When a previous client came to us asking for a cinema room at home, to be situated in the basement of his Regency townhouse on the Brighton seafront, we jumped at the chance to create something truly special. With the original front room making way for a beautiful ground floor kitchen, the basement which had previously housed the kitchen had sat unused for some time. Its lower ground location providing the perfect home cinema room setting, it was asking to be turned into a luxurious room in which to retreat from the world. The property, a spectacular townhouse, is full of period architectural features, giving us a basis in which to work and juxtapose contemporary elements, opulent fabrics, textures and colours to create a coherent space. The home cinema room design set it apart from the rest of the home, with a secretive exclusive art deco cinema interior, whilst remaining in keeping with the period features of the rest of the house. Our in-house team of upholsterers and curtain makers designed and made the upholstered furniture pieces, curtainsand soft furnishings, while our joiner installed a bespoke media wall complete with panelled cabinetry and inlaid with natural cork wallpaper, in which to disguise unsightly AV equipment.
Being that the property is listed, we had an existing fireplace and chimney breast to consider, that neither fitted the cinema room practically, nor design-wise. Our design created a false wall and boxing around the fireplace, thereby covering it up and ensuring it remained protected and undamaged. The existing alcoves, that once housed kitchen cabinetry, became more pronounced, providing the ideal space for bespoke joinery in which to hide audiovisual equipment necessary for a cinema room. In order to bring the joinery doors to life, our design incorporated high-end natural cork wallpaper with brass inlay, which really glistens when it catches the light, bringing added dimension to the scheme.
Our brief was to design a home cinema room that felt warm, cosy, traditional and something that really added value and intrigue to the property. We were heavily inspired by the Art Deco movement, as well as the opulence and exclusivity of private Gentlemen’s Clubs of the early 20th century. Our concept provided options that not only fit the brief, but expanded upon it, providing options and ideas that were functional and practical in terms of comfort and acoustics but nevertheless seriously glamorous. Our client wanted to be able to use the space to host parties, as well as cinema screenings, so lighting design was a key component. There needed to be enough light for a party, but the option to create layered pools of soft lighting while watching a film.
No expense was spared, the finishes including: a fluted wall, upholstered in luxurious velvet; bespoke entryway sliding doors and cabinetry, inlaid with cork and brass wallpaper and solid brass knurled Buster + Punch handles; heavyweight House of Hackney velvet curtains and pelmet; and bespoke cinema seating incorporating two single armchairs, a love seat and four fluted footstools. The oval antique mirrored cinema side tables with brass stems added to the luxurious and timeless feel of the room, whilst a thick pile hand-loomed rug provided a soft cushioning underfoot and a sense of warmth.
