The FamCave: Part 2 - Selecting a Space For Your Family's Entertainment

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY



Finding the perfect room for your FamCave is very important. Here are some things to ask yourself when thinking about which area of your house is most ideal:



FamCave in a smaller room, featuring
enhanced stereo sound and subwoofer.

Is there enough space?


FamCaves do not require much space.  If you can fit a TV in the room, chances are, you have enough space.  Things like in-wall and in-ceiling speakers offer more flexibility, since they each take up about as much space as a recessed light fixture.  We have worked in rooms as small as about 10’ x 10’ and the results were quite nice.

Is the room functional?

To check if the area you’d like to use will be functional, see if it has the necessary electrical outlets, and design flexibility. You want this room to have the appropriate design feel for your family, so having the ability to add certain design elements is very helpful.  The best thing to do is consult with an audio/video installer like me.  A good installer will know about which products to use, based on the size of the room, where to place things, and some can even offer ideas for the room layout.  You want everything to work and also be a comfortable, enjoyable place for your family to spend time.  Being comfortable in the room is an important factor for enjoying it.



Can the room perform its multiple functions?

  

FamCave in a living room
with surround sound.

Like most common rooms, FamCaves need to be able to perform multiple functions for the family. Areas for playing, video gaming, and reading are things to consider while thinking about your FamCaves functionality.  The idea is for the entire family to be able to enjoy the room in their own way.  It should be able to accommodate various activities.

Look for upcoming articles on ways we can help you improve your home and make your space more enjoyable.

Introducing the FamCave - Entertainment the Whole Family Can Enjoy

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY


Most people have heard of the term “Mancave.” If you haven’t, a Mancave is a room a guy can turn into a personal hangout for him and his buddies.  Mancaves often include a big screen with surround sound, so he and the guys can watch the big game.  You are also likely to find gaming tables, a bar, sports memorabilia and other “manly” items he holds near and dear.  Wives love these spaces because it gives their husbands their own dedicated space and prevents them from turning the rest of the house into their own version of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Family Room "FamCave" by Premier Audio Video Designs
Interior by Cathy Schlechter Designs

Although we love the idea of a Mancave, a FamCave is a similar concept to the Mancave, except it is a common area the entire family can enjoy. Typically, this would be considered a den or family room – an area that serves multiple purposes, such as a playroom for the kids, the main spot for the entire family to watch TV, and a place to just relax and read a book when the day is nearly done. FamCaves, however, add more of the audio/video features from the Mancave. They often upgrade the technology in the room and add features like a big screen TV, surround sound, video game systems, high quality music systems and more –we call this multipurpose room a “FamCave!”

When adding a FamCave to your home, one of the most important features is the audio/video system. Many people call this a home theater, but it’s not quite a true home theater. What exactly is a home theater? Is it just a big screen TV with surround sound? No. Although these are important parts that make up a home theater, there are other things to take into account. For instance, a dedicated room with a projector with a very large (70” to over 200”) screen, high-performance surround sound, acoustical wall treatments, controlled lights or shades and luxury, theater-style seating is an honest representation of a true home theater, since it has been designed to perform more like a real movie theater does.  With a slightly more basic version of these features in your FamCave, your home will have the perfect spot for your family to spend time together and really enjoy being entertained.

Be sure to read The FamCave: Part 2 - Selecting a Space For Your Family's Entertainment: http://ow.ly/3UCUF

The Music Lover's Home - Integrating Music Into Your Home & Lifestyle

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY


If you are a music lover, each time you hear music, it evokes emotions, gives you energy and helps you enjoy yourself after a long day.  What better way to enjoy your music than to equip your home with your very own integrated audio system?  Have a personal concert hall in your home.

If you have a family, everyone can enjoy their own music independently in different rooms with one system.  Mom can listen to jazz in the den, Dad can enjoy talk radio in the study – all while the kids listen to their favorite music in their bed rooms.  Everyone’s happy!

The sonos touchscreen controller displays
song title, artist, album & cover art.

Technology has come a long way in the past fifteen years, which allows us to make our music more available and more portable than ever.  We also have more options for music sources.  Thanks to internet radio stations and various online services that are now available, there is bound to be something to suit your personal tastes and provide flexibility you can enjoy.  If you have a larger CD collection than will fit on your iPod, a CD player can be used.  Many people enjoy the music channels that come with their cable or satellite TV service.  AM/FM/XM/Sirius radio tuners are very common in music systems.  The most compact way to make entire music collections available is with the use of iPod docks and music servers.  This way, all of your music can be made readily available at all times.  With most iPod docks and music servers, “metadata feedback” is provided.  With metadata feedback, you can see what you’re listening to and control the iPod or server as though it was right in your hand.  Select by song, artist, album, genre, playlist and more, right from your controller.  Most radio tuners offer the same feedback, so you know what station you are listening to.  Enjoy what you want, when you want.  It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Crestron offers docks to make control from an iPad simple.

Perhaps the most important part of an audio system is the way you use it.  Some systems have in-wall keypads, color touch screens, handheld or remote controls.  Others have the ability to be controlled from a computer, iPhone, iPad, laptop or smart phones.  Most controllers will have an LCD display (some in color, some not) to allow you to see what you are listening to and get metadata feedback. This also allows you to easily navigate your music library.  If a system is easy to use, you will enjoy it so much more and be happy with your purchase.

Since many of us like to entertain guests or have parties, another great feature of many audio systems is “party mode”.  This allows you to play background music in the rooms where you and your guests will be, while not disturbing others in different parts of the home.  It’s a very convenient way to truly bring a party to life and set the mood.

This planter conceals a
high-quality speaker.

A well designed audio system should fit into your home without taking away from your décor.  By hiding wires in the walls of new constructions or retrofit into existing homes and neatly storing equipment in unseen places of the home, you can achieve the look you want while obtaining an impressive sound system.  One of the main things to take into account is what will be the most visually obvious part of the system – the speakers.  There are many types of speakers which can be used to keep your home visually appealing.  Speakers range from in-ceiling and in-wall, which are almost flush against the surface, to make speakers less obvious.  There are also speakers that look like rocks or functional planters, adding a nice look to you outdoor listening areas.

With all of these options and features that home audio systems have to offer, the music lover is bound to enjoy this great addition to their home.