This post is part of a custom home theater build series. The photos and notes below document each phase of the project, from early layout through specialty finishes like the starfield ceiling.
CUSTOM HOME THEATER BUILD
A full custom home theater build featuring a specialty ceiling, built-in media cabinetry, and a hidden kitchenette behind the screen.
The finished home theater integrates layered lighting, concealed technology, and custom details throughout the space. LED strip lighting was built into the vertical elements and tray ceilings to highlight key architectural features, with the lighting extending into the adjacent hallway to provide safe, low-level illumination during movie time.
The tray ceiling recesses were fitted with custom-built starfield panels, created using foam board and a black fabric overlay, with hundreds of fiber optic strands individually installed to achieve a natural night-sky effect. All lighting and theater components are voice-controlled, allowing a single command to lower the screen, dim the lights, and power up the system for viewing.
PREPARING THE ROOM FOR THEATER BUILD
Rough framing established the layout for the motorized screen, ceiling features, and built-ins, ensuring everything aligned before finish work began.
The space began as a rec room with a small kitchenette originally part of a basement apartment. Cabinets were modified to open up the theater area, and the hallway entry was redesigned to create a striking transition into the room.
A rustic ghostwood feature wall and hand-built doors with specialty pyramid bolts were added, finished with unique railroad tie handles. Ceiling demolition and re-framing ensured the door could reach the full theater ceiling height, while a water line was installed for the refrigerator ice maker.
STRUCTURING THE ROOM FOR SOUND, SEATING, AND EQUIPMENT
It All Begins Here
Existing footing framing was modified to increase the room perimeter and allow for additional soundproof insulation. Custom ceiling framing established the tray ceilings and perimeter soffits, including a split over the seating area for a recessed projector platform and a concealed pocket for the motorized screen, leaving only a narrow ceiling slot visible when deployed.
CUSTOM FIBER-OPTIC CEILING INSTALLATION
It All Begins Here
The starfield ceiling was a highly detailed, labor-intensive feature of the theater. 3 Foamboard panels were custom-built to span 4 × 9 ft, reinforced with morticed plywood pieces to allow magnets to attach to metal channels laid out on the ceiling. Each panel was suspended from wires for full access on both sides, and hundreds of fiber optic strands were individually installed, carefully flattened and glued to achieve a low-profile, seamless night-sky effect. The panels were then covered with black fabric and treated with flame-retardant spray before mounting, and all fibers were routed into a hidden light engine mounted in a custom ceiling recess.
The stars are fully controllable — they can twinkle fast or slow, be dimmed, turned on or off, and even change color to match the LED lighting elsewhere in the room — creating a customizable, immersive night-sky ambiance. Final trimming and alignment of the strands completed the finished starfield.