A Deluxe Greenwich Media Room
January 23, 2023
When it comes to a Greenwich home theater, architect Carol Kurth thinks outside the basementâand beyond the silver screen.
Text by Nathaniel Reade   Photography by Eric Laignel
Carol Kurth says itâs time to take the media room out of the cavern.âMost people these days think of a media room as lower level, dark, enclosed,â Kurth says. âBut that makes it a real effort to get to.â
Kurth, who is both a licensed architect and interior designer, prefers to create media rooms that are centrally located. At this home in Greenwich, itâs right off the main living space on the first floor. âIn this case itâs more of a room where the family can hang out,â she says. âItâs casual, itâs not off the beaten track, it functions as a media room, but you can also cozy up there and read a book.â
Which is exactly what the owners like to do. During the day, light pours in through a wall of glass, drawing the eyes to a water feature in the garden outside. The owner enjoys sitting in a chair by the window, says Kurth. âThatâs his special spot.â
When itâs movie time, the room does that well, too. Itâs a few steps up from the main entertaining area, so itâs a little bit private but also quick to get to with popcorn and drinks. The top level of a tiered banquet provides a comfortable nook, and thereâs plenty of stadium seating on the lower level for a passel of kids. A floor-to-ceiling barn door coupled with blackout blinds closes off the space and creates the feeling of a warm cocoon. A three-dimensional felt surface on the back wall thatâs accented by lights in a recessed trough above insulates the sound while also providing visual interest.
Cellar-dwelling media rooms are simpler to build, of course, and have far fewer issues with light infiltration and reverberating sound. âWe could have put it in the lower level,â Kurth admits, âbut this way the room doubles as a family gathering place. Itâs more accessible. Everybody loves it.â
Project Team
Architecture: Carol Kurth Architecture + Interiors
Interior design: Laura Bohn Design Associates
Builder: Legacy Construction Northeast
Audio/video design: Advanced Home Audio
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