Pocket door, or pocket tunnel?

[puntloos]

So I've got a pocket door (in my design), separating livingroom from kitchen. there's a projector protruding above the door (ceiling height 2.70m allows this). There's cabinets above the door that can hide the bottom of the projector. On the livingroom side we do want the projector to be enclosed in something (fan noise)

 

It looks this way. (ignore the projector for now)

 

We have added storage:

 

 

 

But, should we make the storage look like built-in and create a pocket tunnel by extending the wall surrounding the pocket door a little?

 

 

And the core questions which one would you pick? What is the best solution? Or something else?

Edited February 21, 2023 by puntloos

[Kelvin]

The deeper wall reveal looks nicer to me which hides the projector. Any concerns about the projector getting too warm though? 
 

Like the detailed drawings certainly compared to ours 

[Thorfun]

I like the built-in look too but would worry about the projector overheating. what if you put a grill behind the projector that vents (via a small computer fan?) in to the kitchen? then the warm air will be taken away by the MVHR extract in there? just a thought.

 

I wouldn't worry about fan noise as, even though you will hear the fan when you have the sound up on the film/tv/game you're utilising the projector for you won't hear the fan. 

[puntloos]

Thanks both, overheating is being thought of, we have a few options. The projector breathes in at the front and pushes air out at the back, so we are probably going to supply air from the top-front (ceiling void, perhaps a small fan) and leave the back open into the kitchen. 

[Thorfun]

don't suppose you have space in the ceiling to have a drop down mechanism to hide the projector away? that'd be so cool and also negate the need for extra cupboards to hide it. 😉 

[Temp]

We have a pocket door on an ensuite. I would never put one in a high traffic area unless you expect it to be left open all the time. They are simply too much effort to open and close frequently. 

[puntloos]

On 21/02/2023 at 17:11, Thorfun said:

don't suppose you have space in the ceiling to have a drop down mechanism to hide the projector away? that'd be so cool and also negate the need for extra cupboards to hide it. 😉 

We don't, but even if we did, projector lifts have a bunch of downsides, in particular that the noise of the projector isn't shielded

 

On 21/02/2023 at 18:57, Temp said:

We have a pocket door on an ensuite. I would never put one in a high traffic area unless you expect it to be left open all the time. They are simply too much effort to open and close frequently. 

Agreed, the door is intended to stay mostly open. 

[Temp]

Not sure about this but..  Would it be better to move the wall/door nearer the table so the cupboards shown are on the kitchen side. Would there be enough room above the door lintel for a small hole just big enough for the projector lens. Eg projector in kitchen cupboard.

[Drellingore]

I'm going to be that person that skim-reads a thread and then makes an tangential suggestion: have you considered an ultra-short-throw projector? I used one at work, and borrowed it to try out for our home cinema setup. It wasn't massively loud, and as it was near the front speakers it was easier to ignore than the traditional projector that we currently have mounted on a shelf above and just behind the sofa.

[ProDave]

I was going to suggest if noise is a concern to put a glass front on your projector pocket / tunnel, but you would then seriously have to look at ventilation.

 

I assume modern projectors use LED's net energy hungry and hot halogen lamps?

[saveasteading]

57 minutes ago, Drellingore said:

ultra-short-throw projector

Amazing things, so small yet accurate and tiny power use.