Dream DIY Media Room

Shopping Guide is at the end of the post

Before & After

The transformation of our rarely-used bonus room into a media room/home theater with 100-inch screen is complete. My goal was a Candice Olsen-style space for a lot less than she spends. I surprised my husband with an HGTV-style big reveal, and from his reaction, I knew he hadn't peeked during the 3 month reno upstairs.

Boring "before" is below...

BEFORE: We never used this upstairs bonus room

Sherwin Williams' "Toasty" flat paint warmed up the 17 x 19 foot space and made it seem even bigger. Tony Soprano and Jack Bauer "24" posters flank the 100" screen. I did all the work myself, with some heavy lifting assistance from neighbors.

For "24" fans, the desk lamp from IKEA was the official lamp of CTU and my tech hero Chloe at left.

BTW, both men and women love this room.

The Gameday setup video above shows how the Panasonic LCD projector + Stewart Firehawk screen combo allows game viewing with ambient light in the room. But also how the 1080p picture is awesome at night, when the dark room is more like a theater.

Two colorful club chairs from Rooms To Go tie in all the colors from the posters from AllPosters.com. They're the perfect size for the space. We don't have room for theater-style recliners.

Before: Snack Bar Wall

The snack bar is 2 IKEA kitchen cabinets and a 15" beverage cooler. A granite remnant forms the countertop. Three puck lights above are controlled by Z-wave technology with a Harmony 890 universal remote, as is all lighting in the space. This is a retrofit anyone can do.

Microwave for movie popcorn. Cabinet on right conceals a trash/recycling center, & storage.

Leather cube ottomans turn the sofa and chairs into recliners. We slide the club chairs over on either side of the sofa and use tray tables for drinks and snacks.

Before: My Messy Workspace

My workspace is still in the room, but it's neater now.

Glass makes the workspace less visually dominant in the room. The sawhorse desk hides in the adjacent storage room, allowing a second row of seating during football games (See gameday setup video above).

White IKEA cabinets provide storage and a place for the projector. Puck lights spotlight the movie posters on the picture ledge.

IKEA's Trollsta cabinet conceals the printer, modem, router, and hard drives connected wirelessly to the Mac on the desk.

The gray Stewart Firehawk screen looks like a plasma TV when the projector is off. Daylight washes out the screen, so you need window coverings to maximize your picture.

A Slingbox PRO-HD lets me watch TV on my Mac or iPad. I don't run the projector while working. Replacement bulbs are pricey.

Shopping Guide

I ordered most of the items linked below from Amazon, with free 2-day shipping for Amazon Prime members. Hovering your pointer over the links should bring up details/prices. This reno was in winter 2009, so some products have been replaced by newer models, as noted. *Asterisk-marked items are no longer available.

Home Theater System Essentials:

• Panasonic PT-AE4000U LCD Projector (Current Model)
• Stewart Filmscreen Firehawk G3, 100" diagonal gray screen
• Onkyo TX-NR709 A/V Receiver (Replaced Denon shown in video)
• Aperion Intimus 5 Speakers/Sub 5.1
• Aperion Intimus Satellite Speakers (add 2 for 7.1)
• Monster 8-Outlet Power Center
• Monster Cable HDMI 1000 HDX In-Wall Rated (35 feet)
• Monster 800 HDMI Cable (4ft)
• Logitech Harmony 890 Universal Remote
• DIRECTV High Definition DVR
• Avion Triple Wide Enclosed TV Cabinet

HT Extras:

• PlayStation 3 160GB System
• Logitech Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3
• Apple TV 2
• Slingbox PRO-HD
• D-Link 8-Port Gigabit Switch
• Intermatic Z-wave Wireless Lamp Module
• OPPO BDP-93 Universal Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (Simply amazing DVD upconversion!)

Snack Bar:

• Vinotemp Built-in Beverage Cooler
• Puck Lights 20W, Black & Chrome
• GE Microwave Oven, Stainless Steel
• IKEA Akuram/Ramsjo kitchen cabinets, black/brown** 
• IKEA Lack shelf, black/brown
• IKEA Lansa Handles
• Gold Brazil granite remnant - Continental Granite, Bunnell FL

**IKEA Ramsjo is close to the doors/panels I used, Tidaholm, which appears to have been discontinued.

Furnishings:

• Leather Cube Ottomans
• IKEA Besta 24" shelf units & doors, white
• IKEATrollsta Sideboard, black*
• Leggett & Platt ultrasuede sofa bed*
• Rooms To Go Robertson Accent Chairs*
• West Elm Sawhorse Worktable*
• Relax the Back Ergonomic desk chair
• Vision Fitness Recumbent exercise bike*

Accessories:

• The Sopranos Poster (Allposters.com)
• "24" Posters (Current, Allposters.com)
• Super Bowl XLII Poster (Current)
• IKEA Ribba 6' picture ledge*
• IKEA Husvik Floor Lamp
• IKEA Farja Desk Lamp*
• IKEA Knubbig Table Lamp, white
• Riddell Replica Mini Helmets
• Bosch Tassimo Single-Serve Coffeemaker
• Whirley Jumbo Yellow Popcorn Tub
• Mohawk Shag Rug - Home Depot
• Memory Foam U Shaped Pillow
• Target Red Velour Pillows, Black Tray*

Colors:

• Walls: Sherwin Williams SW6095 Toasty, flat
• Ceiling: Sherwin Williams SW6126 Navaho White, flat
• Woodwork: Sherwin Williams SW7008 Alabaster, high gloss

Geek Stuff

I researched everything for weeks before making my first purchase - the projector. This helped me decide on what size screen to buy.

Room is 17 feet wide x 19 feet long. The ceiling is 10 ft high. The screen is 100" diagonal, 55 .6" high x 93.6" wide; 1.78.1 aspect ration (16:9). Mounted 29" above the floor.

The main viewing position on the sofa is 11 ft from the screen. Throw distance from projector to screen is 18 ft. A long HDMI cable runs from A/V receiver to projector on the back wall. I didn't ceiling mount the projector because we use the ceiling fan. If you stand up in front of the sofa, your shadow hits the screen by a foot, but we don't mind.

Floor is carpeted; no acoustic treatment on the walls or ceiling, but the 7.1 surround sound is great. We aren't audiophiles, so this is a fine family room system.

Some reflection, in bright scenes, off the wall of white shutters at night. For the best picture, ideally you want your entire room including trim to be painted dark, but this is not meant to be a dedicated theater.

The Harmony 890 remote controls all the A/V components and the lighting, connected via Z-Wave switches and plug-in modules. I did all the home theater wiring and the accent lighting myself. The 6 ceiling cans were already installed by the builder.

How to paint fun Faux-Wicker Walls

No one believes this isn't wall covering

After I did Faux Rattan walls in my powder room, I got inspired by squeegee painting. So I updated my guest/pool bath with a faux wicker finish I found in BH&G's "Decorative Paint Techniques," (my favorite faux book) available here from Amazon.

The finish is called "burlap," but mine looks very much like wicker. First I applied chair rail to break up the small room with a 10 ft. ceiling. I painted Sherwin Williams "Antique White" above, and fauxed below, using the Sherwin Williams "Kilim Beige," already on my walls, as my base. I mixed Antique White with Behr's clear glaze for the lighter shade.

Details on how to create this unique finish with squeegees are on pages 60-63. All you need is the book and a few inexpensive tools, a few days, steady hands, and some patience.

My Tips

Be sure to strictly observe the drying time for each step so you don't end up smearing your work. But if you do make a mistake, you can always paint it out and start that section over. That'w what I love about paint vs. wallpaper.

I recommend using only ScotchBlue Painter's Tape for Delicate Surfaces. It won't peel your paint off if you remove it within 45 minutes after painting.

Imperfections are fine, even slightly uneven lines. See my closeup photo below. Don't be too critical of yourself. Stand back to assess your work. Remember that faux finishes are not meant to be viewed up close. The overall effect will be organic, and that’s what you want. 

My walls have a light orange peel finish, so they're dimpled compared to smooth walls, which are be much easier faux. But I like the effect, even with the extra texture.

You can shop online for these faux finishing essentials before you start this project. Good luck!