This bonus room functioned admirably for many years as a child’s playroom. Stuffed with games, toys and a 24-inch analog TV, it had everything a kid could want. But that was then. Now that the owners’ kids are 9 and 13, the family craves a space that’s more grown up.

Illuminations Lighting Design of Houston, TX, had just the thing. The home systems design and installation company would convert the outdated 20-by-24-foot room into an age-appropriate home theater and gaming mecca. The bookcase was reconfigured slightly to make room for an 84-inch-wide Stewart Filmscreen screen, three Vienna Acoustics Grand Series Haydn bookshelf speakers (the two rear surround speakers were placed on stands near the back of the room), and two REL R-Series subwoofers. Also tucked inside were a high-def cable box, Marantz 5.1 surround-sound receiver and DVD player, Sony VCR, APC H-Series power conditioner with surge suppression and battery backup, and PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles.

A specially programmed Universal Remote Control MX350 handheld controller lets the family switch between movies and games with the touch of one button. No matter what the family chooses to watch, the ceiling-mounted Runco CL-420 video projector is up for the challenge. During daytime viewing, the machine receives a helping hand from motorized blackout shades that lower over the windows on command from the MX350. 

The $25,000 redo has breathed new life into the space, giving the family a fun and functional entertainment room.