Build a bedroom that promotes more than a good night's sleep. By
adding a few electronic systems to the design, you can get more use
and fun out of the space.
|
When most people think of a bedroom, the first
things that pop into their minds are a big bed, a cozy
blanket and lots of pillows. Obviously, you'll want a
comfortable place to sleep. But choosing a bed and
its accents is only one small part of creating a
master bedroom that you'll be able to enjoy for years
to come. There are a number of electronic systems
that make perfect sense for a master bedroom even
if all you have on your mind is sleep.
The Right TV
To capitalize on the privacy and comfort a
master bedroom affords, you'll need a large,
state-of-the art, HDTV-capable TV. It might
even make sense for the set in your master
bedroom to rival the size of the big-screen in
the family room. Think about it: You'll use and
enjoy a TV much more when the images are
bright, clear and lifelike.
A good choice for a theater-worthy bedroom is
either a rear-projection TV or a plasma TV.
When integrated into the design plans of your
bedroom, either option can become an
understated amenity, while still providing a
picture that's superb. T.V.'s and accessories
Although RPTVs are the bulkiest of all TVs, they do offer several
advantages: First, their screens reach upwards of 80 inches
diagonally, providing the biggest picture available (with the exception
of a front-projection system). Second, unlike some televisions, the
picture on an RPTV looks good even in a brightly lit room. Because
they are rather large and heavy, it's best to utilize these TVs in a
main viewing area, like the sitting room of a master suite. Ask your
builder to create a niche for the TV; alternatively, build it flush into
the wall.
Think carefully, though, before constructing a special area for an
RPTV, as it may limit the flexibility of furniture placement. If you like
the idea of being able to position your TV easily, opt for a direct-view
set for your master bedroom theater. Screens on these units still
stretch to around 40 inches diagonally, which is probably big enough
for the space.
Another reason to opt for a smaller TV is that it (as well as the VCR,
the DVD player and other components) can fit nicely inside just
about any entertainment cabinet. You can also keep the doors of the
unit shut to hide the TV when it's not in use.
However, once the movie is playing and you're cozy beneath the
covers, you're not going to want to get up to open the entertainment
cabinet doors to pause a movie or replay a favorite scene. The only
way to control the components that reside behind the doors is by
adding an infrared extension system. This setup includes a small
receiver box that can be placed on top of the TV. It picks up the
infrared signals from your remote control and transfers them over a
piece of wiring to the individual audio and video components.
Most entertainment cabinets are meant to rest against a wall. You
can bring the TV closer to the foot of the bed by building a motorized
platform into a credenza. On command from a remote, the platform
raises the TV into view. Motorizing a piece of existing furniture
requires the handiwork of both a cabinetmaker and a home systems
installer, or you can buy a prefabricated unit from Auton, Concealed
Entertainment, Cabinet Tronix or other companies.
As for looks and performance, a plasma TV is the coolest thing going
and a good choice for a bedroom. There are just a few things to
remember: In order to maintain a thin profile, some plasmas come
without a built-in TV tuner or HDTV tuner. Some are also missing the
front two speakers that larger TVs almost always have. Connecting
these and other components to a wall-hanging plasma in an
eye-pleasing way can be a challenge, so be sure to get an A/V
professional on the job right away. He'll be able to design a system
where no cords or cables are visible.
Click here for Plasma T.V.'s and more
The Right Sound
The only way to make a movie sound as real as it looks is to
incorporate a surround-sound system into the sleeping
area. This requires the installation of at least five speakers.
It should be easy to find an entertainment cabinet with
cavities to hold the front right, center and left
surround-sound speakers, as well as an opening for a
wide-screen TV (wide screens are overtaking traditional
square screens in popularity). To ensure a good fit for both
the speakers and the TV, select the electronic components
before you buy the cabinet, and leave a little room in case
you ever buy a larger TV or upgrade the speakers.
Given that the bed is the room's primary vantage point, the
two rear speakers should flank each side of the bed, raised
to at least ear level on the wall. However, while this speaker
arrangement might produce awesome sound effects, it's
hardly an eye-pleasing solution. Better for the room
aesthetics is to build the speakers within the wall (or ceiling)
so that only their grilles are visible. These grilles can be
painted or wallpapered to match the wall surface, rendering
them nearly invisible. Click here for Speakers
The Right Components
When it comes to DVD players, VCRs, satellite receivers,
TiVo receivers and other video components for your master
bedroom, you've got two choices: You can share the
equipment that resides in the family room entertainment
center, or you can install dedicated equipment. Sharing is a
compelling concept, but it's not always the best solution.
Say the kids are already using the DVD player. You'll either
have to watch The Little Mermaid on your bedroom
television or wait until they are finished. For this reason,
you'll probably be happier buying a separate setup for the
master bedroom. It's a good idea to position the equipment
next to the TV; just be sure you can easily reach the backs
of the equipment. Chances are, you'll eventually need to
get behind the components to add a new device. Make the
task easier by having your builder construct a small closet
space directly behind the entertainment unit. If you prefer a
clean, low-tech look for the master bedroom, consider
stowing the audio and video equipment inside a nearby
closet. A home systems installer can simply route the
appropriate wire from the closet to the TV.
Click here for DVD's and more
The Right Lights
You may not spend the majority of your free time in the
master bedroom, but the space still deserves some level of
lighting control for what might be the most relaxing time of
the day. A system that can arrange more than a dozen
individual lighting scenes, like the Lutron Grafik Eye, might
be a little over the top for the sleeping quarters, but you'll
still want a system that can adjust the lights appropriately
for reading, sleeping, clean up, romance and possibly
lighting a path to an adjoining master bath.
The MultiSet system from Lightolier controls is sized
perfectly for this degree of scene setting. This system
features illuminated buttons -- helpful in a dark bedroom --
to create as many as five distinct looks. The MultiSet
keypad, which wires directly to standard light dimmers, is
also easy to program. Just set the dimmers to create the
look you want, and the keypad will memorize the setting and
assign it to a particular button. The ability to set the scenes
yourself is helpful not only for initial programming, but also
for altering the lighting levels of a certain scene and
creating a completely new one.
The fact that the bedroom is usually the place you end and
start your day makes it an ideal room from which to control
all of the lights in the house. For this, you'll need a more
robust system that can shuttle commands from a master
bedroom keypad to any and all light switches. By using a
whole-house lighting control system such as the Q System
from Vantage or one of Crestron's family of lighting
controls, for example, you could turn off every light in the
house before going to bed, and brighten the kitchen in the
morning before you leave the bedroom. Strange bumps in
the night seem to disappear when all it takes is one tap of a
button to light up the yard. And when you crave a midnight
snack, the system can light a faint pathway from the bed to
the refrigerator.
The right blend of audio and video components, for example, can turn a master bedroom into
an awesome home theater that feels more comfortable than any family room entertainment
system. A lighting control system, meanwhile, can arrange the lamps and ceiling fixtures
perfectly for any activity -- be it watching a movie, cuddling with your spouse or reading a
book. So do yourself a favor: Think beyond the bed when you're designing and building your
new bedroom.
North Jersey Electrical Services Inc.
We're changing the way people live in their homes through innovative electrical and electronic solutions...
|
