Couple Digs Deep to Put Basement Theater in 1886 Home
A Minnesota couple hits rock and water before turning their 19th-century basement into a modern marvel.
Renovating any home can be a tough job. When a structure has been standing for more than a century, though, infusing modern conveniences into a living space can test the limits of even the most proficient do-it-yourselfers.
Doug and Candy Laven can attest to that. As the proud owners of an 1886 Victorian residence, they’ve taken great pains to preserve the historical integrity of every square inch of their 19th-century abode. Even enormous projects like adding a third-floor bedroom were done with deference to the home’s original design.
But finding and installing new fixtures, flooring and furnishings to complement the Victorian design was nothing compared to their most recent renovation project. “We had been thinking of adding a media room for a while but didn’t want to alter any of the woodwork to make room for the equipment,” says Doug. Their concerns laid the groundwork for a renovation plan that would take them to a place that had remained relatively untouched for decades: the cold, dark basement. Once used to collect rainwater, the 25-by-32-foot area would undergo a major 13-month overhaul to become the home theater of Doug and Candy’s dreams.
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