An Entertainment Room Transformed into a Home Cinema

Some homes are completely TV-free in the living room. Instead, you often find a dedicated entertainment space — a room designed to keep the focus entirely on what you're watching or listening to. This is exactly the kind of space that Xavier and Marguerite wanted to be able to transform into a Home Cinema on demand.

Xavier got in touch with us in January 2020. The idea was to preserve the lived-in feel of this entertainment space while also enabling a genuine cinema experience.

Here's how the project came together — and all the twists along the way. As I explain in the video, the installation took place right in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. Enjoying those family moments together watching great films was, needless to say, even more important than it would normally have been.

Project Planning

If Xavier ever took the Dad Quiz we launched, he'd definitely come out as a Trendy Dad. How could he not? When a dad rediscovers his passion for music mixing with top-of-the-range turntables and vinyls with the coolest sounds imaginable, what else could he be?

The décor at Xavier and Marguerite's home is decidedly modern. Large floor-to-ceiling windows and immaculate white walls give the house a clean, pared-back aesthetic, while the warm and carefully considered furnishings make it entirely personal.

The entertainment room earmarked for the Home Cinema transformation perfectly reflects the rest of the house.

Although the space is compact, the décor is simple, polished, and welcoming. We had several video calls with Xavier before the installation to get a proper feel for the space.

Home Cinema Layout Proposal for the Entertainment Room

When installing in an existing room, the first thing you need to know is how much space is available above the drop ceiling.

To find out, I asked Xavier to remove a downlight fitting and take a measurement. With only 11cm of clearance — including the thickness of the fiberglass insulation — I explained that it would be risky to install any equipment taller than 12cm. Because in a Home Cinema installation, the drop ceiling is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to find when you open it ().

Based on the photos and the survey, we put together two options.

Xavier told me he was set on having us do the work because he'd already seen our articles and videos. But given the room's limited size, there was no point in going all-out with a super-powered setup.

Home Cinema Equipment

For the projection screen, the ceiling void was too shallow to be certain we could recess it. We therefore agreed to go with our surface-mounted Curve Tensioned screen with Infinity technical screen fabric.

A recessed shelf running along the top of a piece of furniture on the other side of the wall where the screen was to be positioned made it difficult to build a pelmet-style valance box (as we did in Dany's installation).

On the projector side, a bright and affordable model like the Epson TW7100 was a perfect fit for Xavier — especially given that the floor-to-ceiling window directly facing the projection screen has no shutters or curtains.

So, while Xavier and Marguerite are unlikely to be watching films at 1pm on a weekday, it was still important to allow for the possibility of watching movies, sports matches, or cartoons with the kids on summer evenings.

Recessing the Projector

The reason we proposed two layouts came down to how to conceal the projector. Either a bulkhead with a lighting return as we did at Olivier's in Gif-sur-Yvettes, or a standalone housing box .

The second option kept the amount of on-site work to a minimum and avoided having to do everything in place. So when the room's design allows for it, a housing box is more efficient in terms of labor — and therefore cost.

Xavier went with the standalone housing box for his TW7100 Home Cinema projector.

Home Cinema Audio System for the Entertainment Room

For the sound, a 5.1 Home Cinema audio configuration was the ideal choice — both in terms of performance relative to the room's footprint, and in terms of ceiling height constraints.

The round Definitive Technology speakers are incredibly compact, yet deliver a full, powerful sound thanks to their wide 20cm cone.

The Denon AVR-X3600H receiver costs only a few hundred euros more than the model below it in the range. It's the best choice for a first audio installation: the sound is rich and precise, and all the latest audio streaming technologies — including Airplay 2 — are built in.

Installation price: €9,500 for the equipment and €2,500 for the installation.

Delays and Changes Due to Coronavirus

This project was designed during the height of the health crisis. Delays stacked up across all of our supply chain — whether from the factory that manufactures our projection screens or from Epson on the projector side.

As I mention at the start of the video, we eventually found a solution. With the goodwill of Epson, Xavier, and ourselves, the project evolved around the TW9400 projector — which also required a larger motorized mount, the AluLiftHC.

It was on that basis that we built the housing box to conceal the projector.

Building the Housing Box

At this stage of the project, Paul stepped in. His laser-precise eye and dexterity consistently deliver near-industrial results, even on handcrafted pieces. This housing box was no exception — he built it, exceptionally, out of plasterboard.

Normally, building a housing box like this is infinitely faster and simpler using MDF rather than plasterboard — but the hardware stores were closed at the time.

So instead of taking barely a day to build the box, Paul spent three days on it: constructing the structure, then waiting for it to dry, sanding it down, and starting all over again. In any case, the result speaks for itself

If you plan to do the work yourself, build your housing box from wood and don't forget to pick up the Finishing Kit or the Integration Housing. They'll save you a lot of time when it comes to fitting the hatch opening to size.

We also have detailed plans available to help you build the housing box using materials sourced from your local hardware store.

Entertainment Room Transformed into a Home Cinema

For Xavier's Home Cinema installation, we had two goals:

• To delight Xavier and his family so they could make the most of the end of lockdown in their new cinema.
• But also, of course, to protect them from contact with us during the installation phase.

That's largely why we planned our work so carefully. A single day on site, with no contact with them, was the safest approach.

Hence this installation being completed in a single (very long) day to create the Home Cinema in the entertainment room. And hence why you'll notice me almost whispering in the video — they were working in the next room

Installing the In-Ceiling Speakers and Projector

If you've watched the video, you'll have noticed two things. First, even if I had visited Xavier's home in person, I would have taken the same measurements he did in the drop ceiling. Yet once we cut the openings to install the projector and the speakers, we discovered that:

• A concrete beam was going to obstruct the installation of the front right speaker.
• The ceiling grid rails were far more numerous than expected — and placed with no apparent logic.
• Some conduits ran through the drop ceiling exactly where the projector needed to be recessed — and they had no slack whatsoever.

So what did we do? We adapted. No extra time. No higher installation costs. No compromise on the finish. Just on-the-spot problem solving.

Which brings me to what is ultimately the most important lesson for any installation. Be flexible and adapt to the situation. It's impossible to anticipate everything — but you need to be ready to handle whatever comes up.

For the front right speaker, we widened the opening slightly to one side and used the width of the trim ring to conceal the offset. Once the acrylic sealant was applied, nothing showed.

For the excess ceiling rails, we cut them. But the systematic approach we took to making the large opening for the housing box helped us understand the layout and adapt accordingly.

As for the conduits blocking the housing box installation, Paul had designed it with an adjustable height — building in extra clearance beyond what was strictly necessary.

And here is the final result, after our work was done.

Epilogue

We left Xavier and Marguerite's home at around 9pm. I took care of the audio and picture calibration for the best possible result while Paul and Marouane put the room back together.

Xavier, Marguerite, and the kids are delighted with the installation. Here's the message I received while we were on the way home.

That's the kind of message that makes you want to do even better

Thank you, Xavier!

Now, because I always share everything in these articles, there was apparently a compatibility issue between the Orange TV box, the Home Cinema receiver, and the TV that was already in place. When we left, everything was working perfectly.

But Xavier later sent me this photo showing a green screen on the TV. We didn't supply the TV or the box, and I know Orange TV boxes can be temperamental. So I was looking forward to lockdown ending so we could sort out this compatibility issue and get the Home Cinema installation running perfectly.

If, like Xavier and Marguerite, you want to bring your dream installation to life, get started right now with our AiOhc configurator.

Ready to take the next step? Read our complete guide on designing your private cinema with AV Concept Products.