Whether you’re into arthouse, blockbusters or both, having a big screen in your own home is the ultimate dream for movie buffs. Faced with an awkward in-between space linking the two parts of their historic mid-century house, one couple decided to turn that fantasy into reality by converting it into a cinema-cum-playroom for themselves and their two young sons. They asked Owl Design founders Sophie van Winden and Simone Gordon to realise their vision.
The duo had never tackled a project of this kind, but they were intrigued. ‘You see a bit of the space as you walk into the house, so it needed to be aesthetically quite beautiful, but also practical,’ says Sophie. Cinema rooms typically tend towards cosy jewel tones; not so here.
Sophie’s airy, Wes Anderson-inspired, pastel palette turned out to be a fortuitous choice. ‘I put some of his films on the moodboard, but I didn’t know he was the client’s favourite director!’ she says, laughing. ‘I didn’t want anything too bright because they were walking through it every morning, from the bedroom to the living room, but it had to be fun because the kids are going to be playing in there most of the time. The trick was trying to get that balance: somewhere nice for the kids, but also stylish for the adults.’
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The family didn’t want the screen to be visible all the time, so Owl Design created shelving for it to slide up into when not in use. Designing a cinema room comes with technical challenges, and Sophie and Simone worked collaboratively with projector company Chaptr Design, checking their ideas would create the right conditions for an immersive cinematic experience.
Matching footstools turn the bespoke sofa into something closer to a giant bed, providing plenty of space for the family to sprawl, but its cushioned bulk is also great for acoustics, as is the plush fitted carpet in a tonal sugared-almond shade. Sophie also had tabletops made that fit exactly over the footstools, so they can be used by the children to play with their train sets.
‘It’s a really modular, changeable space,’ she says. Owl Design was not allowed to alter the brick walls or hide them with wallpaper, so Sophie used a sheer Vescom fabric to make a curtain that runs all the way around the room. ‘It can be pulled to the side, but the family keeps it covering up the brick so you see the pinky tone coming through,’ she says.
As we increasingly turn away from the TV screen as the focal point of the living room in favour of scrolling and streaming on tablets and phones, there’s something compelling about dedicating an entire room in a home to watching movies. Gathering the family from scattered locations around the house, putting devices on silent and engaging in a collective experience is a worthwhile act in a hectic world. That’s certainly what this family has found, reflects Sophie. ‘The first time I went round after we finished, there was popcorn all over the sofa, blankets everywhere… They love it and use it all the time.’ owldesign.co.uk
