Gone in 60 seconds

Renovating a period home often calls for compromise: especially when AV technology is concerned. But in this 1850s house the owners refused to accept this and installed an allsinging, all-dancing cinema experience that at a touch of one button, vanishes in 60 seconds.

With not enough space for a dedicated cinema room they decided to integrate it one into their lounge. The specification was simple a 50-inch plasma for TV, fully functional home cinema and blackout blinds in a room which, at the touch of a button, would all disappear.

Let’s start by making the speakers invisible
For an ultra-discrete surround sound solution they used 5 Amina Invisible Plaster-In loudspeakers(2 front, 2 rear and 1 centre). These do exactly as it says: mount within a plasterboard wall openingor in a ceiling, skim over with 1-2mm plaster skim, let the plaster dry, decorate and the speakersbecome invisible. The process is just as simple for solid walls.
 

More to it than meets the eye
The large plasma TV is cunningly hidden in panelling and when summoned, rises up through thetop of the unit. Room size has dictated that both the plasma and projector screen are located onthe same wall. It means they must use the same central speaker. To enable this to work the speakeris located above the plasma and the drop down screen is made from acoustically invisible material.Finally, the ceiling was lowered to provide a home for the projector and screen so when stowed away it left a blemish free parlour.
 

The outcome
“We now have our dream solution”, says a delighted Mrs C., “an easy to operate dual purposeliving space. Now watching a film is a real event. When you’re enjoying a movie you get the fulleffect and when you have finished it’s all gone in 60 seconds and you would never have know ithad been there.”