Brian and Traci Leslie of Bremerton have transformed their basement from a place for just storage to a home theater that any movie-lover would be jealous of.
The couple bought their home in 2009 and have discussed the idea of a home theater for a long time. One corner of the basement was made of concrete and seemed the ideal spot for a theater in their home. But the first order of business was to change the basement from being their home storage unit. They were motivated to “clean out the basement and move forward,” Brian Leslie says.
The Leslies got started on their basement reconstruction in 2021. They engaged designers and then hired Joe Gates Construction and Nuts About Hi-Fi to complete their home theater.
“They were critical in helping us figure out what made sense budget-wise with soundproofing or just doing those little things,” Traci Leslie says. “It was just a full team of folks who specialized in what they do, who helped us create the room the way that we had always wanted it.”
Nuts About Hi-Fi became involved just as Joe Gates Construction was building the room. The two companies tag-teamed on how to set up the space and its mechanics and wiring. Overall, it took the Leslies 18 months to build the home theater with their help.
As far as the decorative aspect of the theater, the couple worked together to find the right balance of their practical needs and personal tastes. They wanted to create the perfect home theater they both enjoyed.
“We decided on a nice, brown-purply color,” Traci says. “It took forever to figure out the kind of seating that we wanted, so we went with movie theater seats for the back row that’s optimized for viewing and then, in the front, we have a couch. … That’s worked really well, to have the different kinds of seating. … It’s got a sophisticated feel to it, but it’s comfortable.”
Brian, who likes audio, dealt with much of the technology for the home theater, doing a lot of online research. Additionally, Jim Lee at Nuts About Hi-Fi provided his 40 years of experience for the project. “We started well before the remodel, because he [Brian Leslie] was excited about it,” Lee says. “He wanted it to be very, very musical, which is what we do here. He wanted the best in all class, both video and audio.”
The theater has Brian’s ideal speaker setup for sound, with “four speakers in the ceiling,” front speakers and dual speakers for the side and back. The speakers actually sit in a room behind the home theater’s screen, along with other equipment. It was a suggestion from Nuts About Hi-Fi that the Leslies greatly appreciate. Lee explains that Nuts About Hi-Fi does “lots and lots of different designs, but that one made the most sense for Brian.” The couple also chose a wider-scope screen to accommodate films because that is their greatest love when it comes to video entertainment.
The Leslies, along with people in their lives, love the home theater they created in their basement. “We have so much more company coming over now that we get to share the space with and just enjoy movies and our friends,” Traci Leslie says. “It’s been wonderful. It’s a great space.”
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