azheat01
Active Hunter
Been off the boards for a while, working on some home projects, one of which is my new Star Wars home theater. My old "mini theater" was getting too cramped so I decided to convert the loft into a larger theater. Sorry if you've attempted to look at some of my older threads, I recently switched web hosting companies so my old photos are mostly off-line at the moment, I'll work on putting those up next.
I'm going to try and make this room look like the inside of a Death Star bay / hallway / hangar. I'm not specifically trying to copy any exact image, just the idea.
Here is the loft prior to starting, put in some new gray carpet and started priming the walls to cover the old color.
I painted the front wall and ceiling black, mounted the new fans, projector, and screen. I'm running an Epson Optoma 3500. I was skeptical about getting a projector, but I wanted something larger for the room and still wanted 3D. For the price, I am incredibly happy. There was a lot of great feedback on this projector. The screen is 120".
I wanted the room to look like you were in the hanger looking out, so I started framing the side walls and making the front wall look like a bay door.
I'm going to paint the projector screen housing black along with the wire covers and control box. I also added a strip of blue LEDs that work off a remote.
Started installing the panels, slots will be cut out for the windows and there will be hinged panels covering them so they can be easily opened.
This room is bigger than my previous room, about 5' wider and 7' longer. I plan on putting some x-wings and tie fighters on the front wall, battling it out. Maybe some of those Fathead decals, not sure yet. So far this has been quite the project, especially since my carpentry skills suck.
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I also worked on the two slotted wall pieces that will be back lit. I used 1/2" MDF for those.
To illuminate these I am using two, 4' LED light strips. Lowe's sells these but they aren't cheap, $40 per strip. I wanted to use 4 strips per panel, but just wasn't going to spend that kind of money. There may be other alternatives to this type of lighting, I just went with what was available locally. I also wanted LEDs so I didn't have to change bulbs and to reduce the heat.
Since I am only using two lights per panel, I decided to cover the wall area with aluminum foil to help with light reflection. I tested the panel against a white wall and with the foil and the foil did help reflect the light once the panel was installed. The lights run off a light switch so that I can turn them on as soon as I enter the room. The good thing about putting this theater room upstairs was that I had easy access to the attic. So I was able to run an extension cord through the ceiling to power both panels with one switch. I was able to completely hide all wires, so I am happy with how it came out.
- - - Updated - - -
I got the last of the panels up today, finally. These were such a pain, lugging each 4' x 8' sheet up the stairs. I still have a few more screws to put in and some minor adjusting. I'm going to start working on the detail layers now. I picked up several lengths of 5/8" MDF trim and a few more panels to cut. I want to get all those pieces in place, fill in the gaps with caulk, then start painting. I'm anxious to get the speakers hooked up, I haven't seen LOTR BOTFA yet, I'm holding out until this room is done!
I'm going to try and make this room look like the inside of a Death Star bay / hallway / hangar. I'm not specifically trying to copy any exact image, just the idea.
Here is the loft prior to starting, put in some new gray carpet and started priming the walls to cover the old color.
I painted the front wall and ceiling black, mounted the new fans, projector, and screen. I'm running an Epson Optoma 3500. I was skeptical about getting a projector, but I wanted something larger for the room and still wanted 3D. For the price, I am incredibly happy. There was a lot of great feedback on this projector. The screen is 120".
I wanted the room to look like you were in the hanger looking out, so I started framing the side walls and making the front wall look like a bay door.
I'm going to paint the projector screen housing black along with the wire covers and control box. I also added a strip of blue LEDs that work off a remote.
Started installing the panels, slots will be cut out for the windows and there will be hinged panels covering them so they can be easily opened.
This room is bigger than my previous room, about 5' wider and 7' longer. I plan on putting some x-wings and tie fighters on the front wall, battling it out. Maybe some of those Fathead decals, not sure yet. So far this has been quite the project, especially since my carpentry skills suck.
- - - Updated - - -
I also worked on the two slotted wall pieces that will be back lit. I used 1/2" MDF for those.
To illuminate these I am using two, 4' LED light strips. Lowe's sells these but they aren't cheap, $40 per strip. I wanted to use 4 strips per panel, but just wasn't going to spend that kind of money. There may be other alternatives to this type of lighting, I just went with what was available locally. I also wanted LEDs so I didn't have to change bulbs and to reduce the heat.
Since I am only using two lights per panel, I decided to cover the wall area with aluminum foil to help with light reflection. I tested the panel against a white wall and with the foil and the foil did help reflect the light once the panel was installed. The lights run off a light switch so that I can turn them on as soon as I enter the room. The good thing about putting this theater room upstairs was that I had easy access to the attic. So I was able to run an extension cord through the ceiling to power both panels with one switch. I was able to completely hide all wires, so I am happy with how it came out.
- - - Updated - - -
I got the last of the panels up today, finally. These were such a pain, lugging each 4' x 8' sheet up the stairs. I still have a few more screws to put in and some minor adjusting. I'm going to start working on the detail layers now. I picked up several lengths of 5/8" MDF trim and a few more panels to cut. I want to get all those pieces in place, fill in the gaps with caulk, then start painting. I'm anxious to get the speakers hooked up, I haven't seen LOTR BOTFA yet, I'm holding out until this room is done!
opcorn
