The Beginning


I am an avid do-it-yourselfer, thanks to my father. We did everything around our home together, from electrical to plumbing to construction. I purchased my first home theater receiver in college back in 1989. It was a Kenwood with big and loud Cerwin Vega speakers. For the next several years, I pieced together this system as best I could with what money I had.

Although it took a total of two years and six months of hard work, an equity line is what really helped me finish my theater. Home Theater magazine, Audio Video Interiors, and the Internet were my main sources of information. The room's dimensions are 13.5 by 19 by 8.33 feet, with a closet in the rear that houses the component rack. I gutted the room to the studs, even the ceiling, and installed a dedicated power circuit for audio, video, and lighting. I ran all the wiring for low voltage in the crawl space and for high voltage in the attic. Some crossing was unavoidable, but, at 90-degree angles, I've had no problems. To begin color selection, I started with the ceiling. I simulated the night sky with Ralph Lauren flat paint in magistrate black. I took a paint chip with me to the garment district in L.A. and found curtain fabric. With those colors to work with, I picked out the wall and trim paint and the carpet to match. I already had the black leather furniture.

With the latest crop of home theater seating, you may never want to leave home.
Usually, the first question that comes to mind when you walk into a home theater is, “Where do I sit?” No matter how clear the picture looks or how powerful the sound is, a bad chair or sofa can ruin your home theater experience. But new technology and innovative designs aren’t just for the latest consumer electronics. These fresh seating options offer style, comfort, and convenience. They provide a killer combination of looks and practicality that will make your home theater memorable—in a very good way.

Maybe it's because one of the owners is an avid comic-book collector. Maybe it's because the owners are the parents of not one but two sets of twins—both under three years of age. Or maybe it's because the room is so perfectly balanced, technically equipped, and ideally soundproofed as to offer a uniquely singular feeling of audio/video perfection. Whatever the reasoning, the term Fortress of Solitude aptly describes this home theater in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Nowadays an integrated home entertainment system is just as much, if not more, about the interior design as it is the technology. In fact, the most sophisticated custom installations reveal little to no technology to the naked eye, however, behind the walls and artwork, or hidden in the ceiling you just might find some amazing state-of the art sound and video gear.