Asian themed home theater, bar, and wine cellar was part of an entire basement remodel. This project won National awards from NARI and Electronic House. The electronics for the theater include a 110" motorized screen, high definition video projection system and 7 channel surround sound system and were supplied and installed by the Electronics Integration department at Media Rooms. All speakers and electronic components are hidden. The roof tiles were imported from Japan. Media Rooms supplied the custom fabricated sofa designed to fit the viewing area. All cabinetry and millwork were designed & fabricated in the In-House Cabinet shop of Media Rooms Inc. Other features of this project include a temperature controlled wine cellar, a custom built bar and a bamboo garden area which were also designed & fabricated at Media Rooms Inc.

Our client wanted a Japanese style home theater. The client has business ties in Japan and has homes in both the U.S. and Japan. The first phase of the project was extensive research in Japanese style and architecture. Japanese culture is thousands of years old and has strong ties to nature. Harmony, balance, purposeful design and a relationship with natural plants, rocks, water and sand are key elements of Japanese style.

There was an unfinished section of the basement that was intended to be a home theater and wine cellar. The remaining part of the basement had basic white painted drywall, builders’ grade plastic laminate flooring and was used for storage.

Every part of the project was custom. The custom features were designed and fabricated in our in-house cabinet shop. Colors, textures, materials and layout were all focused on the harmony and natural characteristics of Japanese design. In the theater room no audio video components are visible. The motorized video screen is hidden in one of the cherry wood beams that run across the room. The ceiling is 12” wide natural cypress boards. Mini recessed ceiling lights in the theater are tucked behind the beams so they are barely visible as you enter the room. Shoji screens on the left side of the room hide a large storage closet and the rack of audio video equipment, and the front speakers are hidden behind large fabric panels.

The area outside of the theater contains the bar and a gathering spot. This area is delineated by a traditional roof tile imported from Japan. To highlight the roof tile miniature LED strip light was installed, hidden around the edge of drywall. The custom bar is fabricated from bamboo ply and has a natural 2” thick cherry slab countertop. A bamboo garden area separates the Japanese area from the rest of the basement and hides a structural lolly column. Commercial doors were used as the entry to the wine cellar because they have large glass surfaces and minimal framing. The frame was wrapped in cherry wood.