The Ladner Theatre

Day 84 - The Acid Test

2006-04-10T23:35:00.000-05:00

Nancy and Mel came over to watch Van Helsing.

Mel said, "This is better than a real theatre!"

'Nuff said...

Day 64 - All You Need Is...SEATS!

2006-03-21T15:09:00.000-06:00

Well, just to keep you in suspense, first we'll take a look
at the hallway. We intended to put two media shelving units
along the back wall of the theatre. Due to some minor
miscalculations on our part, we had to find a home
for one of the storage units. It looks kinda nice here!

The picture will be hung as soon as we
have the nerve to put a hole in the wall!

~~~

AND NOW...

~~~

FOR THE FIRST TIME...

~~~

THE LONG - AWAITED...

~~~

LADNER THEATRE!

~~~

~~~

~~~

~~~

~~~

~~~

And now, on with the show!

Day 63 - The First Movie

2006-03-19T22:44:00.000-06:00

Oh... By the way... THE SEATS GOT HERE YESTERDAY!!! There will be pictures. Hold your horses, or other livestock, whatever you got... Barb will do the pics soon...

Lance and Heather Claussen were weekend guests at Chez Ladnier, and, as the seats were delivered on Saturday, it fell to them to choose the first movie. Lance is LL's genius graphics guy, and his wife Heather is perfectly lovely and wonderful. We had a great weekend with them.

I don't know if it was my rabid insistence over the course of the project that 'A Hard Day's Night' was going to be the first film, or that they really wanted to see it, but, the first official film in the Ladner Theatre, it was! (I say the first official film because Barb had warmed up the theatre on Saturday with a personal viewing of 'Top Gun' and 'Forrest Gump'.)

The experience was climactic. This desire had built up for ten years. Some of you probably tired of hearing about "someday we'll have a theatre in the basement". I don't blame you, I was tired of hearing it, too. And, I was the guy saying it!

All I can say is that it has been worth the wait. The picture is great, the sound is tremendous. Audience comfort was at a high level in these soft-as-a-cloud chairs. Everyone was happy!

Anyway, I just wanted it on the record about the first film, so I'll say goodbye for now...

Dave

Day 59 - The End Is Near!...

2006-03-15T16:09:00.000-06:00

Photo credit
Picture from the Direct Furniture Website
Seats manufactured by CenterStage

The custom seats will be delivered on SATURDAY!
This is a picture of what we are installing so it is time
to visit LadnerWeb and pick out your movie for your screening.
We'll be seeing you soon!

Day 49 - So Very Quiet...

2006-03-05T09:24:00.000-06:00

We just want you to know that we haven't forgotten the blog. There is just nothing much to document.

We are in the process of moving back a lot of things that belong in the studio and theatre plus the storage areas.

Kendra was a HUGE help and is also taking a lot of the furniture that we no longer need. We hope our neighbors will be able to purchase the Sony Trintron for their basement. Then we have just a few pieces for Amvets.

We are not happy with the remote control we purchased for the theatre. We are not sure if it is bad programming by Tweeter to just a bad design overall. Dave will be dealing with this and we may return it and buy something more user-friendly.

Seats are supposed to ship on Friday, March 10th so we suspect that the next posting will be of the completed project...WITH SEATS.

Then you can finally expect to be hearing from us to get you over here to enjoy a movie.

Day 31 - For the Benefit of Mr. Kite....

2006-02-15T22:56:00.000-06:00

There will be a show tonight!
Okay, not really - the seats haven't arrived yet!

Well, here we are...a few shots of the theatre
and an idea of how the new TV looks.
Animation is the best way to show off a TV
and "Shark Tale" was on while shooting!
~~~

We can't wait until the seats arrive!
~~~

Just another picture with the overheads on.
~~~

This is the rack in the studio with all the theatre
and studio components installed.
~~~

WOW! This looks like a mess but Dave says
this is really a great installation.
What do I know?
~~~

Missing seats!

~~~

It's hard to leave!
~~~

Okay, go upstairs!
~~~

NOW!
~~~

This is the 43" plasma we installed in the Master Bedroom.
Told you the cord and telephones would disappear!
It's like having your own personal drive-in.
Keep your minds out of the gutter!
~~~

Day 30 - Free As A Bird...

2006-02-14T17:26:00.000-06:00

We continue in the selected Tweeter theme
and free - at least for us - Tweeter paid the bill!

We are back to nice, perfect wall because it was
Justin, Wes and Custom Home Improvements to the
rescue. In less than one day, they erased all signs
of yesterdays error.

~~~

Look at that gorgeous color!

~~~

Up close and you can't tell at all!
Beautiful job!
The next pictures you see should be of the
completed audio/video installation with the
TV where it is supposed to be...

~~~

Day 29 - She Said, She Said...

2006-02-13T20:54:00.000-06:00

Ah, where to begin. Before you start looking at the pictures, let us set the scene for this day. Before we even touch on the Tweeter installation, let's focus on the rack we bought for the studio. We needed to get shelves for the rack - shelves that would support all the components for the theatre. We ordered from a company called ProFormance. After many, many problems which we do not have the time or the space or the patience to enumerate here, Dave was able to order the shelves last Wednesday from SamAsh.com but, due to the problems with ProFormance, we were running out of time. SamAsh.com said no problem, they would ship second day, we would receive the shelves on Friday (last week) which was in plenty of time for Tweeter's Monday start for installation. Friday came and we found out they did not ship when they promised and they should arrive on Monday. SamAsh.com offered to refund all our shipping charges for the error which was more than acceptable to us since Tweeter had the upstairs installation to do so they could focus on that first.

Fast forward to today! FedEx arrives and the box contains only 2 of the 10 shelves. YIKES! Several phone calls later, and we have Dave running to Sam Ash in Lombard (by the way, we learned that SamAsh.com and Sam Ash are really not related - business-wise) to pick up the shelves on a store credit arranged by Cynthia at SamAsh.com. This started out as a nightmare and ended up pretty positive. Now, on to the Tweeter story...

This is our really cool looking remote control which Tweeter is in the process of programming. This looks fairly harmless, though it does seem that it just might lift-off at any moment.
~~~

Now, not wanting to be outdone by Custom Home Improvement (you recall the bumps in our construction road), Tweeter did their darndest to make us forget those problems and give us something new to focus on. They exceeded their target! See the wall with the six "holes" and a larger rectangular "hole" to the left? Well, those are located more than a foot to the left of where they should be. This occurred after Dave and our Sound Design Architect, Keith, went over the instructions with the installation team this morning. It was clear - the 61" Pioneer Elite plasma TV was to be centered on the wall between the door to the studio and the wall on the right. How this changed to being centered on the entire width of the room from wall to wall was beyond us. The TV is now completely off-center for the seating, not to mention the holes that will be visible once the TV mount is moved to where it needs to be.

A call to Tweeter and we got the same response as we received from
Custom Home Improvement when we had a major problem.
(Did they coordinate this entire scenario in advance?)
All necessary managers descended on our home to inspect and decide how to handle.

RESOLVED - tomorrow (Tuesday) Custom Home Improvement comes in first thing in the morning to repair the wall at Tweeter's expense. This includes the five -yes -count them - FIVE - coats of paint required to get this color to cover completely. Then Tweeter comes in to reinstall in the correct location. We decided that neither of us has a weak heart or this project would have killed us by now!
~~~

Stepping away from the theatre so as not to focus on the problems, let's look at the rack. This is now a mass of connections which are quickly pulling this theatre installation together.
~~~

And, from the front, this looks really nice.
Some of that empty space will be replaced shortly
by Dave's studio equipment.
~~~

Speakers - rear and side - look really cool!
And, the sound is unbelieveable!
~~~

One last look - front speakers, center speaker (on the table) and the subwoofer in the corner.
Just try not to look at the holes in the wall. We can almost hear Obi-Wan chanting,
"This is not the installation you were hoping for!"
~~~

A quick look upstairs. The master bedroom installation is nearly complete. Ignore the three telephones and pay no attention to the electrical cord...these will likely disappear tomorrow.
(NOTE - the TV commercial features a luge team, so Winter-Oly-esque!)
~~~

Day 28 - And Your Bird Can Sing...

2006-02-12T20:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, well, there is no bird but we were visited by a Tweeter!

That's right...Tweeter came to deliver everything that
they will be installing over the next two days.
The theatre...that "thing" with the ugly beach
towels draped over it is the TV. The boxes are
various speakers, components, etc.

~~~

The "permanent residents" for Dave's studio
are starting to move in!

~~~

Hopefully the next time you see his Raxxess,
it will be filled in with shelves and components
from the theatre and the studio!

~~~

Now, we haven't included pictures from anywhere
else in the house but, part of this project is
upgrading the TV and associated equipment in
the master bedroom. This is our upstairs hallway
which is the "holding area" for a new plasma TV
and all its associated goodies!

~~~

Tweeter starts work tomorrow!

Day 25 - Men of Their Word

2006-02-09T22:18:00.000-06:00

Custom Home Improvements completed everything on the punchlist except the carpeting which will be addressed at 8AM on Saturday. This is amazing!

Day 22 - Every Little Thing...

2006-02-06T21:25:00.000-06:00

Well, we have nearly come to the end of the
Custom Home Improvement portion of this project.
These pictures give you an idea of where we are
and we'll explain some of the things that
Justin's folks still have to address.
~~~

Let's head on down the stairs - this really looks nice.
~~~

This is so very different from what we started out with!
~~~

This is the theatre - the unusal "things" near the base of the
wall are cables and connections for Tweeter's work
which starts on Monday, February 13th.
~~~

This just looks amazing.
~~~

We are in the studio - the equipment rack is here.
If you look back into the theatre, you can get a
glimpse of the lighting that runs under the lip of the step
or the elevated area for the second row of theatre seating.
~~~

Same room from another angle.

~~~

The studio really looks nice and Dave is very anxious
to start moving things in!
~~~

Again, a look at the lights under the step.
Custom had some major corrections
to make as far as this installation.
Also, it is hard to see but they need to make
a repair to the wall on the left.
There is a slight gap between the baseboard and the
wall so light shines through. This needs to be sealed.
We also have an intermitent problem with a light.
What is nice about Custom Home Improvement is their
TWO YEAR WARRANTY!
~~~

Same view but the lights are dimmed.
This does give you:
A) A better feel for the color.
B) A better look at the lights.
~~~

You are unable to see the other problem in the room from any
of these angles. They had to touch up damage caused by the
carpet installers along the baseboards and on the doors.
Baseboards and doors have a semigloss paint.
They also adjusted the level of some of the outlets so that required
them to touch up the wall paint...the FLAT wall paint...
which they touched up with SEMIGLOSS!
So, it looks like they have to sand off the gloss and then
repaint the wall. We are now on a tight timeframe since
Tweeter is here on Monday and the wall
has to be painted before the speakers are installed.
~~~

This is gorgeous! It is small but we are so happy to be able to
have a powder room in the basement. And wait until
you see the really great "extra" toilet paper storage
Dave found. It may be one of his favorite features.
By the way, one quick, funny story!
While in the basement looking over the workmanship,
Barb had to go to the bathroom. She ran upstairs and
went into the first floor powder room just as she
remembered that she had walked past a bathroom downstairs!
Guess we all have to get used to this new convenience!
~~~

One last look into the theatre!
~~~

Okay, now the last look into the theatre!
~~~

There are a couple additional problems.
A) Repair to the carpet on the edge of the stairs
and a small snag in front of the powder room.
B) The light in the large storage area off the
theatre is "hanging by a thread."
In order to correct the installation of the rope lights
under the step in the theatre, they had to install
another outlet box in the storage area. They
disconnected the light and forgot to reconnect.

So, we are relying on Custom Home Improvements
to make all the final adjustments by Monday when
it is Tweeter's turn to dig into this project.
All in all, they did a pretty amazing job.

Theoretically, the next pictures you see
here will be the Tweeter installation process.
~~~

Day 19 - Tell Me Why...

2006-02-03T19:11:00.000-06:00

No picture - just a question. Today Custom Home Improvements came in to address the initial pink post-it notes and install the lights under the theatre riser. Most of the notes were not addressed and we dare not comment on the light installation for fear of what we might say. Needless to say, we need the General Contractor & Foreman here to look at this.

On a happier note, the equipment rack arrived today in perfect condition. It was a bit of a hassle getting it down the stairs, as Dave thought it arrived in pieces to be built. Nope. One piece.

81.5"H x 22"W x 22"D. Just made it down the stairs.

There will be pictures on Monday's posting. And, maybe the punch list will have been addressed by then, too!

Day 17 - Oh. My. God.

2006-02-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

We have carpet - it looks very dark - did we pick this out?

Come down stairs...let's see what it looks like now!
~~~

Pay no attention to the shocking pink post-it notes.
They are not a part of the actual decor - they simply mark
scuffs or chips and other small items needing
attention before we sign off on the project.
~~~

Now - the carpet looks very grey in this picture but from other angles it is more brown.

Advantage - hopefully spills won't show!

~~~

God, what happened to the old basement?

~~~

Open up those theatre doors and step inside!
~~~

You really have to see the color in person - it is not this pink.
We are using the digital camera and flash we use for
Liverpool Legends shows;
it has a 40 ft. range making it a bit strong for down here!
~~~

Soon, you'll get to see it with the audio/video equipment...and no post-it notes!

~~~

Okay, ignore the speaker wire - imagine the great dipole side and rear speakers mounted above the luxurious theatre seating.
~~~

This crew was very creative with the doors to the storage area.
It is really well done and the access is great.
~~~

The studio - cables will disappear when the rack and rack shelves
arrive and Tweeter can get in here to install all the fun stuff!
~~~

It is nice and bright and Dave is really looking forward to moving in all the equipment.
~~~

Ah, the powder room. Ignore the box...and the towels will go on the towel bar to the left but there is a scuff on the wall that the towels hide if they are hanging.

~~~

So back out to the hallway. We would love to stay longer but we think we are getting a bit of a buzz from the carpet fumes.
Hurry, I think the post-it notes are chasing us!
~~~

Day 16 - Norwegian Wood?

2006-01-31T20:29:00.000-06:00

Nope, not Norwegian...I think it's from Northbrook!
There are a lot more pictures today. It was a very big day.
The work is all but complete.
Tomorrow we get carpet!

We finally have a banister and the oak cap on the right side of the newly opened staircase.
~~~

The doors are closed in the hallway for the first time!

~~~

No more workbenches, no more buckets, no more paint cans...
just a vast theatre of Cranberry Splash!

~~~

Okay, just imagine that big Pioneer plasma TV filling up that big, blank wall!

~~~

Dave's studio is really beautiful - bright and roomier than we thought.
~~~

Another view of the studio.

~~~

Back into the theatre.
~~~

Storage access doors and a good look at one of the great sconces we found!

~~~

Back to the hallway as we leave the theatre. Now you can see the refrigerator and the nice cabinet overhead. We also love the angled wall that very nicely hides some utility access.
~~~

And the great powder room...notice that there are now cranberry and sage hand towels...
a nice little touch!
~~~

Custom Home Improvements really does focus at some of the little details that "make a difference." The access panel could just be a panel that lifts out but this has hinges, magnetic closures and a nice, convenient little handle.
~~~

Looking back at the stairway and the new banisters!
~~~

One last look before the carpet gets here!

~~~

Day 15 - Closer and closer...

2006-01-30T20:20:00.000-06:00

We are getting more and more excited every day!

Okay, again the stairway look does not change too much other than the depth of the paint color. But, maybe tomorrow we'll see some additional finish work!
~~~

Traveling down the hallway...back to this later.
~~~

The color has deepened and is evening out. This is really looking great!
~~~

The semi-gloss on the doors is a really nice touch.

~~~

Dave's studio switch and wall plates are appearing.

~~~

A look back in Dave's studio - we haven't been blogging this view too often. And we are seeing the stain-work for the bannister and handrail cap in the stairway.
~~~

Another look back into the theatre.

~~~

WHOA! Fixtures, mirror, lights - nothing left but the toilet paper holder and towel bar. And, much to our shock, it all fits. This really has turned out nicely!

~~~

Back to the hallway - we have a cabinet above the refrigerator.

~~~

They have created a "magnetic" panel to cover the crawl space under the stairs. And, overhead - but unseen in this picture - they finished the ceiling above and upgraded the doorbell transformer. Now the doorbells work GREAT.
~~~

Finally, the bare light bulb has been replaced by the first of our three sconces.
We love It!

~~~

Day 13 - We got grout!

2006-01-28T13:36:00.000-06:00

Saturday - these guys never stop! They arrived at 7:40 AM today.

We have paint - Harmonic Tan - no matter how you look at it, it is
sage green!
~~~

A painted hallway. It is really shaping up.

~~~

YOW!
~~~

Ditto!

~~~

Dave's studio is looking GREAT.

~~~

Another view of the theatre.

~~~

Tiny but stylish powder room - grout is finished and we have fixtures in the garage. Monday will be busy around here!
~~~

Looking back down the hallway - this time from the theatre to the stairs.

~~~

I think the staircase looks much nicer with it opened up...and that little, odd-shaped space at the bottom is partial access to another storage space under the stairs.
So many places to hide the body!
JUST KIDDING!

~~~

Day 12 - The Red Album?

2006-01-27T18:24:00.000-06:00

Ah, the smell of fresh paint.

When we opened the door to the theatre (notice - it can no longer be referred to as a basement - all signs of a basement have nearly vanished), we had a painted ceiling. Okay, I saw it but Dave didn't; he apparently cannot tell the difference between Canyon Cloud & primer!
~~~

Look at that, baseboards and trim...but it is hard to concentrate on this with that theatre looming ahead!

~~~

Your first glimpse of Cranberry Splash. You might find it overwhelming but the finished product should be stunning!
~~~

They have really made some headway on doors and walls.

~~~

Dave's studio is painted - Canyon Cloud - you see it, right?

~~~

Wonder how many coats this is actually going to take?
~~~

Tile - no grout yet and - that's right - Canyon Cloud!

~~~

Day 11 - A Little Primer

2006-01-26T21:29:00.000-06:00

Very little comment tonight - just lots of stuff to look at!

I like the way the primer looks - soon - COLOR!
~~~

Again - it just doesn't look like a basement anymore!
~~~

WOW!
~~~

Doors!

~~~

And trim...and baseboards!
~~~

These are the access doors to one of the storage areas
~~~

Bathroom!
~~~

Day 10 - Helter Skelter

2006-01-25T21:02:00.000-06:00

Now it really is beginning to look like rooms!

Today the paint, baseboards, doors and tile arrived. Tomorrow the carpeting gets delivered so there should be some significant visual changes very soon!
~~~

This looks like a hallway in any home and not like a basement which is exactly what we wanted to accomplish.
~~~

Told you!
~~~

There aren't too many more comments to be made here. Think we'll wait for the big changes - maybe tomorrow!
~~~

Back in Dave's studio and, wait, can it be?...

~~~

See Happy Dave who now has an internet/network connection in the studio! Thank you guys! And, although not visible in these pictures, the studio now has a heat/AC vent of its very own.
~~~

So, tomorrow things should really begin to change and look like we are reaching the end of the project. We are still amazed that this wonderful construction crew of three started this project only 10 days ago! (By the way, the microwave outlet is back too.)
~~~

Day Number 9, Number 9...

2006-01-24T21:36:00.000-06:00

These guys are FAST! All drywall is done - but - there are some problems...none of which is the fault of this fantastic crew of three talented builders.
So, any "openings" you see now will be covered by doors or access panels.

~~~

This is really looking like a part of the house and not a basement. I can feel that walk down the hallway into the theatre SOON!
~~~

Here's the theatre, it is cozy but definitely bigger than the pictures seem to indicate.

~~~

Just another perspective - no more peeking into the studio.
~~~

This is the infamous studio that Dave has been longing for for 10 years!
~~~

Now for problem No. 1...see the grey box which provides the broadband connection for the studio? You don't see it? Neither do we. And that's the problem becasue there have been many conversations about the importance of this access along with detailed directions as to where the box was bolted openly to the wall. Hopefully, it will emerge tomorrow! Right, guys?

~~~

We are now looking at the theatre from the door of the studio.

~~~

Green board - that means POWDER ROOM! We have water, we have stuff that takes water away and, behind that wall - we have our central vac back!
~~~

Back out the hallway towards the stairs - the tour is almost complete for tonight...
~~~

But wait - there is a bit more hidden storage under the stairs. Regrettably, something else is hidden as well...which brings us to problem No. 2. The proprietary outlet for the microwave seems to have disappeared and, although we have reminded the contractor that it's return is non-negotiable, it is not there right now. They will have to fix that - it is rather important!

~~~

Our General Contractor and the Foreman are due here at 7:15 AM on Wednesday so, hopefully, all problems will be resolved once and for all.

Day 08 - Eighth Day This Week...

2006-01-23T19:27:00.000-06:00

Everytime we go downstairs to see what happened today - we are totally amazed. And keep in mind that we are taking the same five pictures every day from the same vantage points. (Plus the occassional "Look At This" shot of something new or a feature we were waiting to have appear...or disappear!)
Lookie! A change! We were anxiously waiting for the "tunnel vision" of the stairway to disappear. Today was the day - they opened up the right side. No more claustrophobic stairs! That little bit of open space really makes a big difference.
~~~

Today, the hallway really resembles a hallway and the shapes and spaces are making sense.
~~~

The theatre looks a bit bigger as the walls take shape. Drywall, taping, mudding and sanding. They try so hard to keep everything contained but it does drift through the house. No matter, it is looking really good.
~~~

A different vantage point in the theatre - standing on the raised back platform looking toward that wall that is just waiting for its plasma TV! You begin to see where lights, sconces and speakers will appear.
~~~

Back in Dave's studio looking into the theatre. Still some wiring work to do so that final section isn't ready for drywall yet. And we still have a problem with the Internet connection which remains buried behind insulation and drywall. "X" now marks the spot so hopefully it will see the light of day tomorrow.
~~~

Back out in the theatre looking back towards the stairs. We like the way they have enclosed the water meter, et al at the foot of the stairs. And, again, there is a fairly good amount of storage space in there!
~~~

The powder room is shaping up...and that wall I have been waiting for is up so it looks like our guests will have some privacy!
~~~

Day 06 - It's Getting Better

2006-01-21T22:20:00.000-06:00

This is Saturday - we were surprised to find out that the crew would be working today, but they were and they made some significant progress. Justin also came by today and noted the crew is a week ahead of schedule - so construction may be done Friday or Saturday! We have selected paint and carpet now...this is really happening!
~~~

No real significant changes yet on the stairs.
~~~

It is starting to look like a hallway and rooms!
~~~

Wow! Look at that - drywall & lighting - amazing!
~~~

It is incredible how it is coming together. Right now you are in the theatre and looking toward the wall that will house the plasma TV. When completed, the open wall you see here will be finished and will separate the theatre and studio.
~~~

We're in Dave's studio now, looking back into the theatre. It is easier to see the raised platform at the rear of the theatre. That "step" allows us to elevate the second row of theatre seats.
~~~

The refrigerator has found its home! This used to be a gaping space beneath the stairs, used for odds'n'ends storage - now home to the beverage locker! No theatre can be without its concession stand.
~~~

Day 05 - Got Walls?

2006-01-20T22:47:00.000-06:00

Patience!
~~~

The hallway into the theatre is looking more like a hallway. And, we didn't mention this yet but the refrigerator is getting its own little cubby hole and, maybe, even a cabinet above.

~~~

We got a little drywall action going on here! But some other problems popped up. Tweeter didn't position the back speakers of the 7.1 surround system in the right spaces and we are missing an Internet connection back the studio. But...we got walls!
~~~

It's starting to look - bigger! Thank God because it is too late to cancel the theatre seats and the media racks have already arrived.

~~~

Back in the studio (thought we were going to say USSR - didn't you!), the walls and ceiling are shaping up, lighting is in, it is all looking very nice.
~~~

See! We told you! This is starting to look like a room! You'll notice lots more pictures tonight - it was tough to choose what to blog about.
~~~

Lots of wires and a light on overhead.
~~~

A closer look makes us understand why you hire professionals to do this. YIKES!
~~~

And what a change in the powder room. Now you can see the pit is finished, we have a toilet "base" and plumbing for a sink...and it is not so cramped looking.
~~~

We haven't shown you this before but, at the base of the stairs is the water meter, sewer line, etc. so that will also be nicely tucked away in yet another small storage area. It is really wonderful to see what little nooks and crannies you can find.
~~~

Day 04 - It's the pits...

2006-01-19T23:46:00.000-06:00

Whoa! A change! Studs! Insulation!
~~~

A bit more is done...see that little step on the right in the theatre?
~~~

No longer standing in the bathroom (okay - no wall yet but let's pretend!) and we are bit panicked now about the room size. Justin tells us that framed walls are decpetive and rooms look bigger once they are finished! Not sure we buy that yet but the quality of the workmanship is really nice so we'll consider that as a possibility.
~~~

By the way, for those of you who have been in the "basement of old," you're probably wondering about where we will store all those Christmas decorations. Well the wall you see on the right of this picture is creating a wonderful storage area for all those boxes.
And, another room will hide the furnace, water heater, ejector (#1) and sump pumps. If you look closely you can make out the wall that will create that utility room just off the studio.
~~~

Not quite sure what this blue thing is, but - HEY - we got electricity! And, by the way, today the Tweeter guys were in for the first time and they ran speaker wires, cords and other "things" necessary to support the audio/video components of the theatre.
~~~

Should they be Fixing A Hole? Nope, that is the beginning of that ejector pit you heard about earlier. Man, that's big! It's only a powder room!
AND WHERE'S THAT WALL?
~~~

Day 03 - Studs and a Platform

2006-01-18T21:18:00.000-06:00

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...keep your shirt on. One day this will change!
~~~

Now, let us tell you, we had one wild night last night. What with the ejector pit question, the misplaced wall and a bit of a rearrangement of some items in the garage, we ended up with what seemed the ENTIRE ownership of Custom Home Improvements in the basement at 8:00 PM to discuss the problems. They were not happy - we were not happy. We talked past each other - A LOT! If we refer to this phase as Helter Skelter, it is just how we felt. Lots of uncertainties.
~~~

But as a result of that big meeting, we got the wall moved and we now have the raised platform which will be home to our back row of theatre seating. (By the way, we're in the bathroom again. WHERE'S THAT WALL?)
~~~

That's better - 13 inches makes a big difference on this side of the soon-to-be screen.
~~~

And a bit more snug in the studio.
~~~

Day 02 - Wow!

2006-01-17T23:27:00.000-06:00

Now, you're thinking, "This is the same picture they had on here the other day!" Well, no it's not. It is just that nothing happened in the stairway today, but wait until you go down the stairs and...
~~~

...turn the corner. My God! We already have walls framed out which panicked us a bit. You see, we are also adding a powder room to this space so - in our mind - why wouldn't you start by digging the ejector pit? Well, we know better now and trust us, it was a hard lesson to learn.
~~~

You're standing in the powder room right now...hopefully a wall will find its way in here at some point or who is going to want to watch the movie?!?!

~~~

See this wall? Well, it's in the wrong place! But we are assured that these things happen and it will be fixed tomorrow. A bit more panic as we anticipate the loss of about 13 inches in a theatre that is going to be a bit tight to begin with. HELP! (Oops, another one!)

~~~

You're standing in Dave's studio. Trust me, it is not going to be this big.

MOVE THAT WALL!

~~~

Day 01 - Nothing to see here...

2006-01-16T21:21:00.000-06:00

We met with the building contractor tonight, the project begins tomorrow morning. Let us introduce the team. We are using two contractors. Custom Home Improvements in Northbrook is our General Contractor; Justin is our primary contact - Wes is the Foreman. Our media consultant is Tweeter with Keith Jensen as (you're gonna love this!) our Sound Design Architect. Today we all gathered in the empty hole that is now our basement and we reviewed way too much to go into here.

Day 00 - It's empty down here...

2006-01-15T22:25:00.000-06:00

So, everything is gone! Trust us, this was no easy task. We were able to accomplish this with A Little Help From Our Friends (if you really know us, you will get this pun!) so first, our thanks to Karen and her son, Josh.

As you wander down the stairs, it's empty...no pictures...no nothing!

~~~

Imagine, (uh oh...another pun!), you are looking into what will be our theatre!
~~~

Again, it takes a bit of creativity but you are now in the theatre looking towards the screen.
~~~

Through a door on your left and you will enter Dave's studio.
~~~

Okay, there will be a wall here in the studio so you won't see into the theatre...we hope!
~~~