By Judith Bernard, Dogwood Interiors

I always looked forward to going to the movies on Saturday morning with my friends and sometimes my big sister. We had two theater choices in our small town of Santa Rosa – the Roxy and the California. Both theaters were just a block apart, but my favorite was the California because its ornate interior was a great distraction during scary movie moments such as the alien encounters in The War of the Worlds or the evil eyes of Raymond Burr in Rear Window. Our family, like many, eventually became transfixed by television. But as I grew older, I spent my carefree times with friends watching movies (and sometimes not) at drive-in movie theaters before cruising through Mel’s Drive-In on Fourth Street, a true American Graffiti experience.

Television viewing remained the same but televisions got bigger and we all graduated from black and white to color sets. In the late 70’s, however, our theater experience changed forever when my son dragged me, at least 15 times, to see Star Wars. On the plus side, we started experiencing advanced film technology with blockbuster THX or Dolby sound, but on the minus side, theater seating was still designed by masochists and popcorn kept getting more expensive.

When the world of video tapes emerged and movie rental stores popped up in our San Francisco neighborhood, our family of six spent more time renting movies to watch in the comfort (and supervision) of home, rather than going to the movies. Our home offered a clean bathroom, comfortable seating, and endless supplies of food, all for the price of one ticket instead of six. Of course, the screen was smaller and the sound inferior.

Today, the world of movie viewing is moving at warp speed. When we go to a movie, high definition movies show reflections of Clint Eastwood in the sweat on Hilary Swank’s brow in Million Dollar Baby, and the sound system shakes our soul with her every punch. And, I am thankful to say, that theater seating has also improved but popcorn is still expensive.

Our home theater experience has also changed. We can watch movies on television sets that hang on our family room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen walls, with television coming soon on your refrigerator door and wristwatch. Digital televisions and affordable surround sound systems give us the closest movie theater experience yet, with movies available from phone lines via cable, satellite television or our computer.

Thus, our design clients, depending upon their love of television and film, have become more demanding about the overall design and function of the television and theater experience within their homes. Design clients either want a true theater experience, a dedicated Media Room or the usual digital television and a good surround sound system. Each option creates different design challenges.

The Dedicated Home Theater

A true home theater experience is the most expensive option and can cost in excess of a million dollars. Clients dedicate a single room in their home to the theater. The room is constructed by adding layers of drywall with insulating materials sandwiched between each layer to create the ultimate acoustical experience within the theater. Acoustical materials and speakers that divert sound appropriately to each theater viewer are carefully positioned on the theaters’ walls and ceiling. Audio visual consultants and acoustical engineers choose the best equipment: video projectors that are hidden in soffits or ceiling mounted; high resolution ceiling or wall mounted projection screens; the best of the best speakers, subwoofers: and, receivers and other audio visual components that are required to power and manage the theater experience, all usually housed on computer racks that reside outside the theater in cabinets or separate equipment rooms. Home theaters also require special heating and air conditioning systems and special lighting. Theater seating in home theaters is usually elevated so that all viewers can view the screen, and some theaters have been designed with dramatic interiors including prosceniums and motorized drapery equal to the Roxy Theater.

The interior designer plays an important role in the design of the dedicated home theater through the technical and acoustical design process because the home theater ultimately becomes an extension of the client’s home. We have designed the interiors of theaters with an Art Deco theme, a Paris Salon, a Moroccan Tent and more traditional and contemporary environments.

The clients of the home theater pictured at the top of this page specified a theater design that reflected the formality of old theaters with an emphasis on the color burgundy. We designed the theater’s cherry paneling that includes four foot wide openings around walls of theater that are fabric covered to hide the black acoustical materials, speakers, woofers, etc. embedded in each wall and on the ceiling. The acoustical material we select must withstand moisture variances and heat generated by the sound system within the theater. Many fabrics are not acceptable because sound either cannot project through the fabric or will stretch with moisture. Finding an acoustically transparent fabric creates a design challenge for every theater designer as most clients are not happy with the limited choices of standard speaker fabrics. Dark fabrics and finishes are also preferred in the home theater environment since reflective or light fabrics detract from the movie experience; movie images will bounce off light or reflective surfaces. Ceiling fabric choices are limited to extra wide 180” acoustical fabrics in plain colors that can also be faux painted. This is necessary because of the overall limitation of 44” to 55” fabric widths.

To complete the environment, we assist with the selection of carpeting, lighting fixtures, theater drapery fabric and its fabrication, and theater seating. There are now several companies that offer excellent home theater seating that reclines and can hold the requisite can of coke, beer, or glass of fine wine. Every home theater has a “money seat”, a video touch screen where all electronic controls are available to select a movie, open the drapery, lower the lights. Popcorn machines, refrigerators, and other appliances that might rattle are not allowed inside a home theater because when the sound system is at its peak performance, significant vibrations can occur, e.g., famous scenes from JurassicPark!

Media Room

A media room may have all the electronic trappings of a dedicated home theater, but the room will not have acoustically insulated walls. Thus the sound experience, no matter how excellent the system, will be completely different as sound will bounce off hard surfaces such as wood, walls and windows. There is, however, new sound technology that greatly improves the control of sound within a normal residential or commercial environment. Most audio visual equipment will be built-in to an entertainment center that requires careful analysis of all AV equipment so that it is attractively housed. Seating is usually traditional furniture rather than dedicated elevated theater seating. Windows are usually prevalent in a Media Room, whereas a dedicated home theater usually has no windows.

The designer will provide the client the same level of assistance, but will include blackout drapery or window coverings to darken the room and improve the visual experience. The photo below reflects a media room that integrates beautifully into a private residence.

The Usual Media Experience

Most consumers still have a working television with integrated speakers but now that plasma and digital televisions are becoming more affordable, clients are merely upgrading their equipment to improve their television viewing and sound experience. The room pictured below reflects how a client integrated a new plasma screen, including an in ceiling surround sound system into an existing environment. This client likes to watch television and movies while working on her art and wasn’t concerned about concealing the plasma screen. She is able to watch television from her kitchen, informal eating area and family room, and also has a plasma screen on her bedroom wall next to a 18th Century French Armoire. Her surround sound system is superior and she enjoys a near perfect theater experience while admiring her beautiful antique furniture.

There are many decisions that need to be made to create a perfect home theater environment. The client will make those decisions based upon what they ultimately hope to experience in their home and their budget. All clients want the home theater, media room or media system to integrate beautifully into the comfort of their home and we take every step to help them achieve their goal.