Recently Filed in DIY Home Theaters

To some people, the thought of building a home theater from scratch is enough to send them running to their local A/V store for help. Others may not mind doing the construction, but can’t handle the technical side of things. It is the rare bird who is ready, willing, and able to deal with the technical installation as well as the construction, and do it with as much zeal as homeowner David Adey of Newfoundland. “I don’t mind tackling construction like this. I have always… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

A little bit of sawdust, a cowhide rug and a mechanical bull go a long way toward infusing a Texas theme in a space, but not in this refined home theater, dubbed the Lone Star Theater by owner Terry Williams. “We are Dallas natives, but we didn’t want this to look like ‘Billy Bob’s’ Texas. It’s not a country and western feel, it’s more like a tribute to the small theaters you would find in old Texas towns like Waxahachie or Hillsboro,” says Terry. With… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes

Many of us long for the days of the classic drive-in, with the smell of popcorn wafting through the fresh air, and the crackle of the speakers perched on car windows as far as the eye could see. Of course, all of those things are wonderful, but it wasn’t the nostalgia that first got Kevin Van to build his outdoor theater. Aside from the inspiration he received on BackyardTheater.com, he didn’t have to look further than his own house. “When I bought my first projector… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

When Jeff bought his 1921 Georgian colonial nine years back, it needed a bit of a makeover. When we say “a bit,” the home was basically gutted. However, the end result included a new master suite, a guest suite, an exercise room, and more. Change is good; more room is even better. The upgrade doubled the size of the house, taking it from 3,000 to 6,000 square feet.  Of course, this addition included the perfect spot for a home theater. Instead of burying his new… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Ashok Kumar has always been an audio-video hobbyist. That, combined with a day job in Austin’s high-tech industry, are fodder for a DIY theater that implements both favorite pastime and career. “I watched a lot of movies as a kid. Then, I started watching them on my PC,” says Ashok. “I later became entranced by the glamour of the big screen.” He was never able to infuse his home with that glamour, however, until October 2006 when he purchased a home that had an extra… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

That headline is not a typo. Ed Sweeting built a full-fledged theater in his backyard for under $260. While it may not boast a huge stack of expensive, state-of-the-art equipment, it definitely makes us want to bond with Mother Nature a little more. One day while listening to Opie & Anthony on XM Satellite Radio, Ed heard talk show host Anthony Cumia talking about growing up and how his neighbor used to show movies on a sheet in the backyard. This planted a seed for… View this story
Video Projectors • Video Screen • DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Good theater doesn’t require a massive bankroll. Just ask Marc Wiener. He created his basement home theater for a mere $5,000.  That’s just for the electronics and new furnishings for his basement. “The construction pretty much only cost me the materials, plumbing, and painting, as my father-in-law is an amazing carpenter and did all the work,” Marc says. “I can’t thank him enough!” However, this basement is what Marc calls “multifunctional.” It’s not just a theater; it’s for sitting, for socializing, and even doubles as… View this story
Basement • DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

When it comes to one’s love of entertainment, home theater looks good in any language. Norweigian resident Bjorn Kristensen has shown us that there are true A/V enthusiasts all around the world—and we’d be willing to cross continents for a glimpse of his handy work.  Before this breathtaking room was born, Bjorn had a 42-inch plasma in his living room, which was complemented with surround-sound equipment. However, he couldn’t stop there. “I spent a lot of time planning,” Bjorn says. “Then we decided to make… View this story
Garage • DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes

The first films Jeremy Hummer saw as a child had a huge impact on what he wanted to do with his life. He was obsessed with the idea that multiple images captured on a strip of film could reproduce moving images. In the 1980s he began collecting 8mm and 16mm films and converted his bedroom into a theater, complete with actual film projectors, a screen, and a multi-speaker sound system.  But film isn’t a cheap or low-maintenance date. The high cost of buying film prints… View this story
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When Tony and Penny Caciolo decided to add A/V into their Coopersburg, PA, home, they didn’t just want to get into the action; they wanted to be transported to a different place.  One of Tony’s favorite places is Italy, which is where the couple spent their honeymoon and Tony frequents on business. So instead of spending more time on the other side of the world, he brought that little corner of his life into their home.  “We love Italy,” Tony says. “We traveled around Europe… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Themed Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Adam Feldman is a doctor by trade, but what his patients don’t know is that he moonlights as an A/V hobbyist, having orchestrated a high-tech DIY theater in his basement over the course of six months. He started out like so many DIYers do: as a teenager interested in music. “I got my first speaker system in college,” says Adam. “They were so big, they took up the entire room.” Over the years, he moved from place to place, but his love for music and… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Most home theater owners have friends surrounding them, wanting to experience a night of home entertainment. Tom Hetzel, on the other hand, has his friends surrounding him—literally. This do-it-yourselfer built his home theater in the basement of his townhouse, with neighbors on each side.  “I did a lot of research on soundproofing on the Internet and used several techniques,” Tom says of the process. “I used what is called a ‘room within a room’ setup, where none of the theater walls or ceiling are touching… View this story
Acoustic Treatments • Basement • DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows