Hi all. Attached is my (crude) original design for finishing our walk-out basement. I intended to do standard stud walls with nothing special and a projector/big screen home theatre cove. After browsing these forums, I'm now trying to decide if I'd rather do a dedicated HT room.

I really like the open plan best, but I doubt I could isolate the sound from the rest of the house very well (not a huge concern). Anyone been in this spot, made the choice, and have any words of wisdom?

Any thoughts on the layout?

Thanks!

I've wrestled with this myself. A dedicated room would be the holy grail. However, in my case I am finally sh-canning the 12wx17d dedicated space I previously wanted for my basement theater. In the end, its size would limit its potential for larger audiences, would be more difficult to disassemble for a future owner, and the theater entryway would render a good portion of the adjacent playroom as a no play zone. Planned storage closets in the play area will also take up real estate, leaving only 12x12 for the kids crap, which is taking over my upstairs.

I will now have a 17wx12d openbacked theater, with the back end opening to a 12x19 playroom. I will use 2 side by side loveseats or smaller sofas at about 9.5' viewing distance for normal family viewing and have 4 spectator/director chairs in the playroom for addtional seating. This way, I can easily move the loveseats to each side and have the thetaer space opened up if an outside party gets rained out and I want to keep muddy feet off the upstairs hardwood floors.

Sounds close to my situation. With a dedicated HT room, I might be able to squeeze in two sofas with a bar behind. Part of the appeal for the open design is that I could watch the big game while hosting a poker game as well.

Will you be doing anything special as far as sound isolation or acoustic treatments are concerned? I'm considering just saying the heck with it...but it's more or less a one shot deal. Perhaps it worth double dry wall/green glue and those clips to decouple the walls. Sounds expensive however.

You might do a little of each. I don't recall the thread but there was a very good looking build where the the back of the theater was a wall but the owner built a "pass trough" sit at bar. Maybe somebody remembers the thread.

You get some of the benefits of the look and feel of a dedicated space but it was open. It also provided the opportunity to put rear speakers above the opening.

You might do a little of each. I don't recall the thread but there was a very good looking build where the the back of the theater was a wall but the owner built a "pass trough" sit at bar. Maybe somebody remembers the thread.

You get some of the benefits of the look and feel of a dedicated space but it was open. It also provided the opportunity to put rear speakers above the opening.

It is this thread I think.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1022589

That's it! a beautiful piece of ART.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/passthroughdesign.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/passthroughdesign2.jpg

I really like the cubby for the projector.

That's it! a beautiful piece of ART.


Yes it is. One of my favorite rooms.

The money shot:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2573758555_a1f5f4618c_b.jpg

Wow that is one of the nicest I've seen regardless of cost (Theo Kalomirakis, etc.). Simple and elegant without being overdone. All that and it looks like a great use of space.

Thanks guys...I'll check out that thread. That's an extremely nice version of what I was going for. I still wonder with a semi-open design: is it worth doing any isolation...or is it wasted money?

Very nice design and use of space.

I have an open floor plan in my basement. Due to a variety of factors and constraints we went with an open design concept (pictured below).
http://drivinghamster.smugmug.com/photos/367862948_LTGUr-L.jpg

http://drivinghamster.smugmug.com/photos/367858123_jZLaw-L.jpg

http://drivinghamster.smugmug.com/photos/380991424_rbQqg-L.jpg

We tried to preserve the open feeling of the basement but yet try and create discrete "zones". We have a coffee area, pub/cafe area, sewing room, bathroom, storage and of course a theater. I think it turned out great in the end. Are there things I would do differently, sure (i.e false wall for the screen, etc). I know that I had to sacrifice sound isolation because of this floorplan but to be honest I do not really hear it up stairs unless the base is really cranking away. I do have a fair amount of insulation in the ceiling joists between my basement and my first floor. Perhaps that is helping?

With this being said, I have mental plans for theater 2.0 to be similar in design concept to the pass-through bar style one pictures above. There is a cottage style house in our neighborhood that we love a whole lot. We told the owners that if they ever want to move to let us know and we will buy it from them. The basement layout is perfect for the idea pictured above.

As long as you are willing to make (perhaps small) sacrifices in sound isolation I say go for it. It's nice to be able to pile people in there and not have to worry about overheating the room and running out of spaces to sit :).

I have a semi-dedicated space and love it. It works so much better for entertaining and having lots of people over.

We haven't decided what to do behind the bar just yet, but there is room for a seating area or perhaps a game/poker table of some sort.

I love having the wide doorway and pass-through to the kitchenette area. It's also nice having it off to the side (not directly behind the theater). We can leave the kitchenette lights on full and its not distracting at all to the movie that is playing.



http://mostlyharmless.org/theater/s4.jpg

I vote open...

Unless you have room to put in a huge closed theater, it seems to me you will always be kind of cramped for space, especially if you have a bunch of people over. We play wii on ours and the open allows everyone playing pool, or in the arcade to feel "apart" of the fun...

Here's mine
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j29/GlennMehltretter/P1010093.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j29/GlennMehltretter/theater5.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j29/GlennMehltretter/theater1.jpg

When we have large groups over, we can easily put seats along the wall, and move a couch over on the other side, and have seating for 15...

pdf of my plan. Paslode cordless framing nailer should be getting her today! Only obstacle is HVAC upgrades.

As a guy living in a one bedroom co-op, I can only dream about a dedicated space (sigh)...

With that in mind, I do have a suggestion: How about using retractable curtains to "wall off" your theater space. The type of curtains I'm thinking of are similar to those used in hospital rooms (they are on a track attached to the ceiling).

With a solution like that, you could leave them open most of the time, but pull them closed at movie time, which would offer improved light control (for those with projectors) and "some" sound benefit (not so much isolation, but reducing hard, reflective surfaces).

We have about 1100 sq ft and could easily section off for a HT dedicated room. But it didn't take much to decide during the planning stage on a complete open floor plan. We really wanted the spaces open for interaction between the bar, theater/media room, pool room and a sitting area by the fireplace. Good luck on your decision.

Thanks everyone for the responses. Some excellent HT's you all have! I think my floorplan lends itself well for something similar to the ones of jamis and BIGmouthDC. Now I just need to decide if I want to go through the trouble of staggered stud walls and such. Thanks again!

I think my floorplan lends itself well for something similar to the ones of jamis and BIGmouthDC.

I just linked some photos of a theater I remembered would work well in your space. My theater is in my link, wide open but next time it won't be.

BIGmouthinDC, I guess I read that too fast...but thanks for the idea all the same. Actually, looks like the screen/seating area/bar part of your home theatre looks something like I'm aiming for. I might have to chang the width, however. Anyway, thanks!

IMO, it isn't a theater if is wide open to an entire basement. It is just a projector and screen. A theater has a uniquie atmosphere. I will allow the few with the pass throughs to qualify as theaters in my book. :D;)

The money shot:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2573758555_a1f5f4618c_b.jpg

+1

I've saved off all the pics from that thread - it is one of my all time favs.

If you plan to entertain, an open space is by far the better choice IMHO. We've had a lot of sporting event get togethers and just recently had about 30 people over. An open space is definitely better for those types of situations.

On the flip side, there are some definite compromises from a purist's perspective - all of which have been detailed at length here at AVS (and thus, the comment by greg_mitch about "just a projector and a screen"). Maybe someone remembers which of those threads are the best at presenting both sides, because the decision really should be based on the intended use of the space.

For me, the biggest compromise in my open living room setup is that I can't isolate the sound, and therefore my movie watching is relegated to my wife's waking hours or using headphones. Even my modest living room setup gets LOUD...we're talking Klipsch RF-62 towers, RC-52 center, satellite surrounds, and BIC Acoustech H100 sub. At normal listening levels the walls in adjacent rooms vibrate, shaking whatever is attached to them. We just watched Hancock on Blu Ray at -10db and I thought all the nails holding the first together were going to fall out :eek:.

With a dedicated space you have the opportunity to make an attempt at not disturbing others in the house (and potentially neighbors) with audio as close to reference level as your ears allow.

When I get around to finishing my basement I'm definitely going with a dedicated room simply so I don't have to put on the cans at night. :cool: If you plan to entertain more then a couple of folks on a regular basis for sporting events where people are up and around frequently I would stick to your original idea of an open space. If you plan to really use the room as a screening space (high fidelity video and audio) then it is worth reconsidering. My two cents...

My basement had a similar layout check out my build thread to see what I have done, for better or for worse. :)

I'm also trying to decide on open or dedicated. I'm leaning toward dedicated and having large glass panel french doors into the rest of the basement that will give an open feel even when closed. This would also allow a dark color scheme in the theater and a brighter one in the adjoining family room.

The money shot:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2573758555_a1f5f4618c_b.jpg

what wall switch is that emitting the blue light?

I thought I was going to do dedicated at 1st but decided to go with an open design.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/mding23/DSC01206.jpg

Dinger, very nice design.

I'm a huge fan of open room theaters if you have an entertaining lifestyle. We find our clients get more use out of these types of spaces as opposed to dedicated cramped rooms.

I just saw this thread.

My theater is also open, as I love to entertain and have people over to watch sporting events, etc. I love the fact that people can enjoy a drink, food, shoot pool, etc all while having a game on the big screen. Make sure you zone out the lighting; meaning have a seperate switch for the lights in the theater area and seperate switches for the lights in the other areas. that way you can have the lights off in the theater room and keep them on elsewhere.

I don't buy into the idea that if it's not dedicated, than it's not a theater. Whatever:rolleyes: You can still make a neat looking theater room, and still have it open (as you can see in some of the pics posted here)
But that's just one man's opinion.:)

As for your question about whether you should or shouldn't soundproof with an open design, for me, I did take the time (and money!) to DD and GG the entire ceiling in the basement and DD/GG most of the walls in the basement.
I put r19 insulation in the each and every joist.

I did NOT isolate the frame or put channels up prior to DW. (I wish I did, as it would help even more).

I can tell you, in my house, the bedroom floor is two stories above and when the theater is cranking, you can definately hear it in the floor above, but you cannot hear it in the bedroom level floors, which is the main concern in my house (wife is a light sleeper plus I have an infant child and 3yr old).

the point is, if you want some type of sound control, you should definately take the necessary steps to isolate the frame and DD/GG, etc b/c it will help, even in an open design.

Old.

My open Bar/Theater room is still in progress so no pictures but..........I have a 46 x 19.5 room with the original design opting for a bar and an isolated theater. After many debates with the better half about all the pros and cons of going open or a dedicated theater I say with my tail between my legs the dedicated theater design was just not a good way to go for our application. (i wanted the dedicated room) We entertain friends. If the projector and the screen are in a room by themselves then everyone at the function has to be seated in that room. As to the other side (open concept) if you want to set at the bar and watch the game you can. If you want to sit at the bar and watch the latest release on Blu - Ray, you can. I believe you can get a million opinions here then it's up to you on the decision you make. As far as not qualifying as a theater because it's open, when I'm staring at the 120" screen I don't even see there is a bar behind me.

I thought I was going to do dedicated at 1st but decided to go with an open design.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/mding23/DSC01206.jpg


I love this room! Simply awesome.:D