Well my build/remodel is finally about to start. I currently have my man room in the den, and a home office. I work from home and use the office 10 hours a day. Due to new circumstances I need to move my office to the den/my man room. I've been thinking of ways to combine the two, racking my brain for days. I think I finally have the solution and will use this thread to blog my progress and ask for help from the masters.

My current den has a monster Mitsu 65" HDTV taking up plenty of space. I also had a nice couch that I just unloaded on the inlaws. My plans are to switch to a projector, home theater seating setup. Here are some quick drawings of my plans, and some pics of the current room.

Current:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/currentden.jpg
Pics taken from doorway:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0787.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0788.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0789.jpg

Plans for the room:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/hometheaterplan.jpg

I was having a HARD time finding a way to fit a desk AND my home theater in this room. I think I found the best solution, tearing out part of the back wall and using the closet behind as a built in desk. Then by putting a riser there, I can use my office chair as part of a second row.

Another big obstacle is the stupid fireplace that we have used once. We live in S. Texas and have no use for it! Unfortunately tearing it out is not an option, would involve too much work and expense. I am going to tear out the brick though, and replace it with tile. This will allow that space to be used. Since the fireplace never gets turned on, I can bump furniture up close to it. Wont look very good but thats what I have to work with.

I plan to build in an equipment rack on one side of the screen wall, and dvd storage on the other. Under the screen I can build a false wall the depth of the cabinets to hide the center channel and sub. I can place the left and right speakers on top of the side cabinets. I plan to cover these false walls with speaker cloth, and the doors to the cabinets also. I will probably do in-wall surrounds, seems to make the most sense.

Im working with a relatively small budget, looking to spend around $5000. Most of this will be spent on the projector and screen. Since the room is finished and only needing small remodeling, and the fact that I will do all the work, budget shouldnt be a problem.

I will be using my current equipment, except for selling the monster Mitsu and replacing it with projector/screen.

Dish VIP 722
XBOX 360 w HD-DVD
Samsung 1500 Blue Ray
Onkyo Receiver/Speakers

Im looking at the Sanyo Z2000 and a 100" Elite screen. I would appreciate screen size suggestions for my room. Front row will be right about 10' head to screen. Is 100" too big?

I know combining an office and home theater is not ideal, but this is my only option. I need to move my office to this room, but I dont want to give up my man room! I hope to get this TV sold and the demo started this weekend. Updates to come!

that is, uhm, quite the paint scheme.

Since you are on a budget you should consider a DIY screen. You could make one for under 100 bucks. Use the savings perhaps on speakers?

also are you going 16x9 or 2.35

that is, uhm, quite the paint scheme.

Since you are on a budget you should consider a DIY screen. You could make one for under 100 bucks. Use the savings perhaps on speakers?

also are you going 16x9 or 2.35

Paint was like that when we bought the house 5 years ago, never got around to repainting. Cant wait to get rid of the red. I think the past owner watched too much trading spaces in the late 90's. ;) I have remodeled most of the house, my den is the last room.

Speakers aren't a big concern right now. Current setup sounds great but will be upgraded in the future.

Screen will definitely be 16x9. I watch alot of sports and play alot of XBOX.

THX standards for 16x9 at a viewing distance of 10 ft recommend an 89.5 inch screen. For 100 inches they call for a first row seat of about 12.8ft

Take that with a grain of salt.

I just suggested speakers you could spend the savings on beer, god knows I did, I love DIY and saving money. Just throwing that out there.

THX standards for 16x9 at a viewing distance of 10 ft recommend an 89.5 inch screen. For 100 inches they call for a first row seat of about 12.8ft

Take that with a grain of salt.

I just suggested speakers you could spend the savings on beer, god knows I did, I love DIY and saving money. Just throwing that out there.

Thanks for that THX info, very interesting. I was thinking that 92" might be better, but something about a 100" screen sounds better :D Not sure what to do there.

I know my speakers are old, and they will be upgraded. I've honestly been out of the loop in the HT audio dept. lately. When done with the room I will look into upgrading my receiver and audio. The budget I set was more a goal I set for myself, not a strict budget. If I dont set these limits on myself I will go WAY over. We'll see how that goes.

I will look into building my own screen, sounds fun but I have no idea where to begin with that. $100 does sound better than $400 though......I guess a DIY screen is just as good PQ wise?

Nice room btw, I'll be following your build.

You might consider moving the entry door to the left (closer to the Living room t.v.). A Little work but not beyond DIY.
That would allow you to go with a full width riser section in the rear and more space options.
If you coupled that with just taking out the back of the closet wall and just going all the way there gives you even more options for pushing seating back if necessary.
Then turn the desk 90 degrees and sit facing the wall.

But then I'm a rookie myself.
Paul

Looking forward to seeing the progress here... You've got a bit of a challenge, but nothing time and some good DIY can make into a wonderful HT Room.

If you coupled that with just taking out the back of the closet wall and just going all the way there gives you even more options for pushing seating back if necessary.
I agree with ArmyMan. Why build another wall inside that closet when you can use what is now the existing front wall of the closet as your new back wall? If you're looking to save money, you can just move the desk another little bit into the closet, and as long as the opening (theater-side) of the closet leaves the floor nice and flush (no bumps or dips), you will just slide your desk chair a little bit inside the closet when working at your desk. I should know: I did the exact same thing in my old house with my drum set. The room was too small to fit the kit, so I broke out part of the wall which was the back of the closet in the next room and set the kit up partially inside that space, protruding into the first room. Then I would just walk into the second room (the one that used to own said closet space) and open the closet door to get to the throne. The only downside for you is that you'll have to look at the inside of that closet door when sitting at the desk. Just slap a good coat of paint on it, and you're good!

Nice use of space in the design, though! I like how you have overcome a couple of problems. Those are the kind of problem-solving skills that inspire others. I can't wait to see how this turns out!

Thanks for the suggestions guys, some great ideas here. As far as moving the entry door to the theater, I dont think that will be possible but I will explore it further. My quick drawing does not properly portray what is on the living room side of the wall. For one, the tv in the corner is taking up more space than shown, a 46" Samsung A750. Also, there is a sort of hallway between the living room and kitchen and the current door is at the end, keeps the flow of the house if that makes any sense. The couch and tv would need to be moved around to make this work and that involves the wife :( I will discuss with her this weekend though, thanks for the suggestion.

As far as my desk area, Im not sure how that is going to pan out until I tear down the wall, playing this one by ear. The closet is 32" wide. My current desk is 25" with a few inches of unusable space in the back. This desk works great with my equipment setup, so I was thinking a 24" desk would be good. That leaves a small 6-8" closet which will work for broom/mop/vacuum. I could also put a fold down ironing board in there and free up alot of space our current board is taking up in the laundry room. Who knows though, I may tear down that wall and decide I want the entire 32" for my desk area, we will see.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Getting fresh ideas is a great help. Got some good news last night, I think I found a buyer for the monster Mitsu, down side is the guy wants to pick it up on Wed or Thurs :mad: I still hope to get started with demo this weekend, just need to find some guys to come help me move this monster out of the room.

100" screen is not too big for 10ft viewing distance. Right now mine is around 118 at 10ft, but while I was testing for smaller size to accommodate my front row (10ft), I found 100 to 105 very comfy. Note that's with a 1080p pj.

Here's another idea for the office desk. Have you seen some of the project here that has a nice bar as the 2nd row with bar chairs. I can see putting the desk/s right against the 1st row and using office chairs as a nice second row. This way, you are facing the rest of the room when working. During movie time, the desk doubles as nice beer holders. Of course this assumes one can keep the top of the desk clean.

100" screen is not too big for 10ft viewing distance. Right now mine is around 118 at 10ft, but while I was testing for smaller size to accommodate my front row (10ft), I found 100 to 105 very comfy. Note that's with a 1080p pj.

Here's another idea for the office desk. Have you seen some of the project here that has a nice bar as the 2nd row with bar chairs. I can see putting the desk/s right against the 1st row and using office chairs as a nice second row. This way, you are facing the rest of the room when working. During movie time, the desk doubles as nice beer holders. Of course this assumes one can keep the top of the desk clean.

Thanks for the screen size info! Glad to hear 100" can be comfy at 10'. I will be getting a 1080p projector, most likely the Sanyo z2000. Another thing I was worried about at that size and distance is SDE. Hopefully with 1080p it wont be an issue. I have to admit, I have NEVER seen a front projector system in action! Im very new to all this.

I have seen the second row bar tops, they are VERY nice. After seeing the Big Red theater I was racking the brain on how to do that with mine. My problem is I use at least 3 monitors for work, and two sets of KB/Mouse. The office equipment would need to be taken down for movie time. I was looking for a way to do a desk on the side wall when a light went off and I realized I had a closet I could tap into for more space. The desk is not set in stone yet, when I get the wall taken down I will take my exec chair into the room and play around.

Ugh!

I've seen grown men pull their own heads off, rather than look at paint like that. Well, actually I haven't, but the Monty Python crew sure have.

Since this will also be your office, of course I suspect you'll go with less of a homocide-inspiring look. The Ralph Lauren suede stuff works really nicely.

Ther office-theater combo isn't a bad concept, as we also have our computer the theater, at the back, and it lets us know where the kids are when they're not watching a show with us.

Happy painting.

Tom.

Well, I wasnt able to get as much done this weekend as I wanted. I did get alot done, but most of my time and effort was spent moving and throwing away crap at the dump. I had to clear out the closet to start the project. In order to move that crap to the storage shed outside, I had to make room. Making some room turned into a trailer full of crap to the dump. Its ok, we have been needing a spring cleaning for a few springs :)

The trip to the dump was the perfect chance to get rid of the old carpet in the room, the carpet, tack strips, and base boards were removed and dumped. I also got the portion of wall removed for my desk. I decided to go 50" wide rather than 60. This will leave me a little more space for seating options.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0791_2.jpg

I went 30" deep for the desk, leaving enough space for a fold down ironing board and broom/mop storage in the doorway of the laundry room. I found this light that I really liked for my desk area. I ran some wiring and instaled it with a dimmer switch.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0793_2.jpg

I got the wall insulated and sheetrock'd. Hope to get the first coat of mud on tonight.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0813_2.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0844_2.jpg

Here is a look at the little equipment area I have behind the wall.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0842_2.jpg

My projector will mount on a shelf somewhere. I ordered the Sanyo Z2000 from Projector People this morning. :D Can anyone give me an idea of how high the projector needs to be? Im going for a 100" screen at about 15' throw distance. I will replace the current ceiling fan with a fan/no light kit, should only hang about 10-12 inches from celing. Room has 8'4" ceiling.

that projector, if i am not mistaken, has a significant amount of vertical lens shift so you should be good to mount it at any height.

also, are those wires sitting in front of the stud in the last picture?

that projector, if i am not mistaken, has a significant amount of vertical lens shift so you should be good to mount it at any height.

also, are those wires sitting in front of the stud in the last picture?

Thanks for the lens shift info. I had heard that before, but didn't really know what that meant, I'm new to projectors. That last picture was taken before I rocked the inside of the desk area, that is the wiring I ran for the desk light and dimmer switch.

I got the first coat of tape and mud on tonight. Sanding and more mud tomorrow. Drywall has to be my least favorite part of home improvement. Cant wait till I'm done with it, and I only have 3 sheets worth! I feel for you folks who are doing unfinished basements.

Got a good amount of work done the last couple of nights. 3 coats of mud on the drywall, sanding inbetween of course. First time I have ever used the bullnose edging, I really like it.


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/8-22-2.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/8-22-3.jpg


After removing the carpet I found the dreaded "school tile" underneath. I wasnt too surprised as I have found and removed this from all the other rooms in the house during remodel. I got this busted up and removed. I also removed the two feet of brick sticking out from the fireplace. I will lay floor level tile here as a replacement. This will allow my seating to get closer to that wall without the stupid fireplace getting in the way. Have I said how much I hate that fireplace?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/8-22-4.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/8-22-1.jpg


Not much on the schedule for tonight, have a football game to watch. :D I am going to texture my sheetrock work to match the rest of the walls after work though, so I will be ready to start painting tomorrow morning. The plans for this weekend are painting and lots of wiring. I will be installing new fan, 6 can lights, new fancy dimmer switch I found. I will also be running wiring from my equipment area to the projector through the attic, as well as a new circuit from the electical panel to the equipment area. Oh ya, and running surround wires from the equipment area to the surround locations through the attic and walls, not looking forward to all the attic work :mad: HOT in S. Tx in August.

UPS tracking shows that my Z2000 and $300 worth of wiring from Monoprice should all be here today....YAY! I am going to do my best to resist the temptation to fire that projector up, Ive read too much about it slowing down progress!

Well I wasn't able to resist the urge! Ran by Lowes on Friday after work and picked up a white panel board for $10. Screwed it to the wall and watched the game on a 100" screen from my Z2000. It was great, the wife was as excited as I was which helps the process ;) I think we forgot to take some pics of the screen though.

On Saturday morning I got 2 coats of paint on the ceiling and walls. I still have alot of touch up work to finish later. I plan to do some sort of crown so I didn't bother to paint that area. We had a family bbq to go to in the evening so didn't get much done that day.

On Sunday I spend too much time in the attic :mad: I installed can lights for the first time, took a little more work than I imagined. They came out great though, so it was worth it. I replaced the existing fan w/ lights with a new black fan without light kit.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0009.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0011.jpg

I installed a Lutron Maestro IR Light and Fan switch to control the new lights and fan. This kit is real cool because it uses the existing 2 wire of the old fan and separates the fan and light controls, as if you had a 3 wire switch. It comes with a IR remote for controlling and dimming the fan and lights. It also saves one scene. This will be great later when I get a Harmony type remote to control the room. I had to do some major wall surgery to install the switch. One thing that bugged the crap outta me about this room was the light switch was on the outside of the room, by the door as you are entering. I took this opportunity to move it to inside the room.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0013.jpg

Here is my desk light installed, I really like this one for some reason.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0014.jpg

I also got the frame for the riser built. I hope to have the riser stuffed with insulation, wiring for step lights and electric outlet, and plywood capped by the end of the work week. School has started for the kids so there wont be much time to work on this during the week so this is a lofty goal.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0015.jpg

Man what a huge difference paint makes. What color carpet are you going with?

Man what a huge difference paint makes. What color carpet are you going with?

Man, we havent even looked at carpet yet. I'm planning on something dark gray/silver/platinum. I have a gray/blue/black scheme going. The blue looks GREAT in person, the pic make it seem brighter than it is.

I got to work on the riser a couple of hours last night. Ran the wiring for an electrical outlet next to the seats, and two boxes for step lights. I also stuffed it full of fiberglass insulation and got the first sheet of plywood nailed down. It was the only full sheet, lots of cutting tonight :(

I got my riser done tonight. I added a couple of outlet boxes and ran wire for some step lights. I will add an electric outlet behind the seats too.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/hometheaterduringconstruction033.jpg

Lots planned for the long weekend. I will get back in the attic tomorrow to run the A/V wires for the projector, and a romex wire from the breaker box to add a new circuit in my desk area. I will also get started on the cabinets for the equipment and dvd storage. I also hope to get started on some crown molding.

great progress, love the new look.

I wasn't able to work much on my room Saturday. Had a family BBQ that the boss forgot to tell me about :eek: I was able to crawl in the attic again in the morning and run my cables. I ran a HDMI, component, and 2 cat5 from my equipment area to the projector.

This morning I got to work on my cabinets. The plan was to build 2 on the screen wall, one on the left for my equipment rack, and one on the right for DVD type storage. Well, I hit my first big snag. I built both cabinets 24" wide, which would leave just enough room for my fixed frame screen in between. My wife said something about the screen that triggered a thought in my head. Heart PUMPING I ran to the laptop, and sure enough, I didnt have enough room for the screen :mad:

While designing the screen wall in my head I was working with 88" across for screen. That was viewable area though. My 100" Focupix screen from HTDepot is 92" across including frame. DAMN. I must give my wife HUGE CREDIT for getting me through this. I was very upset. I had just finished the two cabinets and was very proud of them. She very calmly got me focused on fixing the problem.

The option we decided on was cutting 4" off of the equipment cabinet, making it 20" wide. It made the most sense for several reasons, the main one being the Liquid nails was still wet! I built the DVD cabinet first and the Liquid Nails had hours to dry, it wasn't going to budge. I was able to bang out the side wall of the cabinet, then used a jig saw to cut 4" off the top and bottom. Little more Liquid Nails, some more shots from the nail gun, and it was as good as new. It really sucks that I dont have the matching 24" cabinets, but O well, this was the best option at the time and turned out OK. Wasted most of my afternoon though, and I had no desire to work anymore after that.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0027.jpg

We'll see whats in store for tomorrow. Im going to finish this six pack tonight and sleep in on my Labor Day off, thats for sure :D

Not much progress the last couple of days, but here are some pics of what I got done. I finally decided how to trim out above my cabinets. I installed some 1x2 and will velcro or magnet some frames wrapped in speaker cloth to create a "column" look.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0031.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0032.jpg

I also got started on my crown molding. I decided to do a tray/crown type design, and have ordered some rope light to throw in there. Ripped some 2x4's down the middle to start the design. For some reason 2x4 studs are the only straight boards at my Lowes, and it ended up costing much less. I got the 1x4s and crown painted tonight, hope to get it all installed over the next couple of nights. You can also see the in wall surround speakers I got installed today in this pic.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0033.jpg

We picked out and purchased the tile for around the fireplace. My brother will be bringing my tile saw back this weekend so should get that done soon. We also had the carpet store come out and measure, just need to decide on on the final color. Choosing between a couple different shades of gray. Carpet should be ordered by the end of the week for install end of next week. I also got a call that my Coaster Showtimes would be delivered today, but they never showed up. Need to check on that tomorrow too.

Little bit of progress the last couple of nights. I finished my crown molding, love the way it turned out.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0038.jpg

Im not as happy with the rope light I ordered from ACE hardware. This will be replaced later. The color is not quite right, but I love the effect.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0040.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0039.jpg

There is one 2 foot section that doesnt work :mad: This rope light is junk.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0043.jpg

I also got my cabinets painted flat black. It took 3 coats to get it looking right. I was mortified the morning after the first coat, it looked horrible, streaks everywhere. 3 coats did the trick.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0042.jpg

My tile is ready and waiting, should be done this weekend. Carpet is ordered and scheduled to be installed Wednesday. My screen came in yesterday, hope to get that up tonight. Once the screen is up I will play with projector placement and cut the hole in the wall and build the shelf for it. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now :)

Are you planning on darkening up that ceiling at all? If so, I think you'll be more pleased with both the ceilng effect and the overall theater experience.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now :)

Ah! That's because it's not a very long tunnel. Man you freakin hussled through this.

That light at the end of the tunnel.....

it could be an on-coming train!!!

Are you planning on darkening up that ceiling at all? If so, I think you'll be more pleased with both the ceilng effect and the overall theater experience.

No, color will stay as is. I have to admit, I used the Home Depot team colors, that is Dallas Gray and Dallas Blue. My wife was a little concerned about the color choices, so we went in with an agreement that I would repaint if it didnt look good. Well we both LOVE the colors, looks much better in person. I know the theme around here seems to be dark ceilings, but honestly Im not too concerned. I will paint the area near the projector if it needs it though.

Ah! That's because it's not a very long tunnel. Man you freakin hussled through this.

Think so? Feels like forever :cool: I still have alot to do, tile work, doors for cabinets, frames around the screen wall, mount projector and screen, not to mention build my desk and shelves.

That light at the end of the tunnel.....

it could be an on-coming train!!!

I hear you, keeping fingers crossed for no more snags in the road.


Thanks for the comments guys, feedback is always appreciated.

Here is the progress from the last few days. My carpet got installed this morning. Color looks great, pictures dont capture the real color. I layed my tile this weekend. It came out ok, quick and simple, nothing fancy. I think it blends very well with the room.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0075.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0066.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0069.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0082.jpg

I cut the hole for the projector and put my screen together this weekend. Screen is a 100" Focupix fixed frame white from HTDepot.com. It seems to be a great value for the money, projector looks amazing. Screen was a little tough for me and the wife to get together, but we got it with a little patience. It took me FOREVER to get the components setup in the cabinet, stupid wires.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0074.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0076.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0078.jpg


Lots of trim work to finish up. I took the projector out of the room to aid in getting this done quicker. :) Problem is there is a storm in the Gulf predicted to come straight here this weekend. Were going to have decisions to make tonight, just hope the house and new theater make it :(

That dog looks angry, almost like it specifically warned you of what would happen if you put it's picture on the net. What's the deal, some kind of previous mobster turned informant dog???

That dog looks angry, almost like it specifically warned you of what would happen if you put it's picture on the net. What's the deal, some kind of previous mobster turned informant dog???

Thats actually her happy face :) She was enjoying the new carpet, I think the wood chapped her ass.

The carpet color is a platinum gray, no idea why it looks brownish in the pictures. I dont know how to use the wifes fancy camera. If I can find my point and shoot I will give that one a try.

Went ahead and put my seats together in the room. We love them! They are Coaster Showtimes. They are a GREAT value for the $. Very comfy. More than I was expecting. Starting to look like a theater now :cool:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0085.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0084.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0086.jpg

I have the same seats. Aren't they awesome for the money? :)

Hard to believe you waited 5 years to paint over that red :p not even the same room now looks great.

Not much work done on room last week. Now that the projector is mounted and components all hooked up.........we watched 3 bluerays over the weekend, and I watched football all day Saturday and Sunday. We are enjoying it WAY more than ever imagined. Blue-rays look stunning. Football games are a whole new experience. I tried to play some Halo, gonna have to get used to the 100" screen, but Im up for the challenge! I was getting my ass handed to me though. I switched back to the LCD in the living room after a few matches. Ill be practicing some more on the projector when I get some time.

I did manage to get my desk setup and office moved into the theater last week. I had been debating a built in desk or store bought. Talking it over with the wife we decided on store bought. It makes more sense, especially considering how much we are enjoying the theater. This will leave flexibility for the future. Plus, i can easily slide it out when needing to get back to the projector or equipment, that would of been a challenge with a built in desk. After much searching, we found a perfect fit at Sams of all places, and it was dirt cheap. I have been working in here the last few days, its working out great. Here are a few pics of the setup.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0110.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0106.jpg
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http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0111.jpg

Here are the shelves I finished, got most of my equipment setup now.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0113.jpg

I also finished the trim around the projector. Nice and simple.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0109.jpg


I still need to finish trimming out the front wall. Hopefully I will have some time to get that done this week. We are still cleaning out my old office and have to start on that project. Good thing my wife loves the theater and is pushing me to finish it first. I also ordered a Harmony One remote, quickly realised we had too many! Hope the One is the answer we need.

I got the front wall trimmed out over the weekend. Construction is complete. Here are a couple of pics, with and without flash.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0012.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0002.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0004.jpg

My theater was not complete until the purchase of this, it is great and worth every penny!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0006.jpg

The room is pretty much done for now. We are going to be adding a second row of movie theater seats, but later when we can decide what we need after using the room for a while. We will also be upgrading the sound, but no rush on that either. My old Onkyo system sounds great still, and the only reason for upgrade would be to have the latest and greatest. Sounds like the perfect Christmas idea lol. That will give me some time to research receivers and LCR speakers for my setup.

Im going to work on getting some screenshots of my PLV-z2000. I havent posted any becuase i havent been able to capture any that do the real life image justice. I bought a "dummy" book for our camera, when i figure it out I will post.

Final budget numbers are great. Only went $429 over my $5000 budget. (Yes, I saved every receipt and spreadsheet'd it :eek:) Those extra costs were things I didn't plan for, like the Harmony remote and Lutron dimmer. Overall not too bad though. When we decide on extra seating and audio system it will be blown, but again those are things I didnt originally plan for, but now want :cool:

Nicely done. It's always nice to see a thread that doesn't read like it cost equal to the down payment on a house. I'll be sticking to that kind of limited funds as well when I finally get to doing my room. But for now all funds go towards the impending arrival of our first, so my gadget purchasing has been curtailed - happily.

Bravo my friend!

Fantastic job.

beautiful

i like the blue and grey as well


really turned out out nice. i envy you people with a dedicated room!

Time to update my thread with the last month of activity. Build is done until we decide what type of seating we want for the back row. Office area is working out great. We have done a little decorating, I put some of my nic-nacs on the mantle for now, will do something different and better later. We found some awesome movie-poster frames at blockbuster. They aren't actually a poster, more like a painting with texture and all. Here are some pics.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0091.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0088.jpg


I have also upgrade my audio! I decided my HD setup needed some HD audio too :cool: I got an Onkyo 606 AVR and Bic Acoustech speaker setup. I absolutely love it! I got the HT-64 bookshelf speakers for L R, HT-65 center channel, and H-100 sub. I broke 2 picture frames in the living room next door the weekend I set it all up. This sub rattles the house. I had to go around and secure all things hanging on the walls of the living room and kitchen better. The speakers sound very clear and crisp. I love the 606, the Audyssey EQ is amazing. I am very happy with the new setup.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0076-1.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0085-1.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0084-1.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0083.jpg


Here is a screenshot of my Sanyo PLV-Z2000 in action. I have done alot of tweaking and am very happy with the image right now. I still cant take good pics, but its time for an action shot :D

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0094.jpg

You don't happen to have any more detail on how you did the crown molding do you? How far is it from the top wall? How far does it stick out from the side wall? How did you mount it to the top/side walls?

I like the way yours looks and I might be interested in doing a similar thing myself.

Great Job, BTW. :)

You don't happen to have any more detail on how you did the crown molding do you? How far is it from the top wall? How far does it stick out from the side wall? How did you mount it to the top/side walls?

I like the way yours looks and I might be interested in doing a similar thing myself.

Great Job, BTW. :)

I have all the details you could need :) It is actually a very simple design i experimented with and it worked our real well.

I started by chalking a line 6.5 inches from the ceiling. I then nailed a 2x2 to wall, matching the bottom of the board to the line. I actually ripped a 2x4 stud down the middle with my table saw to create the 2x2, all the 2x2 at my Lowes were very crooked.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0033.jpg

I then nailed a 1x4 under the 2x2. I also put a bead of liquid nails on the bottom of the 2x2 for extra support. I let the liquid nails set overnight. I then nailed a 4" piece of crown moulding to the edge of the 1x4. All of my nailing was done with 2" brads and an airgun.

This leaves a 4" gap between the ceiling and the crown molding. The top of the crown is 5.5" from the wall, and the bottom is 4" out. I experimented with a 1x6 as well, but ended up using the 1x4. My room is rather small and it looked better to us, but a 1x6 or 1x8 could be used.

It is simple, cheap, and gets tons of compliments :D Good luck and let me know if you have more questions.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/jrb03/Home%20Theater/DSC_0039.jpg

Nice work. GO EAGLES!!!!! :)