Completed a dedicated home theatre room in our Oakville basement last year. This was a multi-phase project that took 14 months from design to first screening. Sharing the full cost and what I’d do differently.
Room specs:
- Dedicated room: 14x22 ft (308 sq ft)
- 7-foot ceiling (worked with what we had — borrowed from 8-ft standard)
- Full acoustic isolation and treatment
- 4K laser projector + 120-inch motorized screen
- 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos speaker system
- Stadium-style risers (3 rows: floor level + 2 risers)
Acoustic isolation (keeping sound in):
- Double-layer drywall on resilient channels (RC-1) with Green Glue compound: $11,400
- Acoustic door with perimeter seal: $2,800
- Carpeted walls on rear and side walls: $1,900
- Acoustic isolation total: $16,100
A/V equipment:
- Epson LS12000 4K laser projector: $5,200
- Screen Innovations Zero-G 120-inch acoustically transparent: $3,800
- Denon AVR-X6700H receiver: $2,400
- Speakers (front LCR, side surrounds, height channels, subwoofer): $8,400 (mix of Klipsch and SVS)
- Installation and calibration: $1,800
- A/V total: $21,600
Construction:
- Tiered riser framing and carpet: $6,200
- Lighting (Lutron dimmers, aisle LED, sconces): $3,400
- General drywall, paint, carpet: $8,800
- Construction total: $18,400
Grand total: $56,100
Honest assessment:
The acoustic isolation was the best money spent — the theatre is genuinely inaudible from the main floor. The riser framing transformed the viewing experience. What I’d change: I’d spec a larger screen (140-inch). At 120 inches from row 1 (10 ft), you could easily go bigger.