Historic Home Renovation Series: The “Sub-Wolfer”—A Surprise Subwoofer Location

The homeowners of this 4,000-square-foot historic home recently remodeled, adding a 12,000 addition that includes a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen with two islands. The addition, designed to be a space for entertaining, has audio throughout so that everyone can listen to music, with invisible speakers in the ceiling doing the honors. However, when it came time to pump up the bass, locating a subwoofer in the room was tricky. In the big, open space of a great room, freestanding audio components like subwoofers can be less than desirable from an aesthetic point of view.

Integration Controls and architect/design partner Srote & Co Architects got creative. While two of the Origin Acoustics subwoofers are in the media cabinet, the other subwoofer, affectionately known as the “Sub-Wolfer,” is installed underneath the Wolf convection oven in the kitchen.

“We really wanted to keep the appliances hidden. Additionally, we did not have a lot of wall space available once the refrigerators and range were placed,” says Heather Helms, Director of Interior Design, Srote & Co Architects. “There was a need for additional ovens. Luckily, we had a ton of under-cabinet storage in the islands and were able to claim some of that realty for the additional ovens.”

What about oven heat, you ask? Not an issue, because the actual subwoofer is a simple box located below the kitchen floor in the basement ceiling, and includes a port that pushes sound through the grate below the toe kick underneath the oven. “One challenge was in coordinating with the finish carpenter so we could alter the toe kick with slits that would let out enough air pressure, while also looking nice,” says Jamie Briesemeister, co-owner of Integration Controls.  

Another example from Integration Controls of how, with the right approach to technology in design, anything is possible!

Need help with your own technology design challenge? Contact Integration Controls today to see how we can help you get great music in any room of your, or your client’s home, while staying true to the interior design!