Home Theater DIY Upgrades
(for cheap)
By: JoeRod
So it had always been one of those things I wanted to do but was never allowed to. I seem to forget my life has changed (for the better) with my new Wife Jaclyn who supports my Home Theater addiction. We had a painter over giving us quotes to paint our tall stairway and a couple other rooms. We went downstairs to look at the playroom and he instantly asked why the theater ceiling wasn't painted black. I thought to myself because I was never allowed to. Jaclyn surprised me by asking why it wasn't! I suddenly had a mission to accomplish. Heading over to Sherwin Williams I explained to them my game plan. They sold me their Premium Flat Black 400. I had already painted the immediate area around my screen black (a few years ago) so the first thing I did was go over that again. Then I began the ceiling. Pics below...
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I also got crafty and added Eclipse Blackout curtains. These really make it look like a true wall is up! These can be found at Walmart, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. I used and extra long Bronze Shower Rod (50" to 87") from Amazon to hold them up. They also block out light and give the full illusion that you are at an actual Cinema (only darker). Good thing I have LED rope lighting pic below) around the platform steps. Those can also be purchased at Home Depot or Amazon for good prices. Let's do a price per item breakdown:
1 gallon of Flat Black Paint: 40.00
Brushes, Covers, Tape, etc: 20.00
Eclipse Blackout Curtains: 23.97 X 2
Led Rope Lighting: 17.99
Extra Long Bronze Shower Rod: 16.99
Theater Signs: Total= $202.91
So as you can see for around $200.00 you can do quite a bit of "tweaks" to your Home Theater. Yes, it puts you in a batcave but the image looks that much better! And for those wondering yes it was literally a pain in the neck painting the ceiling. I had a blast doing it though. And now the results of my Home Theater makeover are pretty cool! Next I may someday switch my red seats to black but for now I am still digging the "classic" look. Hope these little ideas help some of you out there. You might be surprised at what you can do with just a little effort. Now get to work!
These Eclipse Blackout Curtains are one of the coolest Home Theater upgrades I have done. It has made the movie experience that much better. I imagine these would also work great on windows or sliding glass doors as well. Experiment!!!
A yardstick helped me keep a straight line here dividing the theater side and the area leading to the bar...
As you can see I took special care of the projector.
I also took special care of the screen.
I also decided to remove my extra plates behind the projector. I don't need the extra mounts anymore.
For some reason I felt like I had someone watching me the entire time....
Very pleased with final results!!!
Double points for anyone who can guess this movie...
Answer at the bottom of page!
Movie answer:
Thanks for reading! Have a safe and fun Summer. See you soon.
Makes a wall, creates privacy and more importantly makes the Theater pitch black!!!!
The line to get in begins here ->
And of course since the Theater is a lot darker I decided instead of purchasing new seats with illuminated cup holders to just buy them separately. After spending a good amount of time searching I ended up liking the Seatcraft model the best. The stainless steel look is very nice and the turn on/off button is very low key. They use three triple A batteries each. If you are looking or have questions call Julie G. at 800-407-8665. Tell her I sent you or you read about them here. You can also click on the pic to the right and it will take you straight over to their website. Don't upgrade your theater chair, upgrade the cup holer!!!
Rocco loves the new lighted cup holders!!!
I also purchased some cool signs from Laserbites (ebay store) which really add to any home theater. Check them out in the pic below!!!
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@joerodhometheat
