Back to Nature
In the quaint town of Danville, Pennsylvania, lies a gem of a home
theater owned by Rhonda and Robert Seebold. While their
9,000-square-foot home is located in an exclusive development, they are
situated on the top of a hill, which gives them access to several acres
of pristine woodlands right in their backyard. It also gave Rhonda a
private area in which to develop an award-winning water garden, which
includes two streams, a waterfall, and a pond with koi fish. The
Seebolds contracted Al DeGaetano, CEO of Futureview TV Services in
Elysburg, Pennsylvania, not only to build a home theater on the lower
level, but also to design, build, and install a lobby, kitchenette,
bar, and butler's pantry outside the theater. Inspired by Rhonda's
water garden and the gorgeous woodland-retreat view from the lower
level, DeGaetano decided that he would draw the outdoors in and infuse
that serenity into the home's lower level.
The lower level was already remodeled, and the previous architects had
left a space for a media room. Chagrined, Rhonda showed DeGaetano the
designated room layout, which was not much bigger than an 8-by-10-foot
broom closet. "This is indicative of the attitude toward home theater
today," says DeGaetano. "A pool can cost tens of thousands of dollars,
only be used for three months out of the year—especially in
Pennsylvania—and take up someone's entire backyard. But many people
aren't willing to invest the money or space for a home theater, which
they will use each and every day, making their investment literally
pennies a day."
DeGaetano urges potential clients not to think of home theater as just
installing a new TV or sound system into the home, but as undertaking a
home-improvement project. "Part of our educational process in this
industry is to redefine home theater as controlling your environment
and integrating your sources. We don't think that way with TV yet,"
says DeGaetano. "But installing a theater without thought to the
environment is like asking Rhonda to grow her water garden on the
interstate. It's the same for home theater. Why buy good equipment and
not control your environment? Home entertainment is currently the
number-one activity for families. Why not do it in a proper way?"
Luckily, the Seebolds subscribed to DeGaetano's views on the subject
and wanted to do the theater right. Next to that small broom closet
originally designated for the theater, there was an unfinished storage
room that could serve as the home theater. It wasn't quite big enough,
so DeGaetano and his team extended the home theater back another 4 feet
into the broom closet to make it more spacious. But this proved to be
problematic. Once they examined the rear wall with the drywall removed,
Futureview realized that this load-bearing wall didn't have enough
support. A couple of two-by-fours were bowing under the weight. This
was a fortunate discovery for the homeowners. After they removed the
wall, they installed posts and beams, which created design issues in
the theater. Futureview made lemonade out of lemons by incorporating
these new structural elements into the theater with a creative
three-bench seating structure at the rear of the room that curves along
the back wall. "This really turned out well," says DeGaetano. "It sets
off the room, and the benches are comfortable and welcoming." Now the
theater dimensions are roughly 16 by 26 feet with three tiers of
seating and an open, comfortable feel.
To bring a naturalistic element into the theater, DeGaetano thought of
the stone pillars on the screen wall. "There is usually a dead zone
between the screen and the first row of seats. We like to fill that
dead zone with a platform and a stage, and the stone pillars really
helped to enhance the structure," says DeGaetano. (Note the indirect
lighting on the stonework below the screen, which gives the stone a
great shadowing effect.) Another interesting element is the media racks
at the front of the room, which house the homeowners' extensive music
and movie collection.
For the equipment rack, Futureview takes a different approach than many
installers, who like to hide it away. "We do our own custom cabinetry
and always include accessibility from behind," says DeGaetano. "We
don't subscribe to the philosophy that gear should always be hidden.
People like to play with and see their toys but not be distracted by
them. You also often need access to devices such as DVD players," he
comments.
The
rack in the Seebolds' theater houses some fine gear, including a Denon
DVD player and processor and a Panamax MAX 5300 surge protector/line
conditioner. An HD Motorola DVR cable box provides another viewing
source. Meanwhile, a 7.1-channel Definitive Technology speaker system
handles immersive audio in the theater. The system consists of two
BP7001SC fronts, one C/L/R 2500 center, and four BPX surround speakers,
aided by Acoustiblok acoustic treatment to tame room reflections.
A Runco VX-1000ci projector is installed in a climate-controlled hush
box on the ceiling, and a Stewart Filmscreen FireHawk screen resides in
a custom velvet-lined shadowbox. Together, they provide an exceptional
image. The Philips iPronto Tsi 6400 controller lets Rhonda, Robert, and
their two children, Rob and Dan, operate the theater with ease.
Outside the theater, as you enter the home's lower level from
the water garden, you come upon the bar area and, behind that, the
kitchenette. To the right are double doors that lead to a small
exercise room (the remnants of the original designated space for the
theater), and to the right of that are the butler's pantry and the home
theater lobby. The lobby features a gorgeous waterfall at the entrance,
again bringing the naturalistic theme indoors. The theater remote
controls all of the lighting, as well as the waterfall. If the
waterfall is on, come in and be seated; if the waterfall is off,
viewing is in progress.
Part of DeGaetano's unique business model is not only vertically
integrating his company so that Futureview can serve as a one-stop shop
for building a home theater, but also working directly with the females
of the household. "I'd say, on 80 percent of the projects we undertake,
we work primarily with the woman of the household," says DeGaetano.
"That's why, in our showroom, we show movies like Under the Tuscan Sun
and Chocolat. When we show folks what they are missing, it's a
revelation. It's like telling someone how an orange tastes versus
peeling one for them and letting them experience it firsthand."
According to DeGaetano, every artist needs a patron, and working with
Rhonda on a lot of the ideas that are incorporated into the theater was
a great experience. "It was one of those projects where you are sad
when it's over." Rhonda and Robert certainly feel differently, as now
they have a gorgeous, organic room that is easy to use and
comfortable—and that they will enjoy for years to come. It was an
investment well worth the time, money, and effort.
Why Is That Center-Channel Speaker on the Floor?
While the speaker appears to be on the floor—which isn't the optimal
placement for a center-channel speaker—it is actually on the stage,
about 10 inches off the floor and only 18 inches from the bottom of the
screen. DeGaetano opted not to place the Definitive Technology center
behind the screen due to space constraints and its high-watt woofer,
which may have caused problems if it were enclosed. "Dead center behind
the screen would be ideal placement, but maintaining the center axis is
the most important thing," says DeGaetano. "Building the speaker into
the wall right below the screen would offer minuscule sound improvement
compared to the aesthetic compromise of the beautiful stone wall, not
to mention the cost." To eliminate any frequency bias from the stage
itself, DeGaetano acoustically treated the stage area with Acoustiblok
and major insulation. The speaker is also tilted up and elevated
slightly off the stage carpet.
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