A rustic log pool table isn't for everyone, but if you've got a log home or the idea of an Old West theme in your game room appeals, the Game Room Company offers them. Each table is hand-crafted and one of a kind, made to standard pool table specs. The company has eight different styles, and prices start at $6,200.
The Sonos Digital Music System lets you play the music from your computer's library in any room of the house via a wireless interface. The controller has an iPod-like scroll wheel that lets you select tunes from your PC and send them to players in your choice of rooms. A starter kit that comes with one controller and players for two rooms costs $1,200. Add $300 more for two sets of bookshelf speakers.
Everyone wants to have a home theater right in the house these days (makes ya wonder what it was like in the old days when people actually had to go out to see movies), but not everyone has the extra room to build a dedicated home theater room. Optoma's MovieTime DLP Projector/DVD Player is a portable 7.8 pound all-in-one unit that can be used in any part of the house, so you can set up movie time in the basement, the family room, or wherever you want to chill. Included inputs are: PC sound, a game player, cable TV/satellite box, and other video sources. It comes with built-in speakers, or you can output the 7.1 channels of audio to your existing sound system. The price for the Optoma projector is $1500.
Let's face it: built-in speakers look better than clunky freestanding ones lurking around the living room or cluttering up your sleek, new home theater room. Hardcore audiophiles cling to their freestanding speakers, though, because they can be positioned directly toward the listening area. If you decide to rearrange the furniture down the road, it's easy to move the speakers at the same time. That's why SpeakerCraft made their TIME (Theater in Motion Experience) speakers, to offer the best of both worlds. They are mounted flush in the ceiling, but at a click of the remote control, they drop out of the ceiling where they can be rotated to any position and canted at angles of 15, 30, or 45 degrees. The price is $350 per speaker.
Still haven't caved into the plasma TV revolution? Or maybe you're ready for your second. LG's 60PY2DR is a 60-inch plasma HDTV that includes a built-in 160GB hard drive with TV Guide On-Screen program guide to let you record without an extra PVR or VCR unit. The unit has a native resolution of 1366 x 768 and contrast ratios that top 5,000:1 (for those who don't speak tv-techy that's code for it's big and you can see a lot with sharp details). The TV is digital cable ready with the addition of a CableCARD. It also has a multimemory card reader for the display of digital camera images. The price for the LG 60PY2DR is about $15,000.
Trak-Kit is a stainless steel track that you install on your ceiling to hold your flat panel (plasma, LCD) TV. Depending on where you lay the track, the TV can move along it from room to room, thus eliminating the need for multiple televisions (as long as you're ok with a long metal track running along your ceiling). It also allows you to adjust the height of the TV and swivel it. Speakers come along for the ride. You can get a double-track system, 1,000 pound capacity, to handle more than one TV. I'm not sure the spouse will want this system zooming across the living room ceiling, but it seems like a fun invention for an industrial style loft or bachelor pad. Prices start at $2,500-$3,000 for an 8-foot track that can support at 42-inch flat screen tv.
If you're setting up a recreation room for the kids (or yourself) and miss those old arcade video games like Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command, Hammacher Schlemmer sells a full-sized game system that includes those and 30 other arcade classics from Atari and Capcom. The price is around $3,700.
Football season is starting up. Have you bought your kegerator yet? Ok ok, Frigidaire actually calls it a "Beverage Center." I guess that's classier than "The Booze Goes Here" but we all know what it's for. The Frigidaire PLKU1267DS 28" Beverage Center accomodates kegs up to the half-barrel size (16 gallons) and has flexible shelving to adjust to your needs. The pressurized tap system includes tap, regulator, hoses, faucet, and CO2 canister. Expect to pay $800 for the unit.
Today's luxury pool tables seem to come with as many options as cars. And then some. The FS151 Diamond Billiard Table from Camelot Billiards is made from ornate oak and has these options: LED peripheral lighting and integrated CD stereo system. The lights are programmable for up to 10 settings. The stereo system comes with four speakers undermounted in the corners. The FS151 pool table is available in 5 stains: walnut, brandy, nutmeg, fruitwood, and cognac.
Summer may be winding down, but if you live in a warm climate, there are still plenty of backyard entertaining days left in the year. Coleman's Backyard Party Cooler--a kettle-shaped, free-standing unit--is designed to keep your drinks cool while you're hosting a barbeque or just hanging out with friends. A steel stand elevates the cooler, so you don't have to stoop for your drinks. The stainless steel exterior resists condensation which reduces drips on patios and decks. The cooler holds up to 48 12-ounce cans, 5 2-liter bottles, or 10.5 gallons of punch or another beverage. The price is $170.
Not everyone has the space (or the desire) to have a full-sized home jukebox, but a tabletop jukebox with all the style and color of the original thing can be a fun addition. This miniature from the Home Marketplace is a reproduction of a 1940s jukebox, including play list and turntable under its glass dome. Unlike the original, it includes AM/FM radio and a CD player. Measurements are: 10 1/2" W x 15" H x 6 3/4" D and the price is $150.
What's the best way to store wine? Here are a few helpful tips from the Summer 2005 issue of the Better Homes & Garden Kitchen & Bath Products Guide:
If you've been grilling steaks and burgers all summer, your family may be ready for a change. Shish Kabobs are fun because everyone can choose what goes on their own stick (you can always tell the kids' kabobs because of the rows of pineapple and meat with a dearth of veggies). Shish kabobs can be a pain to grill though. It's hard to turn those sticks with the flames licking at your fingers. This stainless steel kabob rack from Outset aims to make things easier. It can handle 6 skewers at a time (included) and the non-stick metal is easy to clean.
Designers have been combining waterfalls and fireplaces for a few years now (i.e. Max Blank's combination wood-burning stove and waterfall), but Automated Fire and Water Effects, Inc. is exploring the possibilities of putting a fire pit in water. The company primarily does commercial work, but there are a few pictures of residential fire pits in their gallery. Some of the other things they do with fire are: firewalls, super-sized tiki torches, fire towers, fire urns, and various water features.
Home cocktail bars are popular additions amongst homeowners who like to entertain. Sometimes you're lucky, and your house comes with one built in, but even if it didn't, that doesn't mean you can't add one with a minimum of effort. The Prestige P-301 Bar from Cal Spas is available in maple or oak and has a U-shape and detailed baseboards. It comes with a wine rack (10 bottles), cutting board, and stainless steel dry sink. The bar has an optional canopy and canopy lights, flip-down TV with DVD player, and a brass foot-rail.
"Portable hot tub" usually just means the hot tub sits above ground instead of in the ground and it's possible to move it if you leave the house (and can lift the 500 pound beast onto a flatbed truck...). The SplashTub from Splash SuperPools is actually designed to be movable. The tub weighs 90 pounds and can be flipped on its side and fit through doors. It works indoors or out. It plugs into a regular 110v outlet, and according to the manufacturer, the cost of running it averages $9-$15 a month. The SplashTub is available in several colors including forest moss, autumn mist, granite, onyx, and wine. The portable tub runs roughly $3,000-$4,000 depending on the model you purchase.
It seems like those ubiquitous portable spas with the faux wood paneling are all over the place now, and there's nothing wrong with them, but for those who prefer inground hot tubs, check out Bradford Products, LLC. They combine stainless steel with tiles to create a number of different colors and patterns for their tubs. According to the company, they use stainless steel because it's "already one of the most durable materials used in architecture and construction today and is widely referred to as a 'green' product. This means it is safe for the environment and 100% recyclable." Bradford has ready-made hot tubs, but they can also customize size, shape, tiles, etc.
The Sony 12.1" Location Free TV LF-X1 is a compact, completely wireless, LCD unit that lets you watch television or video (or anything connected to the base station up to 50 feet away) from the back deck, beside the pool, or anywhere else you wouldn't normally find a TV. You can also use the wireless unit to check email and surf the Web. No external keyboard is needed; the touch panel and on-screen universal remote and keyboard give you a buttonless interface. The built-in audio/video inputs, a Memory Stick slot, and stereo speakers make it nice for road trips, too. MSRP is $1,500.
Home bars are popular choices in households that enjoy entertaining, but installing a bar with all the necessary woodwork and plumbing can be quite a home improvement project. The Vintage Bartending Center makes things simple since it's a fully contained unit that can be used indoors and out. Vintage's largest home bar is a 42-inch unit with an integrated all-weather refrigerator, built-in sink, and removable cutting board. An insulated ice center keeps ice cold, and the unit's insulated bottle wells hold previously chilled drinks. The price is around $2,500 give or take a hundred or take depending on the model.
The $14,000 Manhattan pool table from Brunswick Billards was featured last night on HGTV's I Want That. Brunswick's "Contemporary" line of pool tables are designed in a variety of classy modern styles meant to fit seamlessly into your home rather than stand out like a garish reject from the billards hall. "Bright, airy, and uncluttered, the style embraces white walls, blonde woods, fresh colors, sensual textiles, clean-lined furniture, and materials that are natural, recyclable, or industrial such as glass and steel. The result: eclectic yet cozy retreats from fast-paced pressures."
Tired of the refrigerator shelf dedicating to keeping sodas cold? Maybe you need a home vending machine. Ok, nobody needs a home vending machine, but if you're trying to turn your house into a party pad--or at least get your kids to stay at home more often--how can you turn one down?
The Maytag Skybox vending machine keeps your beverages icy cold and comes with a variety of mostly sports-related exteriors. It holds 66 12-ounce cans or 33 12-ounce bottles with up to four selections. It comes with a child-lock out option if you don't want your three year old guzzling down the Jolt while you're not watching. Don't worry; since it's a home vending machine, it operates without quarters. The price? Just under $500 at Amazon: Skybox Home Vending Machine
Retrofitting current rooms to make dedicated home theaters is increasingly popular amongst homeowners. Though it can be done on the cheap (sort of), expect to pay tens of thousands for a quality system. One example is the VX-2c Projection System from Runco International. The MSRP is $39,995. This Digital Light Processing projector offers 16:9 native resolution which means superb high-definition pictures.
Also of interest...
Articles on buying and installing home theaters:
How-to Information on Home Theaters
How to Set Up a Basic Home Theater
How Home Theater Works (from How Stuff Works)
