HTIP - Home Theater In Progress
- Thread starter Towen7
- Start date
Thanks so much!
After spending a little time at Batman's and yromj's places, I realized that as amazing those rooms are to watch a movie that they were great spaces to gather. Having a hang-out space is exactly what I was trying to do and I want to balance that with a better than average AV experience. I think I got pretty close to my objective. One thing that would make my little space a little more "usable" would be for it to be closer to the main living spaces (den, kitchen) of the house.
After spending a little time at Batman's and yromj's places, I realized that as amazing those rooms are to watch a movie that they were great spaces to gather. Having a hang-out space is exactly what I was trying to do and I want to balance that with a better than average AV experience. I think I got pretty close to my objective. One thing that would make my little space a little more "usable" would be for it to be closer to the main living spaces (den, kitchen) of the house.
I actually prefer the isolation I've accomplished by having my entire basement set up the way it is. I wanted to feel like I've "escaped" when I'm down there and that's exactly how I feel every time I make it to the bottom of my stairwell...
In my case I don't have the extra basement space. What I like about yours is the ability to be away from the house but still have that gathering space just outside the HT doors. You've got that bar and a couple of other seating areas... In my case, when you're in the HT you are far from anything else.
Towen those pics are friggin awesome, you did a straight up A+ job. Big congrats. One issue though with the pics on the previous page. I notice you have big straps holding down your surround speakers. Have you considered flat bungee cords. They come in various lengths and when you go around the speaker and connect the two hooks under the base plate, they won't damage the speaker (like the plastic adjusting straps on yours that can gouge the side of the speakers. Anyway. Here is what I did on my surround speakers to keep them attached to my plant stand and they are very tight, nothing is knocking those off the bottom plate and because the bungee strap is small. flat and very very soft, it hasnt made one single mark on the top of my piano gloss finish on the top of my speakers. Home Depot sells them very very cheap and they work great and are not so "intrusive"
Pics of my DefTech monitor 450 using flat bungee straps.
Pics of my DefTech monitor 450 using flat bungee straps.
I'm hoping to host a GTG in the fall/winter but I don't want to start making plans until after July.
Since "fininshing" the room I've started a new job which has pretty-much taken up all of my spare time so I haven't had an opportunity to anything else to the room. I had to run some new network wiring to the switch which happens to be in the HT rack, but that doesn't really count. The next project will be to add some accoustic treatments. I've got a few other ideas but they are way off on the horizon from a time and budget perspective.
Since "fininshing" the room I've started a new job which has pretty-much taken up all of my spare time so I haven't had an opportunity to anything else to the room. I had to run some new network wiring to the switch which happens to be in the HT rack, but that doesn't really count. The next project will be to add some accoustic treatments. I've got a few other ideas but they are way off on the horizon from a time and budget perspective.
I built the table because I thought I'd lake to use the space for more than just movies. However I've come to the conclusion that bar stools just weren't comfortable enough to want to watch a movie on. They're fine for a while while eating/chatting but the primary use of the space is a theater and a theater should sit more than four people comfortably. To that end I decided to ditch the table/stools in favor of a 10" riser for a second row of seats.
I don't have the space or budget for a second row of reclining seats. Instead I'll use these Ikea chairs which match the look of the room. They sit rather close to the floor so I'm building the back of the platform with an additional 2" of lift.
I don't have the space or budget for a second row of reclining seats. Instead I'll use these Ikea chairs which match the look of the room. They sit rather close to the floor so I'm building the back of the platform with an additional 2" of lift.
Zing said:
LMAO!!
Looks great Towen. I envy your carpentry skills. Can you tell me more about those Ikea chairs? Are they a good inexpensive option for back row seating? I have the space in mine for another row, so it has me thinking.
Since my speakers are gone, maybe I should just go ahead and do a complete revamp of mine. :think:
Those screens shots also look great! Thanks for posting them.
I'm traveling to Dallas for a week so I won't be able to post anymore pics until next weekend.
The room is 17' wide by 19' deep. The base cabinets at the back of the room cut about 18 off of that. The platform is 48" deep which is a tad deeper then it needs to be, but I still have enough room to open the cabinet doors fully, extend the rack, and work at the rack comfortably.
The riser is constructed of 2x10s and 3" screws. Any higher and people on the top would have to duck under the pj. Any lower and the heads in the front row get in the way. For no good reason I stuffed fiberglass insulation into the spaces between the joists. The top and sides are 3/4" plywood. The ply on the sides and back is 1 1/2" higher than the deck to stop the chairs from sliding off. The whole thing will be carpeted to match the existing carpet in the room. I thought about adding a stair-light on each side but decided against it for now. Mostly because I don't want to mess with powering/switching it. I might add a rope-light across the little riser fo the chairs... We'll see. The Ikea chairs are comfy enough but I realized that I wanted the chairs just a little higher after I got the platform built. To do that I cut plywood into 4" wide strips, and glued/ screwed two together to make what I'm calling sub-joists. Three of those are glued/screwed to the deck and topped off with a 24" deep layer of plywood.
If my math is right I should be able to fit 4 chars and a couple of side tables up there.
About the chairs... They are $20 cheaper then Batman said, at least at the Ikea in Houston. The frames were $69 and the leather cushions were $79. I wanted the cloth covers that are significantly less but the wife talked me into the leather. Im glad she did because they really go well with the front recliners. I bought just one to use to make sure the riser was sized right. I'll pickup the others in the coming weeks. These will work great in the theater but also in other rooms in the house when needed.
The room is 17' wide by 19' deep. The base cabinets at the back of the room cut about 18 off of that. The platform is 48" deep which is a tad deeper then it needs to be, but I still have enough room to open the cabinet doors fully, extend the rack, and work at the rack comfortably.
The riser is constructed of 2x10s and 3" screws. Any higher and people on the top would have to duck under the pj. Any lower and the heads in the front row get in the way. For no good reason I stuffed fiberglass insulation into the spaces between the joists. The top and sides are 3/4" plywood. The ply on the sides and back is 1 1/2" higher than the deck to stop the chairs from sliding off. The whole thing will be carpeted to match the existing carpet in the room. I thought about adding a stair-light on each side but decided against it for now. Mostly because I don't want to mess with powering/switching it. I might add a rope-light across the little riser fo the chairs... We'll see. The Ikea chairs are comfy enough but I realized that I wanted the chairs just a little higher after I got the platform built. To do that I cut plywood into 4" wide strips, and glued/ screwed two together to make what I'm calling sub-joists. Three of those are glued/screwed to the deck and topped off with a 24" deep layer of plywood.
If my math is right I should be able to fit 4 chars and a couple of side tables up there.
About the chairs... They are $20 cheaper then Batman said, at least at the Ikea in Houston. The frames were $69 and the leather cushions were $79. I wanted the cloth covers that are significantly less but the wife talked me into the leather. Im glad she did because they really go well with the front recliners. I bought just one to use to make sure the riser was sized right. I'll pickup the others in the coming weeks. These will work great in the theater but also in other rooms in the house when needed.
D
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I use three IKEA Poangs (black leather) and footstools in my main HT. I normally just keep one in place dead centre, and the other two off to the sides, but I can easily move them about as need be.
ps. Remember to re-tighten the screws every so often. They work themselves loose with use.
ps. Remember to re-tighten the screws every so often. They work themselves loose with use.