Themed Home Theatre | Smart Home Inspiration

When tasked with creating the ultimate high-end home theatre, home automation integrator The Premier Group transformed an existing home in Indiana, USA, into a private cinematic haven, blending the University of Illinois Fighting Illini’s spirit with state-of-the-art technology.

Architect Gary Nance Designs, builder Hoss Homes, and interior designer Amanda Lantz of A Lantz Design collaborated with The Premier Group to reimagine the home's large finished basement. The client, who had significant experience with homebuilding and remodeling, desired more space and amenities after moving from a smaller house. Upon walking through the new house, it became apparent that the existing golf simulator was subpar and that the space would be better suited for a theatre room due to its central location adjacent to the bottom of the stairs. The mechanical space was repurposed to house a new golf simulator and lounge.

The goal was to create a theatre room that evoked the client's fond memories of their hometown of Springfield, Illinois, complete with the University of Illinois Fighting Illini's navy and orange color scheme. This required careful consideration to avoid a “cheap and cheesy” look, which was achieved thanks to Amanda Lantz's excellent material selections. The end result was a classy and sophisticated space that truly excited the homeowner.

One of the critical aspects of this project was the client's passion for audio. Though they struggled to articulate their desires, The Premier Group’s demo of the L-Acoustics audio system illuminated their vision. The client's face lit up, signaling a perfect match. This high-quality audio setup was complemented by a traditional 7.1.4 speaker configuration, with left, center, and right speakers mounted behind a 2.35:1 accoustically transparent screen. Additionally, four 12" subwoofers were strategically placed across the width of the front wall beneath the screen, ensuring an immersive audio experience.

The project faced two significant challenges. Firstly, the theatre room sat directly below the kitchen and great room, necessitating extensive soundproofing measures. The solution involved removing the drywall ceilings in the lower level, filling the joist bays with thick mineral fiber insulation, and incorporating C-channel and double layers of sheetrock. This comprehensive approach extended beyond the theatre to adjacent spaces, significantly reducing sound transmission. The result was a remarkably tight soundproofing system, with only faint sounds detectable in the kitchen above during concert-level audio playback.

Secondly, the theatre room was designed to open to a bar area at the back, introducing a complexity that required innovative design solutions. This openness meant ensuring a seamless integration of the spaces, both in terms of aesthetics and function, while maintaining the immersive audio-visual experience of the theatre, despite its proximity to a potentially noisy bar environment.

Another element that significantly influenced the budget was the extensive use of linear LED lighting. The client requested fully red-green-blue-white (RGBW) tunable lighting with independent control, creating a striking visual effect. Linear lights ran up both sides of the wall columns and across the ceiling, providing a seamless and hotspot-free illumination. Control of these lighting features was effortlessly managed through Control4's DMX integration, layered on top of the Lutron Homeworks system. The Halo Touch remote and 10" Control4 touch panel ensured easy access to all system features, enhancing user experience.

The Premier Group's transformation of this Indiana home into a no-compromise, Illinois-themed home theatre exemplifies the seamless fusion of high-end technology with evocative design. By tuning into the client's desires and navigating architectural challenges, the team delivered an environment that's both acoustically pristine and visually engaging.