The Cinemar Home Theater Construction Thread - Page 60

Thanks Moggie. Time is hard to come by with two kids and work. It seems I've been to kids birthday parties every weekend for the past four weeks. I try to get in the theater usually after dinner. Load up on Monster energy drinks also helps. My yard work is falling behind as well. With warm weather here I'm very motivated to get this done.

My punch list before paint is getting shorter. I've started planning the back bar. But ill probably move a few chairs in there for field testing first. How high is your counter on your back bar? 3'?

I'd say I'm realistically three weeks from painting. The can light soffit and back bar are the two big items left.

Funny you should say that . I was just thinking yesterday that too bad there wasn't a theater builder survival rent kit. Contains all the basic tools one needs.

I'll still be needing mine to staple the fabric to the column sides after paint.

I hired someone to install my basement central vacuum and connect it with the main floor. I think it was only $400 to add 4 inlets, labor and material. It probably would have taken me 10 trips to Menards and a weeks worth of time...so well worth it for me.

Thanks. I did stop over to your thread and it is coming together nicely. The fabric really motivates you because you can start to see it more as a finished room.

I started working on some ideas for the back bar over the weekend.

So far this is my favorite design. I just don't want it to look too meaty as you walk in the room. I tried some wrought iron designs, but didn't like them. So I went more with similar panels and mouldings that are alredy in the room.

So to add some airiness to the design, I raised the center area between the supports off the ground.

The top counter is 16" deep x about 8' wide. The counter sits at 3' high. The bar arch will match the other arches in the room and the back of the seating.

I'm open to any suggestions or comments before I commit to building it. I would think structurally, the two side pillars will support the counter even though the center is not fixed to the ground.

It will certainly close it in a bit. But I keep reminding myself that it's only 3' tall and not a wall...so I think it will still feel somewhat open.

I'd like to squeeze in about 3-4 stools for overflow. Mostly just for football games or during parties where people just pop in/out.

This top view will help show how it fit's in the room.

There's about 2'2" of walking space between the bar counter and the back columns.

A foot rail would open up possibilities to making it more open. Although, I'd probably prefer a black rail than even the oil rubbed bronze.

I'd also have to find a way to bend it to the shape of the arch. I haven't worked out in quite some time since starting the theater.

You bring up a good point. The back bar will probably be used a few times a year. Aside from the bar tv, there's also another 55" TV in the lower living area next to the bar that seats another six people or so. Maybe that's the over flow.

I guess we could always pull in the bar stools and have people sit right behind the back row.

I could play around with the idea of it being more of just a ledge rather than a bar. Although I may still run into closing it off.

Thanks guys. Your responses have been very helpful and informative.

My goal was to use short backless bar stools. I didn't want to go 42" because I didn't want to create a wall as you walked into the room.

Putting outlets and data ports into the back counter is out unless I want to break up concrete again. I've always been unsure as to whether I'd do the back counter bar which is why I didn't route anything to it. However, there is data and power just under the back row seats if I really needed it. But with iPads lasting 10 hours and wifi connections I don't think I'll even need any of that. And this comes from a guy who overwires everything.

I did play around with similar designs that TMcG pointed me to.
The bar looks great in his room, but takes on a different look in mine with the curve.



So I just wasn't impressed with it in my space.

Like everyone's suggested, you really would like to put your feet under it to use it functionally. So I'm thinking of just tossing out the back bar altogether.
I'd rather not crowd the space with something that barely gets used and on top of that doesn't look polished or even functional. As mentioned, the bar just outside the theater that seats nine comfortably can act as my overflow area. By removing the bar, this also gives me the flexibility to move the back row seating further back. Giving more leg room. This also opens the back up for walking to your seats. Overflow can still gather in the back or I can pull in the bar stools. One more plus, I just saved myself a week's worth of work and 10 trips to the big box stores.

If I come up with a design I like I may change my mind. Maybe at some point I could build more of a sofa table that's only 5' wide.

I started knocking out the moulding frames for the lower part of all the columns. I could have just attached these individually to the columns after painting the columns and stapling the fabric...but I thought it would be much easier to have them prebuilt and painted. Then I can just brad nail the entire frame to the column and touch up the holes.

I used this frame jig from Menards. I just glued the corners and let sit for an hour. Then shot a 1 1/4" 18 gauge brad nail through the corners to lock both pieces together.

I have to build eight of these.

All great ideas. Especially liking the chairs with cup holders.

I bought those at a local lumber yard.

I forgot to mention...with moulding with this much detail, it's better if you can cut all the frame pieces from the same board. I've noticed there are slight variances probably due to the sharpness and wood when they ran it through their machines. But you will have better luck on getting tigher matching corners from the same run.

I finished constructing all the frames for the lower columns. I dry fitted them in all the columns for now. Once the columns and frames are painted, I'll staple the GOM fabric to the column itself, then brad nail the frames to the column.



I'm getting close to installing the fabric on the light tray, but wanted to finalize my plans for trimming it out.

Here's my current game plan. I need to add a little height to the crown to hide the can light enclosures in the tray. I'm not sure I'm sold on this, but I haven't come up with anything better.