People gather around the bar in the expansive Club Room as multiple football games play across a massive video wall. Drinks flow, appetizers circulate, and friends arrive for a pool party on the lake. Camera feeds track arrivals and keep an eye on the kids in the pool. Two large sliding glass doors open to the exterior putting green, creating a seamless transition between indoors and out. Guests move freely, enjoying the lake view while music carries through the space. Inside and outside feel like one environment.
Standing in the Club Room, I was painting that picture while pitching a last-minute, major design change.
The room had already been approved. A bright, open space with an 85-inch TV and a Sonos soundbar — standard for a room like this. But standing in the newly framed space, taking in the lake view and the scale of the room, it was clear it could be something far more special.
I was in the middle of a planned walkthrough with the client and builder. We had asked to film the meeting for a video we were creating for Petrone Technology Group’s social channels, when it became obvious changes had to be made.
The original plan positioned the Club Room as a casual TV area, with a dedicated theater next door. The theater entry sat in the front left corner, with a large door awkwardly interrupting the space. The flow immediately felt wrong. While the client and builder chatted, I took it all in.
“Wait,” I said. “Let’s change this whole room.”
They laughed, but I was serious. I had worked with the client for years, installed his current home, and knew exactly how he entertained. This could be more than a TV room.
I pitched a new vision: multiple sources on a video wall, camera feeds for safety, guests flowing between the Club Room and the putting green, with the lake as a backdrop. Then I dropped the biggest change — the theater would become a golf simulator.
“The designer is gonna freak out,” the client said.
I paused, then replied, “Imagine sitting at the bar with a drink, watching everyone shank golf balls on the video wall. Theaters are cool, but those memories are better. And besides, I can make this room sound like a theater.”
There was a brief, awkward silence. The next day, we had approval to begin the redesign.
The designer agreed — with rules: no visible wiring, no bulky electronics, ease of daily use, a modern, sleek aesthetic, and no massive change orders.
The design had to be perfect.
First, we removed the theater doors and replaced the “tiny” 85-inch TV with a 15-foot-wide by 9-foot-tall video wall. The wall was massive, and the sound needed to match — immersive, yet minimalist, and respectful of the designer’s vision. The soundbar couldn’t feel like an afterthought.
We gathered measurements and specs: displays, distribution hardware, scalers, amplifiers, subwoofers, and golf simulator requirements. The system needed to be simple to control, sound incredible, and maintain a clean aesthetic. The constraints were strict: no tower speakers, no wall-mounted side channels, no floor subwoofers, and no acoustic treatments — yet theater-level performance was still expected.
The video wall was sized for optimal viewing both inside and outside on the covered patio. Off-centering the displays improved traffic flow and allowed more guests to gather at the bar. Distribution was redesigned and controlled via Crestron.
The biggest challenge was achieving theater-quality sound with minimal visual impact. We turned to Leon, whose Horizon soundbars we had used successfully for years. This time, we needed one that was 15 feet wide. After several conversations, we finalized an HZUltima LCR, paired with dual JL Audio in-wall Fathom subwoofers and discreet side and rear channels.
Serviceability and aesthetics at the video wall were equally critical. Future Automation articulating mounts allowed precise alignment, prevented sag, and provided service access without removing the video wall.
With sound, control, and serviceability addressed, the final challenge was aesthetics. The video distribution needed to disappear into a statement wall — sleek, modern, and clean. Leon Edge Media completed the look, hiding wiring and MoIP hardware while maintaining a custom, architectural presence.
After reviewing renderings, we realized we were designing the largest Edge Media system Leon had ever built. Size wasn’t the issue — shipping was.
The team at Leon was as excited as we were. Behind-the-scenes footage was shared during the build process, and when the Edge Media arrived, it was flawless. Installation followed seamlessly. Flaco, one of the most precise TV installers I’ve worked with, led the effort. Measurements were exact, alignment was perfect, and each step went off without a hiccup.
Then it was time to power it up.
Nick, our operations manager, selected a scene from Top Gun: Maverick. The space came alive. The video wall was stunning, and the sound was clean, dynamic, and immersive. Dialogue was crisp, and the JL Audio subwoofers delivered powerful, controlled bass. It felt like a fighter jet ripping through the room.
All doubts about the bold redesign disappeared.
The result is functional art — modern, sleek, seamlessly integrated, and easy to use — without compromising the designer’s vision or theater-quality performance. The client was blown away, and the team walked away proud. Projects like this are a reminder of why we do what we do.
Anthony Petrone is president of Petrone Technology Group in Wellington, Fla.
