Media rooms have the “wow” factor – for now

Everyone lucky enough to build a new house wants the “wow” factor – something that will add to the comfort and amenity of the inhabitants and make visitors’ eyes pop in amazement. Architect Craig Taylor of Red Blue Architecture + Design looks at design trends of the past and conjectures about the future.   In the 1970s, the ‘wow’ factor in houses was created by the introduction of wet bars and saunas. In the 80’s and 90’s we saw mirrored walls, lots of oak furniture, as well as black and gold colour schemes. In the 2000s we saw the advent of home theatres and other single purpose rooms. Recently, we have seen media rooms replacing dedicated home theatres.   Today’s spaces serve more than one purpose and can be used by multiple people doing a variety of different tasks at the one time. Dedicated living and dining rooms, as well as the dedicated home theatre room, are being replaced by larger multipurpose family areas. [Tweet "A media room is more of a social experience "] than the dedicated home theatre was and they are very much today’s version of a family room. The whole family is welcome, whether they are gaming or knitting.  

Flexibilty is the key

The keyword within these spaces is flexibility. This need for flexibility applies to the design, layout, finishes as well as to the technology. Whereas it was common for a home theatre room to have no windows, straight rows of seating and permanent audio visual equipment, today’s spaces are comfortable, easy to use and predominantly controlled through a single home automation device to integrate whatever components are required. Given the current push towards sustainable living, the concept of multi-use spaces also helps to make a house more environmentally friendly. The larger a house is, the less sustainable it is, irrespective of the number of “green” products that you attach to the house. Spaces that serve a variety of purposes reduce the need for more rooms and therefore produce a smaller house. However the “wow” factor of a media room is lessening, as more people have one. The “wow” factors which are now becoming more prevalent are man caves, outdoor fireplaces and outdoor kitchens, as well as outdoor bathrooms and showers. More information: www.redblue.com.au