DIYer Gets Fabulous with Fabric

Greg Powers added a personal touch by creating his own fabric wall frames.

Greg Powers didn't just build a new structure to seal in the sounds of his theater; he ensconced it in stylish fabric.

Some people will give anything for a home theater. For Greg Powers, that anything included a bit of his property.

Greg didn’t have a basement or other area he could spare, but he did have land. So Greg built a freestanding, dedicated structure behind the pool area. “We live on a half acre,” he says about sacrificing the space. “Besides it was for a home theater—not hard at all to allocate dirt for its construction.”

The foundation was poured in May 2000. After that, the project sat for about three years. The building alone cost about $40,000, but Greg wasn’t just saving and scheming; he had a life, which included two daughters’ weddings. Both of those costs could be part of why he didn’t jump right into the next step or maybe even hire a home theater designer. Instead, he planned out his own project and put some of his savings back into the theater. “I could get 80 percent of what I wanted by learning as much as I could and copying what others did,” Greg says. “The AVS Forum was a big part of the education process.” Shortly after the New Year in 2004, new plans were drawn, permits were issued, and the plan was back on track.

The changes included another five feet to the foundation and four feet to the entryway, which was moved towards the pool area. “The backyard is two levels. The first plan was to enter the theater from the level lower then the pool,” Greg says. “The changes moved the entry up to the same level as the pool.” It also provided easy access to the office, which Greg added with leftover funds. That office area was completed about one year after the theater.

However, it wasn’t just the project’s length or new construction that makes Greg’s theater unique, but the addition of fabric wall frames. Greg didn’t like the current method of applying GOM fabric, and track manufacturers just weren’t serving the DIY crowds at the time. He could have gone for acoustic panels, but that would have pumped up the price.

Then, during a trip to Disney’s California Adventure Park, he had an epiphany during the film Golden Dreams. “I always liked the look of the wall in that theater,” he says. “But never knew how they were made or how they created the look. This time I waited for the audience to leave, and I checked out the wall. Seeing it up close, I thought to myself, ‘I can do that!’”

So that trip gave birth to his new solution. Now all he had to do was build the panels. Fabric was expensive, and Greg’s woodworking skills were “limited.” To make things slightly easier and less expensive, he decided to make all of the frames close to the same size. “At one time I was researching the possibility of just cutting the 45-degree edge into the compressed fiberglass panel and sealing it with fiberglass resin,” he says. “I didn’t think I would get the results I wanted using this process, so I chose to use wood frames.”

The end result is a true work of craftsmanship. “This theater was one of the first to move away from running fabric lengthwise across the upper and lower half of the wall,” he says. “Then finishing the top middle and base with molding to hide the seams and staples.” This technique gave the room the simple, clean, classic look that is still standing today.

Currently, there are over 70 frames total—which Greg says is still one of his most frequently asked questions. Although it looks professional, the install certainly had its problems. Aside from measuring out the frames, Greg says getting all of the corners to meet was a real challenge. “Each frame needs to be the correct dimensions with square corners so the corners meet,” he says. “I was not sure my woodworking skills were up to that precision. There is one screw up, but I’m not telling where the corners are off a little.”

Not that anyone would notice. That’s not the only hidden item in the room. Speakers, which includes two Polk PSW505 subwoofers, are scattered; even the equipment closet is covert. In case you’re looking, it’s towards the front of the theater, to the left—hidden by four fabric frames, of course.

However, not every piece of Greg’s theater is shielded by fabric frames. He has plenty of the tech tied into other areas of his home, via both X10 and JDS Stargate. There’s also a Windows Media Center Server, with extenders in the home and the theater, as well as AirPort Express equipment for a music network that extends throughout the house, the theater, and into the pool area.

Of course, the main focus is the theater, and it’s no wonder. Before the room was completed, Greg was content watching The Enterprise fly across an 8-foot bed sheet. Now he can rock an entire room without disturbing the rest of the neighborhood.

Click here to view photos of Greg’s theater.

Quick Hits
Location: Southern California
Year Completed: 2004
Room Size: 15 x 20 feet
Length of Project: 4 years (on and off)
Total Cost: $63,600

Animated Systems Light Show Lighting Control
Apple iTough Remote
Berkline 088 Leather Loungers (8)
Chatsworth 19-inch Rack
Cinemar Main Lobby Software
Dell Dimension
HP Pavillion Desktop Remote Control Softer & Web Server
LG BH100 Super Blue DVD Player
Linksys DMA2100 Media Center Extender
MonoPrice 8 X 1 HDMI Autoscan Switcher
NEC 9PG Plus CRT Projector
NEC ISS 6010 RGB Video Switcher w/Moone HDMI (2)
Nirvis Slink-e 3.0 IR Control & Distribution
Polk Audio PSW505 Subwoofers (2)
Polk Audio LSi9 Front Speakers
Polk Audio LSiC Center Speaker
Polk Audio LSiFX Surround Speakers
Power Control Systems Ambient Lighting Control
Samsung DTBH-260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver
Sony DVP-NS975V DVD Player
Sony SAT HD100 HD Satellite Receiver
Sony STR-DA777ES 5.1 Sound Processor
Sony SVR 2000 Digital Video Recorder
Stewart Filmscreen 110-inch Luxus Deluxe Screenwall Ultramate 150
ViewSonic Airpanel Remote Control w/Docking Station