There are some things you expect when you walk into a home cinema. A big screen, comfortable chairs, a projector and a big set of speakers. What you don't expect to see though, is a palm tree. That is definitely not the norm.

But then this is no normal home cinema. Walking into the room that is supposed to house the home cinema, only the comfy chairs are visible. In one corner, an imposing desk marks the office section, while a mini-gym and small fireplace next to it prevent work from encroaching beyond its allotted boundary. Centrepiece in the room are two giant bookcases overflowing with literature and Eastern ornaments, before you reach the oriental equivalent of a four-poster bed, snuggled inside a perfect niche.

Moving to London, after 12 years in Asia, American Mark McDivitt decided to indulge his love of music and movies. “I knew nothing about home cinema, but we were ripping up the floors and thought it was the perfect time to kit the place out.”
“I visited three hi-fi stores before a friend recommended I visit Zebra's showroom. They blew away anything I'd seen. Apart from the best sound and vision, the way they incorporated the systems into the room complimented its interior design. No one wants to see ugly hi-fi and my wife certainly wouldn’t wear it.”

“Ease of use was my other concern,” explains Mark; “this was intended to be a system for the whole family.” The solution came in the shape of some cunning programming and a Crestron touch screen remote controller.
At the touch of a button, the blinds slowly descend to black out the room, whilst the lights dim, the screen unfolds and the system sparks into life. Finally, when you've finished, an ‘exit’ button returns the room to normal.

And Mark is certainly happy with the results. “When my wife and kids are away, I crank the system to its full potential until the room shakes. Sometimes, the surround sound is so effective that you really think someone has walked in the door - and you just can't beat the picture.

“I was originally going to go for a digital projector, but having seen Zebra’s demonstration I was converted.

Three gun CRT projectors are really the only way to create a film-like image.”
And are they getting the full benefit out of this multi-purpose system? Of course they are, as Mark can testify. “I enjoy movies some evenings, but it's a system that's used everyday. In the mornings I work out in front of it, my three-year old watches Disney movies on it and my wife is glued to it when Friends is on.” Other applications include the ability to link up the computer to enjoy surfing the net on a 7ft screen and the ability to view security cameras around the house.

But even in the presence of all this fine gear, both upstairs and downstairs, it's impossible to label the house as obsessed with technology. With its ability to disappear into its surroundings, the kit doesn’t distract from the decorative focal points in the room, especially as there are so many other objects vying for attention.
“It's a great room with a totally discreet home cinema system,” concludes Dave, Zebra’s head of technical projects, “and it combines a cinema, a gym and an office. That’s what we pride ourselves on, designing systems that compliment peoples homes.”