Conflicting Ideals A Sunroom/Home Theater

[Chassmain]

Hey folks!

I'm smack dab in the middle of a very ambitious project that I've nicknamed "Quadomated" to build a passive solar smart automated home for me, a ski lift engineer who after breaking his neck in a skiing accident is paralyzed throughout the majority of my body. I've got a very cool house and room in construction that I have planned for all sorts of things, but am having a tough time figuring out how to put all the conflicting themes (i.e. a sunroom and home theater) together.

The centerpiece of this project and where I'll spend all my days is a sunroom/techno-home theater that is a wide open 24 x 24 foot room with cathedral ceilings and lots of windows. My plan is to have my computer outfitted with three 27 inch monitors, a few couches, poker tables, and a gigantic front projection screen. I've already purchased the projector, a Samsung SP-800B, for a steal off of eBay and am now trying to make heads or tails of where I'll place the projector screen and dangle the projector.

Now onto the extreme challenges. I live up in the supercold Northern Maine and due to my disability don't managed so well at regulating my body temperature. That's why all the windows… to hopefully bring in lots of heat/light and make me feel like I'm not cooped up all winter long. But technology is my game and what makes me feel alive so I must make this room’s setup kick the ole rear.

Initially my plan was to have my drywall/painter spray on a superclean 120+ inch silver fire mix onto the western wall between the two windows you see below,

but the more I thought about this the more foolish it seemed to have the couch and main sitting area facing away from the sunshine, all those windows, and the beautiful view. Then I started thinking about having a motorized screen drop down from the ceiling in front of the three big picture windows below.

I'm kind of stuck on this idea now, but can’t handle how much the Da-lite high-power motorized screens cost, think I could probably do better with paint, and would really prefer keeping some sort of DIYing into the mix.

I've got a clean slate here guys, any idea on where I should place my projection screen and how I can get the best performance for the fewest bucks. I only paid $900 for my Sammy projector, so it's really tough to swallow spending much more than that on my screen. I'd love to have my couches facing the windows… and yes, I've got motorized blinds, but it'll obviously be pretty tough to get rid of the ambient light with all of these windows.

To help you all orientate yourselves with the room/this project I've included a floorplan and a basic 3-D rendering of the room.

Thanks a bunch! I hope someone here has some incredible ideas because I'm definitely stuck in the mud!

 

[apostolakisl]

Are you only planning on watching the projector at night? If you have any ideas to watch during daylight hours you will need to install some very expensive window treatments. The vast majority of window shades will not even come close considering the quantity of windows. Snow on the ground will challenge even further. The roll down metal shades popular in Spain and Italy where they like their siesta come to mind.

Have you considered arranging your furniture such that neither the screen nor the windows are obligate centers of attention? Two couches at 90 degree to the main wall of windows allow you to look one way for the view and the other way for the screen. Put a coffee table in between. The view is pretty, but seating arrangments in a room that big might be nicer if they focused on creating an intimate "conversation area" where people would be facing each other rather than lined up looking at the windows or a projector screen. This is not an ideal theatre arrangment, but the only place to reasonably have a true theatre arrangement, is. . . in a dedicated theatre room.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Cocooner GregoryX did something like this I believe. He has a personal site which (I think) has pictures of his home theater.

EDIT: Found it.

 

[Chassmain]

Are you only planning on watching the projector at night? If you have any ideas to watch during daylight hours you will need to install some very expensive window treatments. The vast majority of window shades will not even come close considering the quantity of windows. Snow on the ground will challenge even further. The roll down metal shades popular in Spain and Italy where they like their siesta come to mind.

Have you considered arranging your furniture such that neither the screen nor the windows are obligate centers of attention? Two couches at 90 degree to the main wall of windows allow you to look one way for the view and the other way for the screen. Put a coffee table in between. The view is pretty, but seating arrangments in a room that big might be nicer if they focused on creating an intimate "conversation area" where people would be facing each other rather than lined up looking at the windows or a projector screen. This is not an ideal theatre arrangment, but the only place to reasonably have a true theatre arrangement, is. . . in a dedicated theatre room.

Realizing this room is surrounded by a huge list of compromises, I've pretty much conceded the fact that I'll only be watching the projector and big-screen movies/TV in the wee hours of the night after the southern sun has disappeared beneath the horizon. As much as I wanted a pitch black cave of a theater money is limited and I only have the funds/square footage to build one do it all room. This room must bring the outside in throughout the long winters, but still push the needle for all my technology wants. Guess it'll be projector at night, when the only extra light is glittering from the stars, and a midsized LCD for daytime viewing.

GregoryXs room looks almost exactly what I had in mind. Add a motor to his manual pulldown screen that I can control from my computer/HAI and we are in business! Now I'm just nervous that my 1000 lumen projector might not put out enough light for the big screen I have in mind. Any thoughts on this?

 

[SteveQ]

I have a room similar to the one you are constructing but smaller. While under construction, I borrowed a projector and screen (from my work AV department) and tried it out in the room. At night it was OK, but during the day, there is no way you could watch it. So I gave up on the idea of a projection system. Now I have an older Sony HD TV (not a flat panel - a tube model). On a sunny day, with the TV at full brightness, it is still almost impossible to watch. So when we want to watch TV during the day time we use a TV in another part of the house.

I hope you get some great ideas, I will be upgrading to a big LCD TV sometime soon, and I am looking for ways to conceal it when it is not being used.

Steve Q

PS - the cathedral ceilings really limit the options of anything ceiling mounted. My ceiling is natural wood, which further limits the options.

 

[mustangcoupe]

have you considered dark theater blinds during movie watching?

 

[Chassmain]

have you considered dark theater blinds during movie watching?

Sure have! I have a bunch of these that will soon be wired and put to use whenever I push the movie button on my UPB keypad.

I'm really not that concerned with being able to see the image doing the middle of the day. This room is positioned within 1° of truth solar south, so with my very northern latitude, and the snowy blanket present on the ground I have no questions or doubts that this will be a very sunny area most days.

Just trying to ensure that I set up the area to enjoy the sunlight, while orientating me in a way that makes the best use of a home theater that will hopefully work very well at night.

 

[Neurorad]

Find a cheap motorized screen, put it above the windows. Doesn't have to be a fancy name brand.

Buy any old TV for daylight watching.

Since you can't enjoy the view at night, and you can't watch the projected image during the day, sounds like a win-win. You'll always have something great to look at, night or day.

 

[apostolakisl]

Keep in mind that in the summer it could be 10pm before it is dark enough to appreciate the projected image. Also, don't forget that football (the overwhelming reason I am putting my theater in) is mostly a daylight hour sport. Maybe football isn't your thing, but consider what it is you plan to watch and ensure that it happens at night.

Also, consider that while a beautiful view is awesome, most of the time people will be wanting to look at other people (conversation). Most people appreciate views a few seconds at a time while engaged in other activities. Since this isn't a dedicated room, consider your furniture placement such that it is conducive to interaction amoungst family and friends. You might consider having a professional decorator come in for a couple hours of consult.

My grandparents had a room they called the Florida room. It was a bit smaller than your room and had sliding glass doors essentially occupying 100% of three walls. I have fond memories of opening Christmas presents in there with all of the bright light reflecting off of the snow, even on cloudy days. It also made for great pictures with the multi-directional bright light.

 

[pete_c]

You might consider having a professional decorator come in for a couple hours of consult.

Recalling the construction of my parents home during the late 1970's they did utilize a professional decorator at the time for the different room layouts.

I do recall (while doing other things in my life at the time) speaking to her and looking at some drawings she came up with.

She was pretty good relating to the "mix" of the different provided views outside and the furniture inside (along with the colors etc).

I liked her. The problem that I saw though during construction (then again building a couple of commercial buildings 10 years or so later) was dealing with an ever changing infrastructure (which really shouldn't have happened).

IE: We would sit down. She would provide some great insight / drawings then on subsequent visits she would change (used the same one for a house then a couple of commercial endeavors) the layouts (colors etc).

Ideally (along with all of the input you are getting) would be some sort of design consultant which would take into consideration your HA needs, etc and be able to provide a nice mix of what you are looking for and what would be optimal. (IE - personally I am not good at colors what so ever). I recall that she had a great imagination or insight for what could be. (I would always work on the budget side of what I could provide relating to just the decorating piece - cuz I was already dealing with the infrastructure side of things).

 

[Chassmain]

Wow!

Lots of great input! Love how active and involved this community is!

Find a cheap motorized screen, put it above the windows. Doesn't have to be a fancy name brand.

Buy any old TV for daylight watching.

Since you can't enjoy the view at night, and you can't watch the projected image during the day, sounds like a win-win. You'll always have something great to look at, night or day.

Thinking I'll probably buy a no-name/cheapo motorized screen, but will probably pay the extra bucks to make sure it's of the tensioned ones and then spray it with a well-known DIY paint mixtures to really bring out the image.

Daytime viewing will just be on a 46" LCD I already own.

Keep in mind that in the summer it could be 10pm before it is dark enough to appreciate the projected image. Also, don't forget that football (the overwhelming reason I am putting my theater in) is mostly a daylight hour sport. Maybe football isn't your thing, but consider what it is you plan to watch and ensure that it happens at night.

I hear ya about the daytime viewing. Football really never has been my thing, and like I mentioned, I will have a more conventional TV in the room. It might get a little dicey viewing either of the screens midwinter when the sun is low and the ground blanketed with white. Worse case I'll just drop the solar shade and cross my fingers that's good enough to see the wall mount TV. If not and I really need my TV fix that bad (can't imagine why) I'll just head to the living room which has far better lighting control.

Also, consider that while a beautiful view is awesome, most of the time people will be wanting to look at other people (conversation). Most people appreciate views a few seconds at a time while engaged in other activities. Since this isn't a dedicated room, consider your furniture placement such that it is conducive to interaction amoungst family and friends. You might consider having a professional decorator come in for a couple hours of consult.

Totally agree with you about the seating arrangement so that people can enjoy each other's company while there hanging out/talking. I'm thinking something along the lines of an L-shaped sectional, or possibly two couches facing each other with a couple man of the house La-Z-Boy chairs facing directly towards the screen might work.

I'm quite aware that I'm very engineer minded (i.e. function before form) and although doubt I'll spend the money to consult with an interior decorator would definitely have one of my artsy (an extremely attractive… had to put that out there because it's never a bad thing) female friends help out that is very good at this sort of thing. I've promised to help her get a bunch of her old VCR tapes onto her computer and think this could make for a pretty good trade.

My grandparents had a room they called the Florida room. It was a bit smaller than your room and had sliding glass doors essentially occupying 100% of three walls. I have fond memories of opening Christmas presents in there with all of the bright light reflecting off of the snow, even on cloudy days. It also made for great pictures with the multi-directional bright light.

I'm so hoping that this room will be something just like that. A place to make memories for many years to come. If we get in there soon enough I've already got my eye on a very beautiful, humongous 12 foot Christmas tree.

Ideally (along with all of the input you are getting) would be some sort of design consultant which would take into consideration your HA needs, etc and be able to provide a nice mix of what you are looking for and what would be optimal. (IE - personally I am not good at colors what so ever). I recall that she had a great imagination or insight for what could be. (I would always work on the budget side of what I could provide relating to just the decorating piece - cuz I was already dealing with the infrastructure side of things).

Know exactly what you mean… Think I'm precisely the same way, and unfortunately, at this point the budget is running very thin. The question I keep asking myself is doesn't make sense for me to put money aside for the softer things like interior design, or should I just buy more automation equipment. Keep finding myself buying more automation equipment, but the more you guys talk to me about the importance of overall design (i.e. whether it be pretty or even functional) the more I'm starting to open my mind to possibly getting a professional in there before it's too late.

Guess we'll see how my priorities change over the next few days!

 

[pete_c]

I'm quite aware that I'm very engineer minded (i.e. function before form) and although doubt I'll spend the money to consult with an interior decorator would definitely have one of my artsy (an extremely attractive… had to put that out there because it's never a bad thing) female friends help out that is very good at this sort of thing. I've promised to help her get a bunch of her old VCR tapes onto her computer and think this could make for a pretty good trade.

Yes, take advantage of that.

Takes me back a few years to the late 1990's. New airport in Milan (Malpensa) across the old airport. Very much of a museum piece and working with a beautiful but very knowledgable architect / interior designer whom appeared more to be a model. I remember she had a way with her broken english and making adjustments to my logical needs at the time.