I'm no specialist in the area, but I have a couple of thoughts:

- Make sure the equipment is ventilated adequately. While equipment generally is more energy-efficient than it was, closing it in still can reduce the life of the equipment.
- Maybe it's better with "smart remotes" than mid-priced universal remotes, it took me several universal remotes before I found one which will control almost everything (for instance, my current remote can control my Pioneer DVD player -- except for switching it on and off [!]).
- You might want to think about mounting the rear surround speakers on wall brackets to save the space of stands.
- Since the room doesn't exist yet, you have time to add either high-capacity cabling (Cat5e or Cat6) or -- better -- conduit which will let you hang any cable you want later on. Far easier (and cheaper) to do this now than later.

Are you looking for specific brands and stuff for this, too?