Long time lurker and yes you read it right, my home has an octagon shaped room that I am converting into a dedicated HT. It looks like it was a large gazebo that the PO enclosed and made it an indoor space. Its connected to the house through the "Florida Room". Each wall is 8' long and the ceiling starts at 7' and rised to height of 9' in the center. Currently I am projecting a 115" 16:9 image onto a temporary screen with a Sharp XR-32X (4x8 sheet of laminated melamine). I have 7.1 via my pioneer AV receiver and infinity speakers. Right now its functional just not real pretty.

I don't have a budget and don't want to work with one. I'm not going to spend a gazillion dollars but I will allow the work to creep alaong as I fund it and do the work myself. It helps being a licensed master electrician, lol. The plan is to:
1. tear out the interior paneling, install acoustic insulation and new sheetrock
2. build a "real" screen and ceiling-mount the pj.
3. upgrade the receiver and speakers. I'm thinking Elite receiver and Klipsch speakers.
4. upgrade the lighting, with controls. recessed cans, wall sconces, low voltage lights in the moulding
5. add starscape in the ceiling
6. build a 8" riser for the seating. 2 rows of theater-style seats.
7. add a mitsubishi Mr. Slim
8. fieldstone columns in each of the "corners" appearing to support ceiling beams.
9. dedicated rack built into one of the fake columns.

With that out of the way, let's get creative. Give me some ideas to help make the octagon special!

Long time lurker and yes you read it right, my home has an octagon shaped room that I am converting into a dedicated HT. It looks like it was a large gazebo that the PO enclosed and made it an indoor space. Its connected to the house through the "Florida Room". Each wall is 8' long and the ceiling starts at 7' and rised to height of 9' in the center. Currently I am projecting a 115" 16:9 image onto a temporary screen with a Sharp XR-32X (4x8 sheet of laminated melamine). I have 7.1 via my pioneer AV receiver and infinity speakers. Right now its functional just not real pretty.

I don't have a budget and don't want to work with one. I'm not going to spend a gazillion dollars but I will allow the work to creep alaong as I fund it and do the work myself. It helps being a licensed master electrician, lol. The plan is to:
1. tear out the interior paneling, install acoustic insulation and new sheetrock
2. build a "real" screen and ceiling-mount the pj.
3. upgrade the receiver and speakers. I'm thinking Elite receiver and Klipsch speakers.
4. upgrade the lighting, with controls. recessed cans, wall sconces, low voltage lights in the moulding
5. add starscape in the ceiling
6. build a 8" riser for the seating. 2 rows of theater-style seats.
7. add a mitsubishi Mr. Slim
8. fieldstone columns in each of the "corners" appearing to support ceiling beams.
9. dedicated rack built into one of the fake columns.

With that out of the way, let's get creative. Give me some ideas to help make the octagon special!

If it truly is octogonal in shape, I would keep that theme going in everything that I'd do.

First idea that jumped out at me was a NICE 2:35.1 CURVED screen @ 130"+.

Second idea would be 2 rows of curved HT seating.

BTW, how long is the room from one corner to the in the opposite side?

If you are wed to stone columns I would do stacked stone angular columns and go for a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired style with a little Art deco mixed in somehow.

Instead of rustic hunting lodge motif.

here is a quick brain fart of how to do an 8 ft wall section with stacked stone columns and a Frank Feel.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/_DSC2631.jpg

that half round at the top is the molding on the high wall not the stone which should be square shaped

It sounds like a great space to work with. Can you post a floor plan sketch?

When I hear Octagon, I think UFC. I would love to see a UFC themed theater, chainlink design around the outside, light blue carpet, stadium style lighting.

But on a serious note, when you say acoustic insulation, what do you mean? Roxul Safe n Sound? There have been some studies, and I think most people here agree, that you are just as good off using the pink stuff in the walls, and spend your savings somewhere else in the theater.

When I hear Octagon, I think UFC. I would love to see a UFC themed theater, chainlink design around the outside, light blue carpet, stadium style lighting.

That is exactly what I was thinking when I read the title.

In his best Bruce Buffer voice:

"WE ARE LIVE! For 3 rounds of theater building action. Introducing first, in the red corner, M1ndcrime..."