Lifestyle technology concierge, Butler Harwell, will be moving back into the Grand House at Grand Designs Live in London this May, to showcase the enjoyment of home cinema.

More homeowners than ever are optimising their living spaces for shared family experiences, whether it’s with dedicated blackout, immersive home cinemas, or multi-purpose media rooms which transition from bright and airy daytime living spaces to atmospheric snugs with cinema quality evening entertainment.

This year, in response to demand from last year’s home cinema in the Grand House, Butler Harwell will be showcasing designs for both cinema and media rooms.

Cinema Room

A decade ago, a cinema room would not have been the obvious choice for a show home, but home cinema is now widely accepted as something people have.

Following last year’s success in creating an intimate and immersive atmosphere in a brightly lit exhibition space, bustling with visitors, specialist design and fit partners, Cinema Luxe, have been called back to design the interior for this year’s cinema room.

Wall panels crafted from luxurious acoustically transparent fabrics concealing cinema-quality speakers by Artcoustic will re-feature after the positive response from last year’s show, which had visitors feeling the walls to find where the crisp sound was coming from.

Darren Barker, Design Director for Cinema Luxe comments: “A cinema room is a unique space where the interior design and fit-out must complement the advanced technology integrated to elevate the immersive experience. We were thrilled with the positive response to our collaboration with Butler Harwell and Artcoustic at GD2024, and we’re excited to return with a new design scheme for 2025. Our core philosophy of blending luxurious interior design with elite audio/visual experiences remains at the heart of our approach. This year, we look forward to unveiling a refined aesthetic and an updated offering in our grand house display.”

The cinema room design for the 2025 Grand House exemplifies how the equipment doesn’t have to be the main feature of a home cinema. The enjoyment of a room, and the fun you can have with interior design are key to crafting cinema rooms, bespoke to a client’s lifestyle and personal tastes.

Butler Harwell will of course delight in showcasing the magnitude possible with home cinema with a 185” screen from Screen Excellence, streaming lifelike uncompressed images from the Kaleidescape library, using a powerful projector from Barco Residential that can deliver sharp images despite high levels of ambient light.

Tom Butler, Founding Director of Butler Harwell comments: “We have crafted some beautiful cinemas in private properties that the greater public never gets to appreciate. At Grand Designs Live we can contextualise ‘home cinema’ for homeowners who have not yet had the opportunity to experience cinematic treatments in a home environment. At the Grand House, our goal is to show visitors how the perfect environment, paired with cinema quality audio-visual technology, and customisable scene settings can transform shared experiences at home.”

Media Room

At last year’s show, Butler Harwell noted a high demand for living spaces that could perform in different ways throughout the day and so they have collaborated with luxury furniture artisans Christopher Leslie Bespoke to craft a media wall on Stand K100.

Tom Butler comments: “Media rooms are becoming increasingly popular as more families choose to enjoy quality time together at home. Viewing habits have shifted, with audiences now demanding immediate access to binge-worthy, star-studded series, that deserve the big-screen experience. However, many don’t have a room to dedicate to a home cinema, and some might prefer screens and technology to be concealed while not in use.”

Christopher Leslie Bespoke have designed a media wall that showcases how furniture can be crafted to suit a client’s personal lifestyle and specific technology requirements. Christopher Leslie Bespoke’s design for Grand Designs Live is created to house key components of comfortable and functional living room, including a high-performance active loudspeaker and subwoofer system from Meridian Audio, and the option to include the British Fires New Forest 1600 Black Edition electric fire from Stoke Flame.

Director Chris comments: “Our goal was to create something that goes beyond a typical media wall—something that seamlessly integrates cutting-edge technology while maintaining the warmth and craftsmanship of bespoke furniture. This design is about balance—bringing together statement aesthetics, smart functionality, and immersive sound to transform any living space.”

Live Talks

Butler Harwell works with architects, interior designers and developers by accurately planning the design and integration of luxury lifestyle technology such as audio-visual systems, sophisticated lighting design and control, and intercom and security.

Founding Director Tom Butler served on CEDIA’s board of directors from 2013 – 2017 and, with his team, continues to educate professionals on ‘smart home’ topics on behalf of CEDIA.

Tom will be representing CEDIA at the Build and Renovation Theatre at 1pm on Friday 2 May, joining Kunle Barker for the Live Talk in partnership with CIOB and RIBA, ‘Developing the brief, concept and technical design – is it buildable?’.

Design and build professionals, or individuals with a particular interest in Home Cinema or Lighting Design are also encouraged to attend the CEDIA CPD presentations delivered by Butler Harwell on the opening Friday in the Kitchen Theatre at 3pm and 4pm.