Adding a home theater to your house can be a major investment. When you consider the hours of planning; the selection of materials such as flooring, seating, wall coverings, lighting and electronics; and the installation process, the magnitude of the custom home theater project becomes readily apparant. Adding a full-scale custom home theater is akin to the complete remodeling of a kitchen - and can add every bit as much function and enjoyment when done right.

Just like the other rooms of the house, home theaters typically have involved a lot of "let's cross our fingers and hope this turns out to be what we want." Buyers place their trust in a home theater builder and -- until now -- they haven't had many ways to visualize their new home theater before construction is complete.

At some showrooms, sample home theaters attempt to replicate an in-home theater to give customers a feel for the possibilities available in custom design, programming and room components, but when customers want a truly custom home theater unique to them and their home, traditional shopping has involved a leap of faith that the end product will meet expectations.

The Design Center at Gramophone is the first facility of its kind in the area to offer a professional design focus on custom home theaters. At the Design Center, a dedicated team of home theater design professionals focuses on developing dimensional renderings of the team's custom home theater designs. It's a see-it-before-you-buy-it idea that has the potential to revolutionize the way customers shop for a home theater.

"Our customers are looking for the total package," said Brian Hudkins, president of Gramophone, "They want the shopping experience for home theater to be customized to their needs. Our Design Center is all about customer-focused service. We're giving our clients what they want and eliminating surprises -- our clients know what they're getting right up front."