Great Escapes: New Designs for Home Theaters by Theo Kalomirakis (Hardcover)

by Steve Castle (Author), Phillip Ennis (Photographer), Dean R. Koontz (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Theo is obsessed with his work and embarked upon a quest for an elusive ideal theater that can exist only in dreams. Each time that he makes a dream theater into a reality, no matter how stunning the creation, it never quite fulfills the ideal in his mind--and off he goes again in the enthusiastic pursuit of impossible perfection."

Product Description
"Theo is obsessed with his work and embarked upon a quest for an elusive ideal theater that can exist only in dreams. Each time that he makes a dream theater into a reality, no matter how stunning the creation, it never quite fulfills the ideal in his mind-and off he goes again in the enthusiastic pursuit of impossible perfection."-Dean Koontz

In the 21st century, more and more people "go out" to the movies at home. This lifestyle change has led to the biggest innovation in residential design today: the home theater, be it a custom-installed system or an elaborate private screening room. At the high end, Theo Kalomirakis reigns supreme as the leading designer of private theaters in the home.

Kalomirakis tailors each of his designs to fit the needs of a specific client, using styles that range from ultra-traditional to cutting-edge. His theaters even have their own marquee names: The Moonlight, The First Run, The Miami Beach. Great Escapes showcases nine of these incredible spaces through superb color photographs and descriptions of the technology that make this revolution in entertainment and design possible. Although Kalomirakis's extravagant creations are for wealthy clients, they will also serve as inspiration for home owners who want to integrate cinema quality with home comfort on a more modest budget.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810946564
• ISBN-13: 978-0810946569
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #355,868 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Escapes, November 16, 2003

By	"ccjschray" (USA) - See all my reviews

Whether your interest is home theater, or movie palaces from the 1920's and 30's, Great Escapes is sensational!
Once I opened it, I couldn't put it down and trust me with 204 pages loaded with 140 color photos of breathtaking architectural eye candy, this book will demand your focus.
Kalomirakis brings the elegance of yesteryears movie palaces home with the help of writers Steve Castle, Dean Koontz and photographer Phillip Ennis.
You can truly see Kalomirakis' love for the big screen in the architectural details he adorns his private cinemas with. No details are spared in Kalomirakis' work from neon marquees and ticket booths welcoming visitors to his theaters to opulent lobbies adorned with domed mural ceilings and snack bars and timeless columns.
A few times while reading this book, I had to remind myself that the featured theaters I was viewing were in someone's personal residence.
I have to say my personal favorite theater in this book was created for author Dean Koontz called "The Moonlight." Koontz also has an introduction in the book.
Even though most of the theaters in this book take up more square footage than the average persons home. And even though theaters designed by Kalomirakis are beyond the financial means of most people, this book can serve as inspiration for those that want to bring home the silver screen on a lesser budget and do it in style.
Theo Kalomirakis' newest book Great Escapes definitely brings home the look of the movie palaces of yesterday.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique source of enduring ideas, March 7, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Lavishly illustrated with one hundred gorgeous color photographs by Phillip Ennis, Great Escapes: New Designs For Home Theaters By Theo Kalomirakis by Steven Castle presents extravagant designs for "media rooms" in private homes. These are specialized entertainment oriented rooms set aside to take full advantage of surround sound, acoustics, and visual appeal to bring forth the same quality experience as visiting a theater. Great Escapes showcases the work of interior designer Theo Kalomirakis as it artfully presents his work in creating home theaters of celebrities such as Dean Koontz, Eddie Murphy, Roger Ebert, and others in this unique source of enduring ideas.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Amazing, November 17, 2003

By A Customer

This is a book to die for. The photography is amazing, the architecture out of this world and what Theo Kalomirakis does for his lucky clients will blow you away. I am already wearing out my copy and I only have had it for two days.