Feels like starting over... (1 Viewer)

[Dave Poehlman]

Well, I just wanted to share my excitement... here's a pic of my probable new HT digs:



It's hard to tell in the realtor's picture, but the bulk of the space where an HT would go is probably about 24' X 20'. And, obviously it's a walk-out.

However it's a new construction and a HT is down a few notches on the things-to-do list (like putting in some grass and a driveway... I may have to resort to male prostitution to finance all this stuff). :rolleyes

Anyway, does anyone have any pics of how they outfitted their walk-out basement with an HT? Sure could use the inspiration while I'm up to my knees in topsoil and grass seed.

 

[Robert Willis]

Looks like a nice space. My dedicated basement theater is going into a walk-out basement. However, I do not have much to share, since I have just begun. You can see pictures of my space in my link. I plan on building some type of hinged frame that can swing closed to cover the windows, yet be opened if needed. Good luck!

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Thanks for the pics Robert. I'm definitely interested in seeing how your's progresses.

Here is a "guestimate" of the space (based off of the first floor floor plan):



The large space on the left is probably about 24' X 20'. That black dot represents a support pole which is probably about 12'-14' from the left wall.

I was thinking of putting the HT to the left of that pole and have the screen on the bottom wall.

I'm considering a buffet-style wet bar in the upper left corner since there is a drain pipe right there.

I'm trying to decide how to incorporate that pole. I might go with a counter-style bar running horizontally from the left terminating at that pole. That way people could sit at the counter and still see the screen. Or, I might go with a wall running vertically from the bottom of the picture encapsulating the pole entirely.

I realize the area to the right of the stairs just screams HT dimensions, but that's where the utilities are (furnace, water heater, sump pump). The small room represents a planned bathroom.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

I'm just thinking out loud here and figured I'd post my ideas as they come...

I've been thinking about that pole.. and looking at Ron Hanson's amazing Pinebrook Cinema which has a similar layout to what I'd be shooting for (even the bar area is similar to what I've been doodling). I really like the pillars in his theater and thought "why not incorporate the pole in the design?" Then I drew this:



I could just replicate the pole to blend it in with the architecture.

 

[Chris Hovanic]

Nice idea Dave. The great thing with that design is you can push your inside wall out a bit which would make the room feel that much bigger.

Might want to check the diameter of the pole to make sure it would be the correct diameter. IMHO the size of the pole would make a huge difference in the room... too small and it would look out of place in a room as grand as your HT will be. You could wrap the pole in a faux pillar (either square or round)

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Good point about the pole diameter. I think they're generally only about 4". That's pretty thin for a column. So, I may need to wrap it.

I'll see if I can render something in 3D to see if I can get a feel for how it will look.

I still have to float this plan past the wife, however.

 

[MikeWh]

heh heh... while reading down the thread, the first thing that came to mind was encapsulating the pole in a rectangular wall pillar. They seem to be increasingly popular in higher-end HT designs. You can hide side speakers in some of them... I've got my components "semi-hidden" in one and am designing a DVD storage unit for another one....

BTW-- I encapsulated a furnace vent pipe in a faux plaster column that I made from scratch. I searched and searched for alternative "pre-made" columns, but I figured I'd have to purchase a custom one, which would have been too expensive... so I made it myself.

For your purposes, if you wanted to go with round columns, you can get wooden or polymer columns at Home Depot/Lowes that are used for front porches. Saw one down the middle length-wise, and you've got two nice-sized half-columns that could be placed up against the wall or against a wall pillar even, to increase floorspace further.

 

[Jason D.]

I am also beginning my HT in my basement, and saw someone post a link to www.polewrap.com which seems to be a very cool product....and inexpensive (in case you have not begun to price columns). Check that site out for an alternative for covering your poles.

-Jason

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Thanks for the tip. I was considering just using PVC pipe and spraying it with that concrete textured spraypaint (that's what I've used on my current pole and it turned out nice)... or maybe even doing a faux marble finish on it. Hmmmm....

The Mrs. sort of shot down the idea at the moment.. she is looking for something a little less "dedicated" as far as a media room goes. But, I'll work on her a bit more. I'm not sure she fully understands that a FPTV can be used for regular TV also.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Here is a crude rendering of one of my ideas. A counter style bar would be located behind the couch sort of allowing a second row of viewers. The pole is in line with the end of the counter. So, it's not in anyone's way.



This layout has the most WAF at the moment. Although she's not sold on the bar/counter thingy.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Well, since I am having fun posting in my own thread... here are a couple renderings of what I want:

view from rear of theater

view from front

The middle pole in the second picture would actually be my support pole. It's hard to see, but there is a doorway in the right-rear of the theater that would lead to the bar area and the walk-out to the yard. The doorway directly in back loosely represents the entrance to the stairway.

The resulting dimensions would be roughly 20' X 13' X 8'.