Executive Palace
La Jolla, California

This home is an outstanding example of blending modern electronics seamlessly into a very traditional, high-end residence. The home sits on several acres in the Murilands area. It was a major remodel of a classic home. The new residence keeps the traditional feel of the original home, but almost 10,000 square feet of living space was added and extensive outdoor landscaping was carried out, creating a warm but palatial home for entertaining and day to day living.

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Theater Room - Rear View

The owners of this home are huge movie buffs. They own over a thousand DVD’s. The home theater was one of the most important considerations of the home when planning was underway. Modern Home Systems was tasked with providing a system that looked and sounded excellent, “without going over the top” in terms of cost. We met that challenge head-on and delivered a room with excellent performance within a reasonable budget.

This theater room features a Runco VX-1000ci high-definition DLP projector. The image is displayed on a large 8’ wide Stewart multi-aspect ratio film screen. The screen has masking at the sides that allows the screen to fit the image being projected on to it. The screen automatically assumes a wider rectangular shape for HD television or movies and “masks” to a more square image for regular television. The end result is a large image with amazing quality that fits the image that is projected on to it. The screen size was determined by considering the primary viewing distance of the first row and also by the light output of the projector chosen. Keeping the screen size matched to the projector’s abilities is key to achieving excellent results in terms of picture quality.

Theater Room - Front View

The screen in this theater is attached to the front wall. Motorized draperies cover the screen when not in use. The draperies automatically retract into pockets on the left and right sides of the screen when the system is turned on. Revel loudspeakers are housed in an elegant credenza beneath the screen. The credenza was also designed to provide storage for the owner’s large DVD movie collection. The owner of this home wanted high quality audio performance, however they made it clear that the speakers could not be seen. The wall unit was designed to provide optimal placement for the speakers. Each speaker bay is internally treated with acoustical materials to prevent cabinet resonances that may color the sound of the speakers. The cabinet houses a pair of Revel Performa M22 bookshelf speakers, a Revel C32 center channel speaker, and two Sunfire 12” powered subwoofers.

Acoustical treatments were also applied to all of the interior walls of the room. Bass traps, diffuser panels, and absorptive materials were applied to the drywall. A wooden framework was built to suspend acoustically transparent fabric over the acoustical materials. This fabric provides an attractive, finished surface for the room while hiding the materials applied behind it. The side and rear channel surround speakers are also covered by the fabric, making them totally invisible. Beautiful decorative columns were installed on the side walls to hold the designer lighting sconces. This artistic touch completes the pleasing appearance of the room.

The theater room equipment was installed into a pullout Middle Atlantic rack system. A “blind” door in the side wall of the room covers this rack. A very good quality component surround system is mated with an HD cable receiver, DVD player and VCR. A karaoke LD player and game system are also included in the room. The blind door allows the equipment to be completely hidden when not in use.

Equipment Rack

A dedicated equipment room in the house holds two rolling Middle Atlantic equipment racks. The racks hold the house audio equipment, the home automation system equipment, the video surveillance system equipment, and also the home networking equipment. The racks provide an elegant solution for housing and servicing equipment necessary for an installation of this magnitude. Modern Home Systems usually requests a dedicated equipment room for larger installations. This room typically houses all the central equipment for phone, cable, satellite, music, security, lighting, and other home subsystems. Having all of the critical equipment in one location facilitates service and simplifies changes to the system in the future.

Office Plasma Video

The home office is used extensively for business purposes. We were tasked with not only providing music and video for this room, but also with providing the owner with teleconferencing and computer video display capabilities here. The large 50” plasma display with attachable side speakers was recessed into a niche above the fireplace mantle. The niche above the display houses the video conferencing unit. The plasma and speakers are attached to an articulating arm bracket that allows the display to be angled toward the desk in the room or toward the conference table. When not in use the display can be stowed flush with the wall above the fireplace.

The equipment in the room is hidden in a dedicated cabinet space. All of the equipment and the plasma screen are operated via a Crestron color touchpanel. The touchpanel allows the system to operate and change between sources with a single press on the screen. Equipment selection, sound modes, input selection, etc. are carried out by the control’s electronic “brain”. The end result is that a complex system with above average capabilities takes only a simple single button press to operate.

Living Room

The family room AV system was set into a custom designed entertainment center. A 65” video display is the centerpiece. A very high quality audio system was also installed. The Revel Performa speakers were hidden in the cabinet behind acoustically transparent grille cloth. The hidden speakers include two Revel Performa M22 bookshelf speakers, a Revel Performa C32 center channel speaker, and two 12” powered subwoofers. Surround sound information was provided by a pair of Sonance Cinema THX surround speakers located in the back wall of the room. The speakers were faux painted to match the custom paint color.

The family room equipment was installed to the right side of the television screen. A Middle Atlantic AXS pullout equipment rack was installed. This rack allows the gear to be moved out of the cabinet when necessary by the installation of two stands and rails that extend out into the room. The equipment rolls out on the rails to allow servicing. The surround system in this room included a DVD, VCR, video game, HD cable box and a high-quality surround receiver. A Crestron wireless touchpanel simplifies the operation of the equipment. Like the office, a single press on the touchpanel carries out most common system functions.

Master Bedroom

The master bedroom and master sitting room are a combined to form a large, comfortable space for relaxing in this residence. The owner’s did not want to have the plasma dominate the room when not in use, and they requested that the unit be hidden when off. Working with the designer and cabinetmaker, we developed a solution that everyone could live with. The plasma is in a “pop-up” mechanism located in a credenza under the window to the left of the fireplace. When off, the mechanism and the 42” flat screen retract down into the cabinet. When turned on via the Crestron touchpanel, the mechanism and the plasma raise up, allowing the flat screen to be viewed from the sitting area seating or from the master bed. The plasma, HD cable box, DVD player and VCR are all controlled by the Creston color touchpanel in the room.

Home Automation System

The residence is fully automated via Crestron color in-wall and portable touchpanels. Operation of thermostats, the security system, lights, music, televisions and control of the pool/spa can all be carried out from touchpanels in the main areas of the house. There are large color touchpanels that can display video in the kitchen and the master suite. The security cameras located around the property can be displayed and controlled from these large in-wall panels. Wireless touchpanels are located in the family room, master bedroom, theater room, train room, outdoor lanai, and office areas.

With large homes such as this one, automation systems are almost mandatory. It would take a person 15 minutes to walk around the house to turn off all the lights at bedtime or to adjust all the thermostats and set the music to prepare for a dinner party. An automation system simplifies these tasks. From any central touchpanel each thermostat can be adjusted, lights can be set, or the security system armed or disarmed.

Modern Home Systems often creates buttons on the main touchpanels to create “Scenes” for the entire house. These include “Vacation”, “At Home”, “Entertain” or “Goodnight”. Each scene button can adjust all of the systems within the home to the owner’s specifications. In other words, pressing the “Entertain” button could, in all the main living areas of the home; set the lights to a “dramatic” setting, set the thermostats to 73 degrees, turn on the music and tune to a soft jazz station in all the main living areas of the home. Landscape lighting, fountains, and even the pool or Jacuzzi can also be activated as part of this scene. The “Goodnight” scene can set the house for nighttime, the “Vacation” button can prepare for an extended period away, and the “At Home” button can wake the house up when you return.

House Music System - Pool Room

Music is available in all the main living areas of the home. Special “Invisible” speakers are used in the formal living areas. These speakers are installed prior to drywall and completely hidden from view. Very high quality 8” three-way speakers are concealed in the ceilings of most other locations. The music is controlled via very simple to use 12-button keypads located next to the light switches in each area with speakers. Around the pool and spa patio areas speakers are concealed in enclosures that look like rocks. They blend invisibly into the landscaping. The end result is a home where the occupants are immersed in beautiful music regardless of where they choose to spend time.

Showroom:

7007 Carroll Road
San Diego, CA 92121

Phone: 858-554-0404

Fax: 858-554-0707

E-mail: Click Here