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 Frequently Asked Questions
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As more people have seen my site and the theater, I get a lot of the same questions. I'd like to take this opportunity to answer some in advance for you.
Q) Are you married and, if so, how did your wife ever let you do something like that?
A) Yes, I am married and have a son. My wife was always very supportive of both building a home theater and doing one with a theme. She was the driving force behind the color scheme and chose the carpet (an excellent choice I must admit and far better than where I was heading!) Keep in mind, the theater is in the basement, otherwise an unfinished section of the house. As a result, it does not conflict at all with the rest of the house, which is country/colonial in decor. Had I not done the Start Trek theme, I probably would have done something along the lines of a more traditional Art Deco theater. That also wouldn't coordinate with our house either, so the Star Trek theme is no better or worse in that regard. A home theater primarily should be a fun room. That was my main design criteria.
Q) Are you a millionaire?
A) I wish! No, I am not a millionaire nor anywhere near that level. Everything you see in the room (including the room itself - drywall, studs, paint, etc) was built by hand by me over two years. The only professional help I hired was for the carpeting, and then I chose a local big-box retailer for their low prices. The Bridge doesn't come close in cost or in technical excellence with the $100,000-$3 million dollar home theaters built by professionals for the rich and famous. However, it does alright by me and my family.
Q) How do you ever expect to sell the house one day?
A) This is one of my favorite questions. It usually appears to be asked by people who have never bought or sold a home in their lives. First, adding a theater to a house only increases the value given that it was developed out of the corner of an unfinished basement (added finished square footage). Second, any project such as this if done well (i.e. quality work) will only add value to a house. Third, now that the theater has received certain notoriety (published in books, magazines and a TV show, etc.) that alone will help in selling the house when the time comes. (And if all that fails, most of the sci-fi decorations can be removed in minutes and the room turned into one of those dull drywall boxes that some people just love.)
Q) Do you wear Star Trek uniforms around the house?
A) As I have stated elsewhere on my website, while I thoroughly enjoy Star Trek and other science fiction movies and shows, I am not some mental person who thinks they are Captain Kirk (or pick your favorite captain). I wanted to build a unique space where my family and I can watch movies in the comfort of our home. I wanted it to reflect my love of science fiction and most of all to just be a fun place to hang out. I think I've succeeded on all counts.
Q) Didn't you waste all your money on decorations when you could have bought higher-end video and audio equipment?
A) Most of the money in the budget for the room went into the basic construction materials (drywall, lumber, wire, paint, insulation, etc.), ordinary finishing items (carpet, light fixtures, seating, etc.) and, of course, the electronics. The amount spent to make it a "Star Trek" room was actully very minimal: some very inexpensive board for the acoustic panels (which you would need anyway to help the acoustics), a couple of yards of fabric and batting, some Plexglas, and a couple of florescent lights. The door and window mouldings were made by me out of inexpensive 1x4 pine lumber. They were actually cheaper than buying traditional moldings. The rest was red, gray and silver paint and some odds and ends. There would not have been much more money available to put towards higher-end equipment even if I did very little else to the room but paint the walls. Besides, the equipment I chose provides me with all the enmjoyment I require.
I hope I have answered some of your more nagging questions. If you have any others, please drop me a line.
Thanks and I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit to The Bridge Home Theater.
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© Copyright 2003-2008 Gary Reighn
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