DIY Home Theater

My family loves to watch movies together. So when our basement was finally finished, I put together my vision of a home theater room. My husband was so excited to finally put his projector and sound system to use. It looks so good and we use it all the time!

Supplies needed:

• Painter’s tape
• I bought 2 of these cabinets to build my own entertainment center but it isn’t necessary to make your own theater room
• 2X4s for the base
• 1X2’s for speaker stand
• Screws– These are my favorite!
• Scrap wood to raise up the entertainment centers and make them level
• multi tool
• Paint color of your choice. I did Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams in the satin sheen
• Trim for around the projector screen
• Black spray paint
• 18″ roller and frame
• Extension pole
• Chair rail moulding
• Miter box
• Level
• Nail gun
• Caulk
• Sconces
• Rub n Buff
• Battery Operated lights for sconces

Step 1: Entertainment Center

I built a base for my entertainment center to go on. This was built out of 2x4s. When you build the base, it will kind of look like a ladder. The base will just need to be the same size as the entertainment center you are attaching to it. I cut two boards the length of the entertainment center and then I cut little boards to brace in between the two and used screws to attach them. You can see how I did that in this video.

I did end up using some scrap wood on top of my base to make sure the entertainment center would be level. I opted to not remove the baseboards on the wall where I was going to put the entertainment center because I wanted the option to be able to move it if necessary. I also needed some space behind the entertainment center for cords because there are a lot of cords! I used two screws to screw the base into the studs in the wall. I also bought a baseboard to attach to the front of my base to give it a more finished look.

Step 2: Projector Screen

After building the entertainment center, I taped off the screen for the projector and painted the wall. Projector screens are pricey! I decided that I could just paint the wall and add some trim to frame it out. I used mitered cuts for the corners of the trim pieces and labeled them on the back so I knew where it would need to go when I put it up. Then I spray painted it black. The labels on the back were so helpful! I attached it to the wall with my nail gun. I love the way it finished the projector screen. It looks just like a projector screen!

Step 3: Theater Room Walls

To start the theater room walls, I used painter’s tape to come up with a design and spacing that I liked. Then I used my measuring tape to see where it hit. For example, when I measured from the baseboard to the bottom of the picture moulding. It was really close to 3.5″ but not quite. So I just went with 3.5″ because it’s a nice even number. I’m a visual person and so this really helped me to visualize this space. Be sure to write down everything you decide and make a picture of it!

Next step was to paint the walls. The color I chose was Sherwin Williams Peppercorn. I painted everything including the ceiling. You could tape everything off and use a paint sprayer to paint the entire room but I didn’t want to deal with all of that and the fumes. So I decided to use a 18″ roller and extension pole and it was so much better than the standard size!

After painting, it was time to put up the picture moulding. I used a miter box to cut all my trim pieces at 45 degrees. It was so nice to be able to cut them in the same room I was in. Using my handy picture of the design I wanted, I started measuring and attaching the trim. When attaching it to the wall, chances are you won’t always hit studs. I prefer not to use wood glue because it damages the wall when you try to take things off. I just angle the nails up and down to grab the drywall. In case you’re wondering how to get all of the picture moulding level, here’s a video explaining how I did it! You’ll need a long level, pencil, and a measuring tape.

Step 4: Caulk and Paint the trim

Is it necessary to caulk all the edges of this trim? Absolutely not. In fact, I only caulked the places that had big gaps or that I would notice. Nobody is going to come inspect your trim from all angles. If caulking is your jam and you want to caulk it all, by all means do it! There just was a lot of trim and it wasn’t necessary for me. I caulked the edges that I wanted, filled the nail holes in the trim, and then painted.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

The finishing touches are what makes it feel like you are at the theaters. I added some sconce lighting and it totally took the room from a family room to a home theater room! When I purchased the sconces, I thought that the gold was a little too bronzy looking for me. So I just used some Rub-n-Buff to make it more golden. You don’t need to use a lot of that stuff. A little goes a long ways! It made it look so much better. I also bought some battery operated lights that are controlled by a remote. That way I didn’t have to worry about wiring up the sconce lights. You just glue the battery operated light pucks into the sconces and you have instant light!

Another finishing touch was to make speaker stands for the surround sound. I decided to use 1x2s and part of a wooden circle. I cut everything to the length I wanted for the shelf and then screwed the 1x2s into the top of the shelf and then screw them into studs in the wall. Then I painted them. The speakers sit there perfectly and it looks like it was made for it, because it was!

Step 6: TA-DA!

I LOVE how this room turned out! It’s the perfect place for my family to gather and watch movies. It looks amazing. You can watch a highlight of this entire process on my Home Theater highlight on Instagram @spetrichhome