In the world of high-performance home cinema, the look, feel and overall design of the space is just as important as the performance of the AV equipment.
This Victorian manor house’s hidden 4K, luxury cinema is a masterclass in spatial planning
With clients spending long hours in the space and the home cinema often becoming the most popular room in the home, good design is like the fifth Beatle of the home cinema industry.
Darren Barker, Design Director of home cinema design specialists Cinema Luxe, who partnered with ImmersiFi for this project, explains that this high-end private cinema was designed and installed in an exceptionally compromised garage space, yet delivers uncompromising audio-visual performance and clean aesthetics, created with high-end materials.
The challenge
Despite major structural and architectural limitations, the project meets reference-level performance standards and was delivered in a turnkey installation operation lasting just four weeks.
Darren explains, “The client requested a world-class immersive cinema experience with zero compromise – both in acoustic performance and visual presentation. The space had to match the specification of a top-tier reference-level system while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic that concealed all signs of the technical complexity behind it.”
The homeowner wanted a top-tier immersive system that performed at true reference level.
Every element, from audio to projection, had to meet the benchmarks of a professional screening room. At the same time, the room itself needed to feel effortless and contemporary, with all the technology discreetly integrated.
“It was about hiding the complexity behind a space that feels clean and inviting,” Darren explains.
The garage shell presented almost every limitation imaginable. Ceiling height was extremely restricted, beams and service boxings blocked potential layouts, and plumbing and electrical runs could not be moved.
The floor sloped 70mm from front to back, while the rear door prevented standard projector placement. Darren recalls, “On paper, it was the wrong room. Every line you drew, you hit an obstacle.”
The solutions
However, the combined expertise of Cinema Luxe and ImmersiFi allowed the project to be re-engineered from the ground up, with every restriction turned into an opportunity for bespoke design.
From the beginning, 3D modelling and acoustic simulations were used to map every obstruction and run predictive models of how the room would behave, shaping a construction plan that was as technically precise as it was practical.
One of the most striking interventions was the way the side walls were rebuilt to conceal four Wisdom Audio subwoofers. Rotated 90 degrees for smoother bass integration, the subs also corrected the room’s awkward proportions.
At the front and rear, minimalist wall structures maximised screen size and projector throw distance, ensuring a wide, immersive field of view despite the shallow depth.
Speaker housings were fabricated as bespoke carcasses, each precisely angled toward the seating position for perfect alignment of the soundstage.
Behind the scenes, a comprehensive acoustic package was woven into the structure, combining broadband absorption, bass trapping and diffusion to deliver reference-grade in-room performance.
Even the projection setup presented challenges. Cinema Luxe fabricated a custom in-house mount, allowing for the required lens shift and overcoming the rear access constraint.
The sloped floor was fully levelled, creating a stable foundation for seating and ensuring perfect technical alignment. Every element was carefully considered to achieve both flawless performance and an uncluttered finish.
The AV equipment, build and gallery
The audio system was anchored by Wisdom Audio in custom enclosures, while a 4K projection system, including a Sony VPL-XW7000ES projector, Kaleidescape movie player/server and Lumagen video procesor, delivered flawless picture quality to a 130-inch acoustically transparent screen.
Full integration was achieved through Crestron and Lutron systems, controlling AV, lighting and air conditioning in a seamless, intuitive way.
The design and fabrication of bespoke elements, from speaker housings to projector mounts, ensured that all technology remained hidden without compromising performance.
The transformation is remarkable. Step into the Pinecroft Home Cinema and it feels effortless – clean lines, minimalist finishes, and no visual clutter give the impression of a naturally luxurious space.
Fire it up, however, and the system achieves reference-grade audio and video performance, exceeding every expectation.
“It’s a system that competes with the very best purpose-built cinemas, even though the architecture was against us from day one,” Darren says.
The client was "blown away,” Darren recalls. “Not only by the performance, but by how effortless the room now feels. It’s gone from being the most compromised space in the house to the most admired and most used.”
The full kit list
Sony VPL-XW7000ES projector
130-inch Screen Research fixed frame, acoustically transparent projection screen
Kaleidescape Strato and Compact Terra (movie player and server)
Lumagen Radiance Pro 4242 video processor
Audio Control Maestro X7 processor
1x Wisdom SA-3 power amplifier
1x Wisdom SA-8 power amplifier
4x Wisdom SW1-DSP subwoofer amplifiers
3x Wisdom L8i speakers for front left, right and centre
4x Wisdom P4i surround speakers
4x Wisdom ICI6 in-ceiling speakers
4x Wisdom SCS-2 subwoofers
Crestron control system
Lutron lighting control
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