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Friday, November 13, 2009
DIYer Spends 3 Years Researching Theater
Rachel Cericola
11/13 08:35 AM,

4 Comments
It’s easy to get excited about home theater. Go on the AVS Forum. There certainly is a lot to get your creative juices flowing and your mouth salivating. While seeing the big, beautiful, comfortable rooms might get many to jump into a project, Steve Caesare wanted to take his sweet time. “I’m genuinely a do-it-yourselfer type of guy. My dad was that way and I grew up that way,” he says. “I’ve always grown up looking at a project with the thought that if at…
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Friday, October 23, 2009
DIYer Upgrades to His Dream Theater
Arlen Schweiger
10/23 08:00 AM,

4 Comments
As we grow older, we tend to upgrade our cars, our appliances and our homes. And if you’re Morris Saad, you upgrade your home theater. Saad’s years of obsessive audio and video upgrades has led to his dream theater—at least for now. The professional-looking basement includes a 106-inch screen, a 1080p projector, distributed audio, 7.1-channel surround sound, theater chairs and a reclining sofa, a ticket booth and a concession stand. It looks great. It sounds great. But the real shine of Saad’s theater comes from…
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Tuesday, September 08, 2009
DIYer Scores with Golf-Themed Theater
Rachel Cericola
09/08 09:00 AM,
1 Comment
Sometimes it’s hard to watch golf on TV. It’s long, there are tons of commercials, and way too many people shouting, “Get in the hole!” When it comes to watching golf inside David Larkins’ home theater, well ... we are pretty mesmerized. He might not be the best installer or the best golfer (although a 14 handicap doesn’t exactly make him a slouch either), but when he combined the two, David produced quite a unique room. “Golf, movies and music have been hobbies of mine…
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
DIYer Turns Basement into Theater, Kitchenette
Rachel Cericola
08/11 09:27 AM,
3 Comments
Not all basements are perfect. Some have spiderwebs and leaks. Others just have weird shapes. Chris Martino’s basement has an L shape — at least the part that’s usable. Of course, the room with the water heater, furnace and other home necessities may literally be the hot spot, but it’s not where he and his wife Beth want to spend quality time. So the couple took the rest of the underground space and turned it into a home theater, which opens up to a kitchenette…
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Thursday, July 16, 2009
DIYer Takes Classic Theater Across Country
Rachel Cericola
07/16 08:45 AM,
1 Comment
Rob McIntosh loves old-school home theater. He loves it so much that he created his own — not once, but twice. About four years ago, Rob lived in Seattle with his wife, Stefanie. That first home theater included an InFocus projector, a 110-inch Da-Lite screen and a few pieces to give the room the classic feel of the theaters Rob remembered from his youth. Rob loved going to the movies as a kid. Who didn’t? The big difference here is that his Sydney neighborhood gave…
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
DIYer Uses 2 Rooms for Full Theater Experience
Rachel Cericola
07/01 10:00 AM,
0 Comments
Randy Murray thinks of his theater as a “modest” effort. While that may be true when compared to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, we prefer Randy’s cozy, complete theater experience. When we say “complete,” it’s because Randy’s entire basement level is dedicated to making the perfect movie night. Walk into this basement, and you’ll be treated to a pre-show experience—as well as a complimentary box of Junior Mints. “We felt strongly that the movie experience was only part of what we wanted, so…
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
Best Buy Guy Creates Classic Home Theater
Rachel Cericola
06/18 08:40 AM,
2 Comments
This theater room is pretty fly — for a Best Buy guy. Sure, we all have our gripes about past retail experiences. However, Jeff Jergerian is the type of guy we’d want to run into when seeking out electronics. He knows his stuff, and isn’t afraid to test some of that knowledge. About five years ago, he took his work experience to task, and turned out a killer basement theater. Jeff currently works in Best Buy’s customer research and development area. “I actually work on…
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Monday, June 01, 2009
DIYer Creates Relaxed Vibe in Media Room
Krissy Rushing
06/01 07:40 AM,
1 Comment
When Mike McFaul first purchased his home back in 2001, he looked at the 1970s-style basement and instantly thought “home theater.” Mike’s idea of home theater, however isn’t the formal style you find on the pages of many home theater magazines, with theater seats and hidden gear. “I saw a picture of a guy with equipment behind his couch, and used that as an inspiration,” says Mike. “I loved the look of the exposed gear. All those twinkling lights, but I also wanted a family…
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
DIYer Stuffs Tech Toys in the Attic
Rachel Cericola
05/21 07:30 AM,
0 Comments
Not all attics are dusty, musty and full of old magazines and past prom wear. Instead of stuffing all of his memories into that space above, Craig decided that this was the best spot for his home theater. Why? “Because I am crazy?” Craig jokes. However, despite what some may think, this wasn’t the ravings of a mad man. Instead, Craig saw a lot of potential, specifically in the form of 12-foot high ceilings. “I wanted to take advantage of all the space up there;…
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Monday, April 27, 2009
DIYer Ends Tweaks to Ultimate Theater
Rachel Cericola
04/27 07:40 AM,

13 Comments
Boldly go where no man has gone before? While some might consider building a Star Trek-themed theater, Steve Bruzonsky decided to take a different approach. Like many do-it-yourselfers out there, Steve’s goal was to “get the very best surround movies and music possible for the buck, with a great picture to go with it.” However, that took an awful lot of tweaking. It all started in mid-1996, when Steve’s wife Karen suggested that he build a home theater room, so he could get all his…
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Thursday, April 09, 2009
Couple Digs Deep to Put Basement Theater in 1886 Home
Lisa Montgomery
04/09 08:35 AM,
1 Comment
Renovating any home can be a tough job. When a structure has been standing for more than a century, though, infusing modern conveniences into a living space can test the limits of even the most proficient do-it-yourselfers. Doug and Candy Laven can attest to that. As the proud owners of an 1886 Victorian residence, they’ve taken great pains to preserve the historical integrity of every square inch of their 19th-century abode. Even enormous projects like adding a third-floor bedroom were done with deference to the…
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Monday, April 06, 2009
DIYer Gets Fabulous with Fabric
Rachel Cericola
04/06 07:45 AM,
1 Comment
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…
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