Do it yourself design: tips for converting your basement to a home theater

Watching a movie is a treat for most of us. Many people have fond memories of growing up taking in a matinee on the weekends. Seated in the darkened theater, we are transported from our everyday lives into a world that is exciting, action packed, and totally different from our own.

As technology has advanced to the point we could purchase our favorite films for home viewing, more and more people have decided to create a space in their homes that is especially for watching a movie. For some, that may be a challenge. However, it is very easy to take a room, such as a basement, and create your own home theater, complete with all the sights and smells of a walk-in theater.

The key is creating the right atmosphere. When identifying those elements, which make up the look and feel of a traditional movie theater, we can think in terms of sight, smell, and taste to recreate the ambiance of a movie theater in our homes.

When it comes to sight, we think in terms of both the actual viewing theater and the concession area. The viewing theater often is draped floor to ceiling with curtains that are affixed to the walls. Rows of seats facing the screen provide the place to sit and watch the movie. Lighting that slowly dims out as the movie begins adds to the overall anticipation.

The first task will be to clear the room you wish to use for your home theater. Once the room is cleared, take a good look at the floor. If at all possible, consider painting the floor a darker color. Once painted, cover the area with a sealant. This will keep scuffing and wear to a minimum over the years.

Covering the walls of your basement is an easy task, and need not be an expensive one. By checking with the closeout section in a fabric or discount house, one can select fabrics that will be affordable, and easy to maintain. When selecting the fabrics, go for solids and patterns that are darker in color. Remember, the purpose is to create an atmosphere that is attractive when the lights are up, but one that will not distract from the screen when the lights are down. Keep in mind that cotton, polyester and muslin fabrics are easy to hang, and can be laundered and ironed at home as needed.

To determine how much fabric you will need, measure the height and width of the walls you want to cover. Allow another fifty percent for each wall, so that you can gather the material. Cut and hem each panel you will need to cover the walls. For the rods, take a trip to the hardware or home store and purchase lengths of dowels, cut to the lengths you need. Secure cup hooks the appropriate size every couple of along tops of your walls, just high enough to allow you to slip the dowel into the crook and still cover the wall completely.

A simple lamp filial screwed in to each end of the dowels will prevent the ends of the panels from slipping off. The filial will also add a touch of interest to the draperies, and also will be easy to remove when you need to take the draperies down and wash them.

If you have opted for a mix of solids and prints, alternate them as you slide them onto the dowel. Once all the panels needed are slipped onto the dowel, hang the dowel on the cup hooks. You can then make any adjustments to the gathering that you need in order to make the folds more or less uniform.

Next, arrange your seating so that it faces the wall where your viewing screen will be placed. When it comes to the seating, take a look around flea markets, junk shops, and consignment shops. Schools and universities routinely replace their auditorium seats, and those sections of seats often can be purchased very reasonably. An alternative to auditorium seats would be to secure a uniform collection of resin chairs in a darker color, such as forest green. When selecting the colors for your seats, keep in mind that dark wood or dark colors help to add coziness to your theater and focus attention on your screen.

When it comes to placing the actual screen, make sure it is at a height that will allow persons to sit comfortably and see the screen without having to crane their necks or lean to one side. If your viewing device is a newer flat screen television, secure it to the wall with panels on each side. Should you need to make do with a standard television set, make sure you have the set placed on a tabletop that is the right height to achieve the same effect. A table or old desk may work very well for this, and will allow for storage underneath for your movies and DVD's, as well as a place to have easy access to your VCR or DVD player.

For the lighting, porch lamps picked up at a yard sale or from the local hardware store will work. Make sure all the lamps are spaced evenly around your viewing area, and are connected to a common dimmer switch. For safety, you may want to have a professional electrician install the switch and lamps.

No home theater would be complete without concessions. To create a simple concession area, place an old sideboard or table against the wall behind your seating. A small refrigerator and microwave oven will allow you to serve cold drinks and popcorn before, during, and after the movie. Unlike your viewing area, this section should not be dark. Have some fun with bright colors by hanging some old movie posters to decorate the area, or make your own signs announcing sodas, popcorn and any other treats you plan on having available. Many theaters will be happy to give you old posters after the run of a film, or you can buy copies of movie posters in discount stores.

Once your space is finished, there is only one element needed to complete the effect. To add this one remaining element, invite all your friends and family over for a good old-fashioned movie night. Once they have arrived and the movie has begun, you will very soon feel just as if you had made a trip to your local multiplex.