My Home Theater Blog

It is hard to find something different and unique for a special loved one without spending a large sum of money.  There are some items that are really be unique and special without spending a fortune.  How about a personalized award statue for a shelf in your home or your home theater room?  Perhaps a personalized sign, sports carpet or unique pillow that you could not find just anywhere.  Maybe your teen would like a charcoal print of their favorite star or a fun clock with a unique design.  Or the child in your life wants a special chair for their kid zone or playroom.    Most of these gifts are in the range of 29 to 100 dollars.  It is easy to find special gifts for everyone in your life on the web.  Now is the time to shop the deals and find deals on free shipping and coupons.

Simple architectural details can make a home theater come alive.  Columns can provide character and enhance a theme in the room.  Some columns have sconces built into them while others have a fine details that really provides character in the room.    You can really customize the look of a theater to suit your own personality and preferences.  You could also personalize the room with a matching theater surround to hide your speakers and finish the room.    Or even infuse a theater element into your cabinetry in the room through decorative hardware or use a poster display to highlight your prints.   A theater door or door panel will create the feel of theater as soon as you enter your theater.  A ticket booth can also be a fun way to store things and welcome your guests into your very own theater.  There are so many amazing choices that are available to anyone.  These theater elements are not just for the professional theater venues anymore.  These special elements could make your home stand out and actually increase the value of your home.

Life is so serious, why not have some fun with your home decor and make a unique place for your movie viewing and gaming needs.  These details make the room a place that everyone wants to be in, a true home theater escape of your very own.

Architectural Details

Custom Sconce

Home theaters do not have to have a traditional theme.  A theater can be spiced up through some fun carpet or accents. Some time a small element of decor such as carpet, signage, or sconces can bring that element of whimsy to your theater that creates that fun that belongs in your home theater.

A few personalizations in your theater can bring that element of fun or renew a space. A personalized print can make the space seem so special and really spell out your personal taste or add a taste of humor to a room. Have fun with your theater space or entertainment room in your home.  Add some seating and make the room a comfortable space for relaxation.  Your home theater should have elements that are enjoyable.  It can help you completely separate yourself from the stress of the real world.

Theme theaters are a great way to show your personality and originality in your home. Many other rooms can house the decor and fun signs that will make your guests laugh out loud. You can also link your home theater with your game room so you can enjoy a variety of activities with your guests.

It is hard sometimes to narrow down a theme but here are a few ideas. Vintage theater is always fun, with prints of Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne and Audrey Hepburn. Lighting for vintage theaters can make the room convey the correct mood. A candy counter that has that classic elegance really is fun and whimsical. Draperies with the velvet touch can make the theme so realistic that it makes you escape back to that time period for a little while.

Another fun theme that really works, is a Harley Theater. You can have a Harley Davidson Popcorn machine, a Harley Davidson arcade game, and Harley signs as well. Some people even keep their Harley Bikes inside the theater to store them during the winter and provide great decor. I even found a Harley Davidson vending machine that is amazing. What about that classic poster of a Marlboro Man on a Harley. Or perhaps a Route 66 clock to add to the theme or a sexy West Coast Choppers neon poster that will really make the room have that fun atmosphere that will invite your friends into your very own man cave.

Another fun theme is sports, there are a lot of sports seating to choose from these days for reasonable prices. In addition, sports carpeting could turn your room into a sports area. You can easily locate neon sports signs and lighting accents. In addition, you can find personalized prints that add to the theme and personalize your room.

These are just a few ideas, sometimes an idea can sprout off one sign or hobby that lends itself to what you want in your home.

I found these amazing Halloween signs.  That brought my home theater to a new level with a fun element of the decor.  It is just fun to dress up the season and decorate with signs that put the fun into the holidays.  I was able to personalized the sign and make it my own.  They made for unique and personal Halloween decorations for a party that I had with friends and family.  I showed spooky movies and decorated the room to make it a lot of fun for everyone.  I received non-stop comments about the decor.

These themed theater parties are becoming a new trend in our household.  They are fun, inexpensive, and include every member of our family even our teenagers love them.  Our home theater is a place that we really utilize in our home especially during special events and holidays.

Summary of Article …

An article was written recently about Stargate Cinema’s home theater accessories.  It reviewed the marquee in particular and gave an unbiased opinion of the products and highlighted the decor options as well as the free shipping offered by Stargate Cinema.

A movie without popcorn? No way….whoever heard of such a thing. Most people will agree that popcorn is just a good snack. It also goes hand in hand with the movie theater theme. Whether you are making a batch for a large crowd or just having the family together to relax and watch a movie, popcorn is always the bestseller snack.  Now I love Popcorn Glaze Topping, it comes in 6 assorted flavors, cherry pink, chocolate, grape, red cinnamon, chocolate, and caramel.  Some people will just stick with the traditional buttery topping, but everyone should at least venture out of the box and try one of these flavors, they are great.

Every day so many great posters are destroyed by tacks, staples, and tape. These posters many one day be collectors items, but if they are not in good condition then they are worthless. Besides you bought the poster, because you enjoyed the movie so you want to keep it looking nice for years to come.

There are some really great affordable poster frames out there. One of my favorites is the Speed Lock movie poster frame. This frame is great for many reason such as it is easy to change the posters, you can store posters behind each other, and you have your choice of three different finishes. In addition it is also very easy to assemble, and light weight so it can be hung just about anywhere. These frames are made of metal so you know they will not crack after you change the poster a few times like those inexpensive plastic frames.

If you have the available funds an illuminated poster case is the way to go. Have you ever wondered why the posters at the theater look so different then the ones you buy? This has to do with two factors. One is back lighting. The back lighting brings the colors of a poster to life. Two is a double sided poster. This is a poster that has the same image in reverse on the back. When you have a double sided poster, and back lighting it gives the poster an almost 3D quality to it. There are many kinds of illuminated poster cases. You could go with one with chase lights. This fun poster case has flashing lights which will make it an eye catching piece in your home. Then again maybe you would like something not quite so flashy. If this is the case then the illuminated poster case could be just what you are looking for. This will give you the back lighting to make your poster pop, but a simple clean edge to give the case a contemporary look.

With so many different styles to chose from there is something out there for everyone. So remember don’t let your poster become a victim get it a poster frame today.

Now that warmer days are just around the corner it is time to think about space you are not using in your home. Maybe it is out back on the deck near the pool, that dining room that you never use, or downstairs in the basement it is time to turn that space into something usable. How about a Tiki lounge?

Feel the flavor of the islands in your home. Carpet, and a fresh coat of paint is a simple way to change the feel of the room in a dramatic way. The Trade Winds carpet could be just thing to kick off your Tiki lounge transformation. It comes in four great island colors, and if you can’t put new carpet in the whole room you could always put down an area rug.

Next you will need some fun wall art. Family, and friends will get a good laugh when they see that you have your own Personalized Tiki Bar sign. A tiki chalk board would also be a fun way to list the feature drinks you have that evening. You can’t have a Tiki Bar/Lounge with out Tiki statues. These three are really fun there is one with a flower, one with a pineapple,and one named Jen.

The fun does not stop here there are lots fun Tiki items you can find to transform your space into a Tiki lounge!

Home theater seating does not have to be theater style seats, or the recliner style seats you can have something different, contemporary, stylish, or something really causal.

You could have a cuddle couch. This stylish, contemporary roomy piece of furniture will go great in your home theater. It has plenty of room for you, and friend to cozy up on. Or you can stretch out, and have the cuddle couch all to yourself. With many different color options there is something for everyone.

Or maybe you would like something a little more casual? The Foam Comfort Sac might be just thing seating for you. This is a similar to a bean bag chair, but it better. Instead of little plastic beans inside this is filled with foam so it can be re-fluffed so you can get in a comfortable position every time. This sac is also big enough for two, and there are many colors options available on this piece as well. There are a lot of different style sacs and alternative seating options.

Another option for a relaxed atmosphere is the traditional bean bag chair. This form a seating is a classic in the world would casual comfort. You can pick it up, and move it around with ease. You can pile them in a corner, and all of the sudden you have opened more space in your room.  This is a perfect option for small spaces or kids rooms. I even found fun shaped kids furniture with multiple purposes like toy storage and play in shapes like a boat or a sun or even a flower for my girlie girl.

When the Academy Awards are on television and my home theater is set for the party. Yes, I’m having a party and everyone is invited.  I like to celebrate and show off my home theater.  I was able to get seats shipped quickly at a reasonable cost.  Unlike at lot of regular stores, I felt like I got great service and great pricing. Even brand name seats like Berklines were reasonable on the web.  I had a great shopping experience.

The personalized with your name “Awards Night” custom intro DVD is already loaded in my Blu-Ray DVD player. There are other custom movie intro DVDs to pick from, but the awards night fit the themed party.

Well now you can. With the custom LED Sign ranging from number of sizes from 9 inch, 12 inch, 14.5 inch, 18 inch, 24 inch, and the enormous 32 inch signs will make a great impression when anybody walks into your theater. There are all different types of signs which is pretty cool. These signs make it look like your at the movie theater with the lettering “popping” out at you. Also with the edge lights your name will have the “Hollywood Stars” surrounding it to make it seem like you really are a star. This is a truly personalized product.

If you want something that will stand out and be like “Bam look at me” this is the sign you want. This sign is bold and will show everybody that walks in who’s home theater it belongs too.  I haven’t found anything else quite like this one. I have this huge amazing customized sign for my very own theater.  I could not resist making my theater look more customized for my family and friends.

Football season is coming and  I intend to kick back in my Directors Home Theater seats, relax and enjoy the action on the big screen in my own private theater. There’s still time to order Quick Ship Home Theater Seats if you want to really relax in comfort with a cold one in the cupholder next to you while family and friends join in the festive activities. For under $3,000 I ordered two rows of three seats and they were delivered with FREE curbside shipping the same week. Unbelievable!

Of course, I want to be able to really see the “down and dirty” action of the Ravens, so I just could not resist. Yup, had to have it. One of those Premier Home Theater Packages. We’ve all seen them and you know what? They really are awesome. My package includes the projector, screen, all-in-one remote, 7.1 surround sound speaker system, amplifier, Blu-ray DVD player, equipment shelf unit, cable package. . . even simple instructions and free technical instructions.

I’m all ready for the big game! Are you? If not, there’s still time to get those seats. Don’t be sidelined. Join in the fun, kick back and watch the action from you very own clubhouse.

The Jonas Brother’s is one of the most popular “young singing groups” among the 7-12 age group of girls. I purchased the Charcoal Print from Stargate Cinema for my daughter for last Christmas. The Charcoal Print of them was fabulous. I was impressed by the great attention to detail. The picture was very clear and it was a very true to life picture.  Stargate Cinema has a variety of prints and they make a great gift for anyone. The price is a steal, buy it, put the picture in a frame and it’s done. Great Idea for Christmas gifts!

I recently saw a great LED poster of a stadium with lights in the background at a friend’s home.  I was amazed by the colors and it really emphasized what a sports fan my friend has become.  It was great when friends come over.  Everyone comments on it.  It is a fun thing to add to any game room, theater, or entertainment space.  I also add new seasonal decor for Halloween to make it fun for kids and adults too.  Rugs for football season make a great seasonal addition for all sport and game rooms.

With the time change coming up in the fall, and so many changes happening.  It is time to evaluate my decor for football season and back to school.  Time it is a strange thing. You can’t touch it, and you really don’t see it unless you watch the clock. So why not have a clock that you like to look at, and looks great with your decor?

You could show your love of movies with a film reel clock.

Neon is also fun way to brighten up any room. If you have a game room a pool clock could be jut the thing you were looking for, or you might need Lady Luck to help with your game.

You could also show your interest in old Hollywood movie stars.

After a long week at work you know that it is 5:00 where you are. All of your friends will love seeing that relaxing thought on your wall.

Just about everything from sports to cars , and even soda clocks can be found to liven up your wall!

Stargate Cinema donated many of the home theater items you see on this episode of man caves.

Through many donations and volunteers a special place was constructed to feel like home including:

• State-of-the-Art Movie Theater: Stadium seating, brand new projector and an authentic marquee
• Game Area: Custom-made consoles (7 ft. high) with flat screen TVs and new gaming equipment
• Lounge & Snack Area: Comfy furnishings and brand new laptops
• Music Room: Sound-proof, high-tech recording equipment and new instruments
• United Through Reading Room: A special room dedicated to the United Through Reading Military Program to allow servicemen and women to remain connected to their children during long deployments through the medium of reading aloud on video tape or DVD.Located 20 miles south of the Iraqi border, Camp Virginia supports tens of thousands of coalition and American Forces as a training facility for active duty troops and a transfer point for troops going in-and-out of combat in the Middle East. Throughout DIY’s one-hour special, Man Caves: USO Troop Edition, Siragusa and Cameron get a first-hand look at what life is like for the troops:More than 100 hundred volunteers participated in DIY’s “Troop Cave” build and Man Caves: USO Troop Edition special, including the 237th Brigade Support Battalion, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Ohio National Guard Alpha Troop 1 – 126th Calvary Squad, Michigan National Guard Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74, US Navy Buering Training Village, US Army Central Kuwait Task Force Aviation “Ghostriders,” Aco 2 – 104th General Support Aviation Battalion, New Jersey National Guard, the USO and more.The build of the “Troop Cave” at the USO Center in Camp Virginia, Kuwait, required DIY to send over 20 shipping containers that weighed two tons each in advance of the construction and production of Man Caves: USO Troop Edition. Each container was filled with donated lumber, tools and furniture.

Sometimes enjoying the simple pleasures of a glass of fine wine can be just the thing to finish off a long day, and your home theater could be the perfect place to do this. This gives your theater multiple uses.
Some ways to incorporate wine, and theater could be a in a wine cooler. A wine cooler a great way to store, and display your wine collection. These coolers are sleek, and energy efficient. With energy costs always on the rise it is so important for appliances to be efficient today.

A table top display for your wine is another great option. The Film Reel wine rack is a fun, and stylish way to hold bottles of wine. It is made a black powder-coated finished metal so you can feel comfortable about displaying you favorite wines without worry of the racks stability. This rack holds 6 bottles of wine, and it is sure to become a great conversation piece among wine lovers.

Maybe you want something whimsical to display you wine in. Well these wine holders will fit the bill.
You could have the chef hold your wine, or maybe the little red car is more your style.

Something else that will go great with your wine display items would be a sign for the wall. This sign is a humorous way to show your love of wine! There is also clock that is functional, and fun to look at!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but dealing with 5 or 6 remotes to run my home theater can be kind of annoying. In the past programmable remotes took hours and much frustration to set up, requiring you to find codes for each and every device in your system and some times having to test more then 10 different codes to find the correct one. Thankfully, this is not the case any longer!

Logitech has recently released a new line of remotes with a simple to use web based setup. Simply connect the remote to your computers USB port after charging the lithium ion battery on the included remote holster/charger. Once this connected all that is required is for you to identify what products you own. Once this is done confirm that you have selected the correct items after an images of it has been displayed. I personally like the Harmony 880 due to its expandability and  ability to be recharged.

Good bye to irritation hello to ease of use.

There is something just so finished, so elegant, about walking into a room or area with velvet or Naugahyde ropes gracefully looping off gleaming brass or chrome posts. These ropes add a special touch that change the entire atmosphere and feel. At home, out at the theater, in the home theater, at the museum, even in the parking garage. Form and function have fused well together with these products.

Ropes and stanchions (”posts”) can be used to rope off any area, like the bottom of a staircase (using double or single wall plates), or to guide the way to a destination (as in the ultimate Academy or Grammy Awards) or like the unveiling of your home theater to family and friends. As an aesthetic and decorative touch the look is just unbeatable.  Art deco posts are often used in a very edgy looking sort of room as well as sleek modern. Anything goes in today’s home theaters.

But with a different twist, these very appealing items are often used as effective crowd control measures.  These are a bit more appealing to the eye than commercial tensabarriers used by retailers, hotels, airports and businesses.

When ordering traditional posts and ropes, there is a precise and easy way to measure so that the rope swag is just right and the functionality of the posts is maintained correctly. You can use one or two posts or even twenty, but it’s important before ordering to determine the proper length rope to order.

Select a post model first, do look to make sure the maximum length rope is not exceeded (distance between posts).

Post to Post (center to center): Take the tight measurement from the center of one post to the center of the other post. Round up to the nearest inch.

Wall (wall plate) to Post: Take the tight measurement from the wall to the center of post. Round up to the nearest inch.

Wall to Wall (inside the door jamb): Take the tight measurement between the walls and then add another inch. For example, if you have a tight measurement of five feet you should order 5′1″. But if you have a tight measurement of 5′ 3/4″ you should order a rope length of 5′2″.

Eye to Eye (outside on wall to wall flush):Again, take the tight measurement between the center of each wall plate and then add another 2 inches. For example, if you have a tight measurement of five feet, order a rope of 5′2″. But if you have a tight measurement of 5′ 3/4″ you should order a rope length of 5′3″.

If you really want the correct amount of slack in the rope, position your posts so the installed rope hangs at center a minimum of 24″ from the floor. If the posts are too close or the rope too long, the rope will may present a tripping hazard if too close to the floor. A rope too short or posts too far apart, can make the rope too taut, compromising the post stability with a slight downward pressure on the rope.

So, whether used with peeling paint, in a home theater or at a large banquet hall, enjoy the function as well as the beauty of these timeless accessories. . . but measure correctly for the both the beauty and the functionality of your ropes and posts.

Ropes and stanchions (”posts”)

There is something even art deco edgy about walking into a room with velvet or Naugahyde ropes connected  to a Home Theater, Art Gallery, Business or Educational Institution.