Recently Filed in Rec/Play Room

There are game rooms, and then there are some wild game rooms. The showcase room in this home is another story: It’s dedicated to wild game. The owner of this 12,000-square-foot Dallas home has been going on safari trips to Africa more than once a year for nearly a decade, and when he had his sprawling residence constructed, he wanted to highlight a trophy room. It was also the impetus for bringing an electronic systems installation company on board, since the owner needed proper humidity… View this story
Climate Control Systems • Rec/Play Room • Home of the Year Awards 2008 • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Homeowners Gary and Gina De Caster don’t let the blustery conditions of a harsh Wisconsin winter get them down. They just escape to their own private oasis complete with a heated swimming pool, tanning salon, sauna and fully equipped kitchen for a bit of warm-weather relaxation. Attached to the master bedroom and great room, the 4,000-square-foot structure was a welcome addition to the house, doubling its size to 8,000 square feet. “The owners can have a pile of people over in the middle of January… View this story
Surveillance • Pool and Spa • Rec/Play Room • Home of the Year Awards 2008 • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

When your entire house stands as a work of art, you don’t want electronics cluttering the view—even if it’s a sleek-looking 65-inch plasma screen. For these London, Ontario, homeowners, the massive fireplace concealing that plasma TV receives as many oohs and ahs as the big screen itself. And that’s just one of many eye-bulging views in this ultramodern home. Certain building restrictions in the area were lifted when the neighborhood developer moved out of town a couple of years ago, relates Rick Ho of electronics… View this story
Plasma • Shades and Blinds • Bedroom • Living Room • Media Room • Rec/Play Room • Home of the Year Awards 2008 • Home Theater • Multiroom AV • Cool Homes • Slideshows

What do you do if you’re an ex-college football player who loves watching several games at the same time—and has a high school gridiron-playing son who likes the same? Short of building a sports book like one in a casino, maybe you could go with multiple screens. That’s exactly what the owners of this home theater/bar area/billiards room/card-playing area did with their large walkout basement space. A Stewart Filmscreen screen in the main theater area receives images from a Runco CL-810 single-chip DLP projector and… View this story
Rec/Play Room • Home of the Year Awards 2008 • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Q. Any pointers for incorporating elements like a bar or pool table area, into a home theater space? - Jon, Wayland, MA A. Bars are cool if you have the space but pool tables? I’ll come back to that. I have designed quite a few bars and snack counters in the same room as a home theater. It’s not a bad idea. You know where there are movies, there will be popcorn and cold drinks and I know these areas will only complement the whole… View this story
Rec/Play Room • Home Theater • Enhancements • Ask a Pro

Q. We have 4 kids, ages 4-12, and would like to build a small home theater just for them (and friends). Any advice? - Kelly, Dallas, TX A. Yes, keep it fun and simple, colorful and comfortable. We have two cinemas in our home. One for the kids—ages 2, 6 and 17—and one for the grown-ups. Try to utilize your remote’s “macro” abilities. With most learning, touchscreen remotes one can do almost anything. We have programmed some really great kids’ theaters to operate with just… View this story
Rec/Play Room • Home Theater • Ask a Pro

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… View this story
Rec/Play Room • Home Theater • Cool Homes

Some guys buy sports cars when they turn 40. Others get depressed. Mark Eagle celebrated his big 4-0 with a basement bash for some friends - after he installed his own recreation room entertainment system. “I like projects, and I’m a real technonut,” the homeowner says. “It’s something that I thought I could do myself, and my wife let me run with it. It was fun to lay out the room.” The Eagles’ basement room was already finished and included a pool table, but besides… View this story
Plasma • Basement • Rec/Play Room • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Do you love your dedicated home theater but aspire to bring entertainment options to other rooms in your home? It is possible. Here are some stylish, high-tech spaces that will motivate you to come up with ideas for your own home. Just keep an eye on that budget. Curling Up in the Living Room - View slideshow You don’t need a dedicated room with formal rows of seats to have a home theater. Any family room will do. And for some, the more casual the… View this story
Bathroom • Deck and Patio • Kitchen • Living Room • Rec/Play Room • Home Theater • Multiroom AV • Cool Homes • Slideshows

There were many things about Ben Abrams’ basement that would have sent most home electronics installers running for the hills. The 396-square-foot space had flooded and was being used as a workshop. But Dave Hunt of Intuitive Integration in Lynnwood, WA, embraced the challenge. “The homeowner had big ideas,” he says. “He wanted to incorporate a guest bedroom, a high-end theater, a library, and a recreation area, all into a relatively small space.” To economize the square footage, a cabinet was custom designed to house… View this story
Video Screen • Basement • Library • Rec/Play Room • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

For this Calbasas, CA, homeowner, constructing a great home theater next to a game room whose highlight is a regulation poker table was simply in the cards. “He has an adjacent poker room so he could earn back all the money that the theater cost him,” jokes Murray Kunis, who owns electronics system installer Future Home of Los Angeles. “He’s an excellent poker player—he’s slowly made up about $5,000, $10,000 a night.” While the card playing might be a gamble on some nights, receiving a… View this story
Displays • Video Projectors • Video Screen • Home Control • Home Control Systems • Touchpanels and Keypads • Location • Rec/Play Room • Speakers • Speaker Systems • Surround Sound • Special Features • Home of the Year Awards 2007 • Home Theater • Cool Homes

Where no man has gone before? Hardly. Gary Reighn had the skills to create his own “Star Trek”-themed home theater. Tony Alleyne transformed his entire apartment to look exactly like “Voyager.” How could anyone top the Trekkie-themed areas we’ve already seen? Well, Gary Sekulow found a way to add his own “Trek” twist. Instead of creating a killer replica of his favorite era of the long running sci-fi show, Sekulow relied on real props to make theater magic. Back in 2006, Sekulow purchased two original… View this story
Displays • Equipment Racks • Home Theater Accessories • Seating • Touchpanels and Keypads • Media Room • Rec/Play Room • Installers • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes