Help Needed: Small Multipurpose Basement Plan

Okay I need some help. I am trying to plan out my basement build. None of the gray/white walls have been built and the green walls are just and idea I had if I went with Placement B. I only have about 900 sq. feet to work with, but I want to have a office/bedroom, bathroom, utilities area, and a room for a theater and exercise equipment. I didn't want to break up the theater and exercise area, because I am afraid it would make the rooms feel to small and would limit the use or options down the road. So far this is what I have come up with. The 2 post down the middle of the house add more obstacles and limitations. The way I see it I have 2 options for the theater section, neither are ideal, Placement A and B. Initially I was leaning towards Placement B, but after I drew in the Dolby recommended location lines, the lines jetting out of the couch, I notice that pole behind the couch would block the rear right speaker.

Could you guys tell me which placement you would go or improvements to the layout? Also, I am trying to figure out what type of speakers would work best for the side and rear surrounds. In-wall, on wall, ceiling, mono pole, dipole, bipole, etc...

If it matters, so far I stumbled on to good deals on a Panasonic PT-AE7000U projector and a 100" Steward Studiotek 130 screen, so that is what I will be using for the projection.

Thanks,
Topp

The bathroom is where it is because of where the roughed in plumbing. The bathroom is still up for debate, since I don't plan on putting everything in and just use the room as extra storage. I have thought about removing the bathroom all together. But trying to think where else I could put some additional storage.

In the utilities room the water heater, furnace, and electrical panel exist are in the larger section. The weird jog that exist on the right hand side of the office is where the fresh air intake is. There isn't any floor drains anywhere else in the basement. As for windows, there are 3 along the bottom wall of the basement. They are daylight windows, the ground level is about 6 or so inches below the windows so no egress is required. There is a 4th window on that would be on the left wall in the lower corner of the picture. I don't care if I cover of that window with the screen or something. It is like 7 or more feet in the air, so doesn't do much. Not even sure why they put it in.

Not sure if that is enough info or not. If need be and I can try to take some pictures of the basement or show other views from Sketchup.

Thanks,
Topp

Thanks for the feed back. I have been playing around with the idea of maybe removing the bathroom. It would allow for more seating with no interference from a pole. I am thinking some 48" wide french doors to not completely close off the area if they are open. Take a look and let me know what you guys think. I am kind of liking the idea.

What I like more about the separate room is that it allows for more unobstructed viewing. Since we just had our second child I would really like to have at least 4 seats, if not more.

Thanks,
Topp

Originally, I did think about doing a false wall and do a acoustic transparent screen. However, then I was thinking along the layouts A and B. And then I stumbled into a deal on the Steward Studiotek 130 screen. So now I can't really do the AT screen, well without selling this one first at least.

Keep the ideas coming.
One thing I see with the last design is that somehow the couch or other furniture would be difficult, if not impossible to get into the room because of the hall leading to it.

Tedd,
What program are you using to quickly edit my pictures like that?

Tedd,
The one thing missing from your photos was one of the post. It was hard to see in my pictures. But it would be in the open corner.

Here is 2 more options/modifications I was thinking. Both add in some storage to the sides which gets rid of the 2 foot set in the one wall. One options I was thinking of doing a 2 foot deep false wall. Probably won't use an acoustic transparent screen right now, but who knows down the road.

What do you guys thinking?

Thanks,
Topp

I do agree ideally I would have a bathroom in the basement.

But here is the other issue with the bathroom. We are on a septic and the outlet is above the basement floor therefore we would have a lift station. Which wouldn't be that bad except for when I asked the builder to plumb for a bathroom they didn't account for the vents. With a lift station you need a direct one for the station itself and one for the sink, toilet, shower/bath. Since they didn't tie into the main vent at all and we have a two story house I would have to take the vent out the side of the house. Well on the left hand of the house is air/vent for the fire place. Out the back of the house, bottom of the pictures, is our deck. And out the right side is where all our other vents are, which is pretty crowded. Not to mention the fresh air intakes are over there. So I really don't want to smell the lift station, which other people who had vents out the sides of their houses said they could. If it matters my house already has 2.5 bathrooms. So that is why I am not all that torn up not to have a bathroom down there. Actually kind of ticked at the builder that they half assed it. Apparently I was suppose to know all of this when I asked them to plumb it for a bathroom. Not to mention paid them to do it.

Tedd,
I was concerned about the same thing. The couch shown in there is just one I grabbed from Google's catalog. But for reference, our couch we own is about 94", so that would only leave about 17 inches per side. I am guessing that is why in your one suggestion you moved the AV cabinet to the back corner, so you could walk around with more space.

For the height, where the post are it is about 93", before the ceiling. Then just above that in the picture is the duct work and sewer drain. I could bump it up a little once I get out side of that, maybe another 6" or so. I do have this other nice, sarcastic, air vent that sticks down and raps around the floor joist. But that is still above the 93" height.

The post to the steps is about 2 feet 9 inches, give or take.

Does anyone know the recommended height from the ceiling to the side and rear speakers? I know they say at least 2 feet above your ear. Also, how deep does a AV cabinet need to be?

Thanks,
Topp

Claymca,
I have been using Google Sketchup, the free version. It has been a learning process for me. From work and school I know other solid modeling programs, but Sketchup is different, but some what intuitive.

Tedd,
I am assuming the depth is from the front to the very back. So as is I would have 24". I was figuring I would put some kind of door over the electronics to dim all the lights. Either it be solid or smoked plexy glass. My thought was to keep the electronics in the center, so I would not have to walk the back. Plus would shorten my speaker runs to the front.

How do you guys figure out where to put your subs? In the past I just move them around in the room till they sound the best. But if I want to run wires in the walls for the sub, can't really move them around after that.

I had also thought of moving the theater area to the other side. However, then I have to deal with the large windows. Plus since the poles are in the middle of the basement, I end up with the same width of a room. So can't really think of what I gain by doing it.

Also was debating on instead of have a solid wall, in the jog in the wall, I could make that into some sort of built in cabinet or shelves. But not sure what that would do to the acoustics. Was trying to think of some sliding panels or drapery to cover it, without looking cheap.

Here is an iso view so people can see the windows better and where the ground is. They aren't very clear from the top view.

Tedd,

At one time I was thinking of moving the office to the left side and trying to collapse the right sides jog. However, when I went into the basement and started measuring stuff I noticed it would be to cramped near the furnace. Also, I need to add the location of the electrical and phone/cable/internet panels. Which are just below the furnace. So I think I need to bring the right horizontal wall down and the right vertical wall to the left. Also, need to keep the fresh air intakes in the furnace room.

I do think that having the office to the left would give a more open feel as you come down the stairs. But I think there are some trade offs.

I will try to update the model sometime this week.

Thanks,
Topp