[donnyp05]

I posted in the dedicated theater forum first. Figured i might have better luck here. Not much activity on that thread.

We just moved into a new house about a month ago. Its just a starter home, so its nothing big. I was planning on putting all my A/V equipment upstairs in the spare bedroom, then my wife found out she was pregnant again. So now I need to do something with the basement.


The basement is small, with shorter ceilings, so I don't know if my options are limited. I just need a room where I can set up my plasma tv and speakers for now. I might in the future plan to do a full projector install with screen. I might wait to go full out in our next home, as we only plan to stay here about 5 years or so.


I'm very new to building and designing home theaters, but I have read tons of info on it. I just don't even know where to begin. Basement is a full blank canvas right now. Any help or suggestions would be awesome. I've attached a sketch up drawing of my basement and tried using dimensions. This is my first time ever using sketch up so it's not the best I don't think. The room in the back corner is a bathroom that was there when we bought the house. It's no in the best shape, so I can demo or redo layout of it if needed.




I've listed two sets of measurement for the outside foundation walls. My father in law reinforced the basement walls and added drain tile. He used steel I beams to straighten out brick foundation on house. So I would need to use 2 x 6's to hide them behind the wall, that is why measurements are 5 1/2" shorter all around. I would also use insulation sheets between each I beam before sealing up. Not sure what else I would need.



I can also take actual pictures of basement if that will help as well. I can give other dimensions if needed. I'm not sure what other information I'm missing or that is needed. If theirs anything, let me know. Thanks for all the help

 

[donnyp05]

Here is a few ideas I thought of. Still stuck on deciding best way to incorporate the bathroom into it.


I've been experimenting some more with Sketch Up. I added some walls to my layout. I also added some room color and floors. I did one with poles showing, and one with the poles covered up, and converted into a half wall for a bar or lounge area.


I still am undecided on best layout and how to incorporate the bathroom the best. This layout shows me making the bathroom a bit larger and closing off the the appliances down there into a utility room. I also turned under the stairs into a media cabinet area and had it be accessible.


Any thoughts on this? I'm still going to make more adjustments and play around a bit and add furniture and some other items before attempting this build. Would you lay this out different? Turn half-wall I built and make that into a hallway somehow, that would lead from lounge/bar area to the bathroom?


Following are different views of layout to give a feel for how it would look








This is the layout if I hid pole and made it a half-wall

 

[lzrdkng14]

One quick observation, I'd keep it as an open staircase on one side.