Looking Back, and Toward the Future of Home Theater - Connected Design

Looking Back, and Toward the Future of Home Theater - Connected Design

It has been a long time since I turned the unfinished basement of my house in Brooklyn into a mini movie theater – 36 years, to be exact. The end-result was humble. The walls were painted sheetrock and exposed plumbing pipes were hanging under the drop-ceiling tiles. The main asset in the room was 12 used movie theater chairs that I had bought at a plumbing supply store for a buck a piece. Their turquoise Naugahyde upholstery was spotted with multiple cigarettes burns. I remember it took me weeks to scrape off the chewing gum under the seats as I was trying to reupholster them in red velvet. The room was uninspiring both visually and performance-wise, because I lacked the financial resources – and the experience – to make it look and sound like what we now call a “home theater.” Still, it fulfilled my lifelong dream to be able to watch movies in my own dedicated space that had structured seating and none of the distractions of the typical family room: intrusive window openings, irrelevant furniture, and disruptive chit-chat from well-intentioned family members.