Combine the opulence and elegance of the movie palaces of the 1920s and the audio and visual technology of today and you have the latest creation from Wilshire Home Entertainment in Thousand Oaks, Calif. This 400 square foot home theater has the look and feel of a bygone era but with all the technical advances that a modern homeowner demands.
The clients spared no expense in creating the home theater of their dreams. The $400,000 project in Hidden Valley near Thousand Oaks was designed for plenty of family movie nights for the homeowners and their four children.
The clients trusted Wilshire to design the technology that would perfectly compliment their newly-constructed space. They did have one request–all equipment needed to be out of sight–only the projector and screen could be visible. Wilshire was able to conceal the system’s seven speakers and four subwoofers, with components hidden below the screen behind acoustical panels in the cowling.
The clients were very hands-on when it came to the actual interior design of the theater. They wanted to continue the ornate décor and style of their home in the theater, but only more so. Every fabric, every color and every decorative item in the room was selected by the clients and Wilshire’s design team to create an “over the top” look and feel.
Cinema Design Group International (CDGI) in Boca Raton, Florida built the theater’s interior elements. CDGI provided 3-D digital renderings at all major milestones in the design to show the clients just how the colors and themes of the theater would look together.
The chairs, designed by First Impressions Theme Theatres in North Miami, Florida, are motorized recliners and include the clients’ family crest. The family crest can also be found on the remote control screen.
Other special touches include running lights, illuminated lions’ heads at the end of the chairs’ armrests and ceiling stars that fade and brighten with a push of a button. The equipment within the home theater controls the audio and visual systems throughout house, which allows the client to listen to music and watch DirecTV channels in any room.
Wilshire worked with general contractor Lou Becker & Sons Construction in Simi Valley, California, and the project used four different sub-contractors: painting, electrical, carpet layer and theater acoustical treatments.
How did the clients like the end result? It exceeded all their expectations–it was exactly what they were hoping for–an “over the top” look with a state-of-the-art audio/visual system.
Equipment List:
Video
- Runco VX22D Projector
- Stewart CineCurve screen
Audio
- Niles IW2670LCR Front Channel Speakers (3)
- Niles IW770FX Surround Channel Speakers (4)
- Velodyne DD12 Subwoofers (2)
- Velodyne SC600IW In-Wall Subwoofers (2)
- Integra DHC-80.3 Preamp Processor
- Integra DTA-70.1 Amplifier
- Velodyne SC602 Subwoofer Amp
Sources
- Kaleidescape KSYSTEM-120 Video Server
- Sony BDPS480 Blu-ray Player
- URC PSX-2 Personal iPod Server
- DirecTV HR20 & HR23 Satellite Receivers
Control System
- URC MX-6000 Touch Screen Remote Control
- URC KP-4000 In-Wall Touch Screen (6)
- Lutron RadioRA2 Lighting Control
Miscellaneous
- Cables: AudioQuest Diamondback
- Power Management: Furman F1000-UPS & Elite-15PFI (2)
- Equipment Racks: Middle Atlantic