Recently Filed in Themed Theaters

Punkass is how Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fans know him. He’s also known as Dan Caldwell, co-founder and CEO of TapouT, a company embedded in the MMA industry. The fighter/executive set out to have an elaborate theater built at TapouT’s Grand Terrace, Calif., headquarters and enlisted San Bernardino, Calif.-based Audio Video Evolution (AVE) to install the electronics. (Click here to view additional photos.) Why does a corporation need an elaborate theater? Well, TapouT — which says it manufactures a “countercultural” clothing line and produces a… View this story
Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes

Paul Snyder didn’t just create a home theater in his spare bedroom. He turned it into a production. This artist/DIYer wanted the goodies that come with having a theater room, but certainly didn’t sacrifice any of the details. “As a visual artist, I usually have a detailed vision in my mind before I dive into any project,” says Paul. “This one was no exception.” With that frame of mind, Paul set out to create an “over-the-top theater” with rich fabrics, carved moldings, and tons of… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes

Custom homebuilder Taradar Fine Homes in Calgary, Alberta, has built its fair share of high-end home theaters. But the real trend, says owner Todd Jensen, is “feature rooms”—spaces created for specific functions and catering to homeowners’ hobbies. “We might build a fancy garage to showcase a car collection or an enclosed atrium for a swimming pool,” he says. For a feature room of his own, Jensen looked to two of his favorite sports. “I’ve always wanted to have a room where I could showcase my… View this story
Sports • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes

A home theater can be a great escape, but how about escaping all the way to the planet Lantea, the fictional home of the TV series Stargate Atlantis? Jacob Yarmuth’s very cool theater in Louisville, Ky., has the Stargate — or at least a replica of the one used in the Stargate TV series and movie to commute across the universe. It surrounds a 10-foot diagonal circular screen that shows a 96-inch diagonal image. The circle within the Stargate can also light up blue, mimicking… View this story
Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Home theater designer Donny Hackett has always wanted to visit Paris but had never gone. So he decided to bring Paris here. More specifically, to Tennessee and the attic of Jason Crist’s suburban Nashville home. A walk upstairs brings Crist to the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame cathedral—and a screen that could take up a wall in the Louvre. All of the attractions, including the whopping 154-inch screen, were custom built by Hackett, whose previous themed theaters have included nods to… View this story
Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

The homeowners of this theater recently got married in the tropics and wanted to recreate the experience every time they set foot in their media room. “They enjoyed the Polynesian decorations and styles they experienced on their honeymoon, and asked us to deliver a theater in this theme,” says Robert Kowalski of Berwyn, Ill.-based Automated Lifestyles. “Our challenge was to deliver a room that felt comfortable, with class and without getting too gaudy with Tiki treatments.” Tiki torches may not have made it to the… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Themed Theaters • Cool Homes

It looks like a temple from an Indiana Jones movie. Inside the man-made cave in Tom and Joleen Comstock’s back yard are Mayan artifacts, an altar and throne, a treasure chest that puffs out hot air, secret passageways and crystals embedded in the walls made of combination of Styrofoam, concrete rebar. But there’s more than meets the eye in this subterranean space. Hidden among the trinkets is an entire home theater system. Indiana Jones never gets his prize without battling a few obstacles first, so… View this story
Exterior • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Forget being acoustically treated—this home theater was artistically treated. One step into the basement of this suburban New York residence, and you’ll feel like you’re in the heart of a hip-hopping nightclub. Its owner is a part-time disc jockey who wanted an entertainment space that could serve as a mini-disco, but that would also include a powerhouse home theater. “A friend of [the homeowner] did the painting and it’s just so unique. It jumps right at you when you get in there, and you’re not… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Themed Theaters • Cool Homes • Slideshows

What’s not to love about an Irish pub? Free-flowing music, beer and conversation serve up hours of entertainment. These Pennsylvania homeowners were inspired to renovate a lower-level media room using their large collection of Irish walking sticks as a springboard for an Irish pub theme. But there’s much more fun on tap: There’s a full-fledged home theater, three other high-def TVs, a poker table, a billiards table and a well-stocked wine room. The multifaceted lower level can accommodate plenty of patrons. “You can put five… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Themed Theaters • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Having a special area to watch movies was important to the owner of this entertainment space, but so was a spot to store his collection of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Not willing to compromise on either interest, he split his unfinished 40-by-25-foot basement in half, dedicating each portion to two totally different passions. The homeowner had a clear vision of how each space should function. The entertainment section, for example, would be designed with a bar, poker playing niche and a general sitting area. The designers at… View this story
Basement • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

That terminator is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. That’s fine and dandy for the Terminator, but for Darren Mortensen, that mantra made for the perfect home theater—as well as the opportunity for a career change. When Mortensen first thought about creating his own home theater, he wasn’t working as a Christmas elf; he was a respiratory therapist, specializing in acute cardio-pulmonary support and trauma. A noble profession is no match… View this story
AV Components • Movies and Music • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Marc McManus has always had a technological bent. His father owned a RadioShack when he was a child, giving him a natural affinity for gizmos and gadgets. “We were the first to own a Beta Max player and later, a first-generation satellite dish,” he says. “My dad bred me to be a gadget freak from early on.” Indeed, Marc’s day job is a mechanical engineer, which proved handy when he was ready to design and build his own basement home theater.  Marc and his wife,… View this story
Basement • DIY Home Theaters • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows