A Northern Homes editorial covering a couple of recent installations and some advice on cinema design.

1. APRIL 2011
ISSUE 149 £3.60
PREVIO
USLY
The
Kitchen CINEMA ROOMS
Improve your at-home film experience
Issue
with a bespoke, high-tech solution
PAGES OF INSPIRATIONAL KITCHENS INCLUDING
NEW TRENDS & PRODUCTS SINKS WORK SURFACES
CASE STUDY STORAGE IDEAS TAPS APPLIANCES
ECO FRIENDLY
RENOVATION IDEAS
Saving you money the green way
WIN A CHEST
OF DRAWERS
Worth £900! Courtesy of Selfridges
www.northernhomesmagazine.co.uk
MODERN EXTENSIONS
From glass cubes to contemporary conservatories
Plus: Buyer’s guide to art | Five ways with teenagers’ bedrooms | ree great giveaways

2. CINEMA ROOMS CINEMA ROOMS
Complied by Fergus McShane
Photography Eleri Griffiths & courtesy of Finite Solutions
Sound & Vision
If you have a passion for film and the space available in your home, installing a cinema room
may be the perfect indulgence. Fergus McShane consulted the experts to find out more
C
inema rooms are becoming much more common
in modern homes, with car garages and surplus-
to-requirement rooms being converted into
something more useful (or enjoyable at least).
This is a trend that we at Northern Homes have been
encountering more and more often on visits to Reader
Homes, but now we are also starting to see interior designers,
such as our former Designer of the Year, Simon Milner-Moore
taking on regular cinema room commissions.
Simon, who has been working alongside digital consultants,
Finite Solutions, is perfectly suited to this type of audio-
visually based project. He is already interested in
incorporating the latest technology available in all his designs,
and his inclination for clean-lined, simple design that is
brought alive by lighting features lends itself perfectly to the
ambiance required for this type of room to function properly.
NEVER HAS THE HOME CINEMA
BEEN OF SUCH HIGH QUALITY
AND EASY ACCESSIBILITY
Said Simon about his recently completed garage conversion in
Leeds: “Everything is 100 per cent bespoke. And there are so
many things to consider; like having everything handle-free so
you don’t get any glare or shine that could interrupt the
experience; or using anti-vandal paint so that the walls can’t
get marked and all it takes to clean is a micro-fibre cloth.
Small details like that are vitally important when working on
this type of room because you want it to be low maintenance
without any distractions when it is used.”
On visiting the cinema rooms themselves, it is instantly
obvious why their
popularity has
grown so much
recently. Long
104 NORTHERN HOMES ISSUE APRIL APRIL ISSUE NORTHERN HOMES 105

3. CINEMA ROOMS CINEMA ROOMS
For your consideration...
Matt Wayne from Finite Solutions talks us through some of the
finer points of investing in a dedicated cinema room
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN THINKING OF
ADDING A CINEMA ROOM
The key points to consider when designing any room is to determine
who will use it and how, just like any other interior scheme, if the
specification does not match the client’s brief, regardless of how
technically proficient the cinema is, it will not meet their
requirements. The key factor is to ensure that the customer’s level
of expenditure feels fully justified every time they use the room.
WHERE TO START?
Talk to the experts! Only once you have had the opportunity to
experience some home cinema installations first hand can you make
a well-informed decision. An experience such as this can not be sold
via glossy brochures and slick visuals alone. Whether as part of a
new-build, refurbishment or simply a one-room project, the success
or failure of a home cinema install comes down to the planning and
design phase, the greatest amplifier in the world will not compensate
for a damaged or faulty cable or misplaced speakers, only detailed
documentation and project management of the associated trades
will ensure a prompt and efficient installation.
WHAT WILL YOU NEED SPACE STRUCTURE ETC ?
Most rooms can be converted to be used as a home cinema; the
wide variety of technologies accessible to custom installation
companies allows them to carefully tailor the installation to suit the
room, it is often the number of seats and desired screen size that will
determine the ideal room size. Acoustics are another important
factor, not only the performance inside the cinema but also its effect
on the surrounding rooms and, should you really turn it up, your
neighbours as well! Good acoustic treatment will help the system to
perform to the best of the equipment’s ability and acoustic
have they been an provide unique and often poignant experiences. To have this insulation will protect other parts of the house from unwanted noise
indulgence only availability located in your home is the next natural step – and and vibration from the cinema. Remember the room does not have
for the super rich, with the versatility of being able to utilise systems that allow to be a full-time cinema, drop-down projectors and screens front row of seating. To fully appreciate the high-quality audio and
but with media functionality throughout the home, a dedicated combined with discrete in-wall and in-ceiling speakers mean that a video particularly from Blu-ray discs we would recommend seven
advancements in cinema room can provide the ideal chance to alter the home cinema can easily be incorporated into your day-to-day TV channels of surround sound and one or more sub-woofers
technology over existing multimedia technology in a home and opt for lounge and only reveal itself when required. combined with a processor capable of decoding the latest DTS-HD
the years; from something more. and Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks.
the lowering price If you happen to have a larger space available the WHAT ARE THE COSTS INVOLVED?
of projectors to installation can easily switch to become a more varied lounge, A fully installed and professionally calibrated cinema system can cost IS THE DÉCOR BESPOKE HOW MUCH CONTROL
the advent of live Internet streaming , not to mention albeit one with a filmic focus. Simon is currently working on a from as little as £10k to in excess of £100k depending on the size and OF THE DESIGN CAN CLIENTS HAVE?
downloaded content now being so easily and expansively drop in system for his future cinema room installations. An scope of the room’s interior and the quality of the equipment. The The interior of the cinema is crucial for providing the sense of
stored – never has the home cinema been of such high- exciting prospect which would encompass the roof being main equipment will be housed in a professionally installed, occasion that should accompany any project of this scale, from
quality and easy accessibility. removed and a pre-formed cinema room dropped in place. ventilated, dedicated AV rack, this will not only ensure the subtle, indirect lighting to reclining cinema seating the rooms should
The cinema experience is one that can be relished and This would cut out much of the work and expense that goes equipment is correctly installed, cooled and cabled but also allow generate a ‘wow’ factor before the system is even turned on. The
enjoyed in so many ways. Collectively as a group experience it into this kind of conversion, while keeping the assurance of room for expansion or upgrades to the original system. It is worth provision of fully bespoke 3-D design to show the client how the
can bring people together in shared emotions and Finite Solutions’ high-quality technology infrastructure and investing more in the fixed items such as in-ceiling speakers so these completed room will look is a must for a full cinema room
experiences, while separately as individuals cinema can the client-focused tailor-made design of Simon Milner-Moore. do not need to be upgraded in the future as this will entail a degree installation and the client can have as much or little input as they like
of disruption and inconvenience. to tailor the interior fit to their tastes.
“THE INTERIOR OF THE CINEMA IS Address book
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR SCREEN SIZE ONCE FITTED HOW EASY IS MAINTAINANCE?
AND AUDIO SET UP? A professional, CEDIA registered firm will have total confidence in the
CRUCIAL FOR PROVIDING THE SENSE OF Blind Colour (Simon Milner-Moore) There are a myriad of options available to clients, some of these may system they have installed; as such they will offer a thorough snagging
www.blind-colour.com, 01924 372 004. be limited by budget and the peculiarities of the room, others by the service and offer a continuous service agreement to perform regularly
OCCASION THAT SHOULD ACCOMPANY Finite Solutions client’s own visual and audio preference. Screen size will ultimately scheduled maintenance and upgrades to the system to ensure the
www.finitesolutions.co.uk, 0113 255 4765. be limited by the size of the room and the available distance to the investment performs always to its optimum potential.
ANY PROJECT OF THIS SCALE”
106 NORTHERN HOMES ISSUE APRIL APRIL ISSUE NORTHERN HOMES 107