Renovation trend gives a whole new meaning to home theater
Some homeowners are creating their very own movie palaces
BY Candace Renalls
Knight Ridder Newspapers
What do we really want?
That's the question John Lawien and his wife, Lizette, asked themselves when they began planning a large addition to their Duluth, Minn., home a few years ago.
Their wish list included a bigger dining room, another bedroom, an exercise room and a media room with a big television. The more they thought about a room for watching big-screen TV, the more they realized their family would enjoy it.
"My wife and I don't go out much," explains Lawien, 41. "The kids are teenagers now. The one thing we enjoy as a family is pizza and a movie. And nothing's better than the comfort of your home."
So their plans changed from a media room to a bona fide home theater. The result is a 15-by-18-foot theater that sports a high-definition 42-inch plasma TV for everyday viewing. For movie viewing, a 92-inch screen for a front-projection system lowers from the ceiling in front of the skinny plasma television. There's Surround Sound with seven speakers and a large sub-woofer for low-octave sound, high-definition (HD) satellite TV, DVD players, computer hookups and gadgets like wireless headphones. The room's tiered seating has comfy theater loungers, complete with cup holders and storage compartments.
Mini theaters that focus on the viewing and listening experience are part of a movement away from family or recreation rooms with a television that can disappear into a cabinet. more...
