I am in the final stages of designing my home theater with an architect (as part of a new home). I had some design ideas but would like opinions. I posted my ideas on a website:

www.greatad.com/htProject.htm

Please let me know which if any combination of front and side wall views look best. Or your ideas please.

PS. the room layout shows a small equiptment room behind the back wall of the theater, we intend to hide the projector behind that wall and shoot through.

[Glenise]

I like this because it only has one color.

http://www.greatad.com/Theater1_SideWall.JPG

I like this.

http://www.greatad.com/Theater1_FntScn.JPG

[Kevin*Ha]

Looks like a nice setup

Personally I like simplicity so I would go with front #6 and side #1, and match the colors. I really like the deep red you have on front #6.

Let us know what you decide on!

thanks to both for the input. I am leaning toward front 1 but unsure as to side. Fortunately those decisions don't need to be made right now.

Added one more front and one more side. A bit classier I think.

[Tim Bargar]

The actual theater portion of you HT looks to be square, correct? If so, that will set up some potentially bad acoustic problems. If possible, see if you can extend the theater all the way to the back wall such that the theater is 15'x 24'. I can't remember the exact ratios for what is considered ideal, but I know that square is not good for acoustics.

Tim, I think the actual theater measures 18' 8" by 15' and I expect to use approx. 8 sound panels (about 5'x 5') around the room. I hope this will provide the necessary acoustical correction. But I know what you mean, and I would like to use the entire room except I don't want to see the projector or equiptment at all. That stuff is going in the small area behind the theater. Also, I made a small bar before the entrance to the theater, I would have to lose that too to use the entire space.

[Erik Farstad]

Charles, looking nice. What design program are you using?

Just Paint. Comes standard with ms windows computers. Takes a bit of getting used to but if you can think up a design you can draw it in Paint. The pictures of screen shots and fabric materials are jpgs you can paste into the drawings.

[Erik Farstad]

You're a pretty good painter then!

[Tim Bargar]

The panels will work fine for 400Hz+ frequencies. The difficulty comes in dealing with the low midrange, subwoofer frequencies.

I am going to work with a company called audio-one in Miami to install the electronics and audio. They are experts at this so I think I will let them get the acoustics right.

[Tim Bargar]

Ask them if they have anybody certified in acoustic calibration.

I just learned I can't post URLs until I have at least 15 posts. So, I'll just tell you about the home acoustics alliance. This is from their website, "The HAA is a professional training organization dedicated toward home acoustics. Its purpose is to promote the correct and most effective use of acoustical design and calibration techniques specifically for the home."

Their website is acousticsalliance.com. Depending on how far you want to go with the room's acoustics, that is the group to deal with.