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9 This home theater features a sizable sectional that can easily seat 10-12 people and is part of an exciting lower level that’s all about having fun. The space also includes a wine room, pinball machines, air hockey and shuffleboard, initially designed to entice the homeowner’s grandchildren to visit more often. The idea turned out to be a major success, and now the whole family gets together regularly to play cards and watch movies or catch a game on the big screen. Photo, design and installation by Blue Grass Home Entertainment.

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10 Classic luxury meets high-tech design with this stunning coffered hardwood ceiling design that features recessed lighting, and serves double duty by creating an acoustic buffer that muffles sound. Stadium seating provides a comfortable experience for up to 15 viewers, while floor-to-ceiling woodwork and pops of traditional patterned wallpaper work to lend a classic feel to this otherwise modern room. Photo courtesy of Spence Design.

11 This home was in the process of being built when COVID hit, so the homeowner decided to transform a section of the basement with 10-foot ceilings into their very own home theater. Sound deadening materials were installed behind the walls, and sound absorbing materials were also added so the theater can be used even on weeknights while kids are sleeping. 15 speakers are built into the walls and ceiling, made invisible by an acoustically transparent fabric, while three rows of chairs and a bar in the back complete the layout. The screen is a 2:35:1 Aspect ratio widescreen, while LED lighting gives the room a welcoming feel, and dark materials help keep the focus on the video. Photo, design and installation by Blue Grass Home Entertainment.