Traditionally, the single family home had a kitchen tucked out back, a den for the kids to lounge/hide in, a formal living room and often a separate dining room which was rarely used, if at all. Over the past decade or so we’ve seen the move from architects to much more open plan floor space, allowing the kitchen to become the central hub for eating, entertaining, spending time together and allowing seamless movement between food prep, serving and socializing.
While this floorplan has allowed better flow of movement through the house, it’s brought with it a couple of frustrations when it comes to home entertainment. A lack of privacy and poor sound control.
According to design publication, Veranda, this has become even more evident during the pandemic with people spending so much more time at home and encroaching on each other’s personal space and senses. It’s time once again for a rethink on the architectural design front.
A new era for the media room
Home theaters were already being replaced in home designs plans, with more informal games rooms for families to watch movies and play games consoles. However, we’ve witnessed this transition accelerating at a rapid pace over the past 18 months and technology is at the forefront of driving the new multi-purpose media room to become an integral space in every home. Imagine multiple sports being broadcasted simultaneously across state of the art TVs, stunning backlit 100” projector screens to watch the latest releases and or perhaps you want to create a bar to hang out with friends and listen to music, particularly when speakers are available which mimic live venue acoustics. Another rising trend is the installation of sports simulators as people look to recreate the sports entertainment venue within their own home and practice their drive, hit a puck or challenge friends to a penalty shoot-out.
5 tips for your perfect media room
Five technologies are critical to getting the multi-purpose media room just right and making it an enviable space within the home.
- Adjustable lighting. Whether you’re watching a movie, attending a virtual yoga class or enjoying the SuperBowl, you need to be able to easily control the lighting to set whatever mood and scene you want.
- Surround sound. There are excellent solutions available, from fully customizable systems encompassing high-end, wired in-ceiling performance speakers to utilize Dolby Atmos, through to very nice “plug and play” solutions from Sonos.
- Flexible, comfortable seating. Gone are the movie style rows of seating, replaced by reclining sectionals and swivel furniture, which allow face-to-face socializing with the option to turn to face the big screen when the lights are dimmed.
- Great display devices. There are so many amazing TVs to choose from these days, with Sony releasing new models annually and companies like Samsung introducing very cool art imitation displays such as The Frame. And don’t forget the video distribution sources, from Apple to Kaleidescape, depending on what you like to watch.
- Motorized shades. Window treatments are such an important investment in any home and create an amazing visual impact as well as allowing for light filtering, blackout or a combination via dual rollers. There are literally thousands of fabrics and several control options to select from so consider this element of home automation early in the design process.
Ultimately, we can expect to see home styles and layouts evolve further as lifestyle trends continue to influence how homeowners use their space. And technology will ultimately lead the way in allowing people to achieve the experiences they want, in the comfort of their own homes.
Find out more about the types of multi-purpose media rooms we’ve worked on recently by contacting us. We’d love to talk to you about our design ideas, professional approach and after installation support service.