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IT'S
SHOWTIME! |
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The
cornerstone of the van Vliet's adult play area is the home
theater on the lower level. It's a miniature reproduction
of the old movie houses from the past. "We are big movie
buffs and watch three or four movies a week," says Miller.
"This theater is pretty wild and we've had a lot of fun
with it."
The
home theater has a dual decked theater seating arrangement
of eight velvet-covered stadium seats. "It's done with
opulent gold and red comfy chairs," he says. "We
have total surround sound and a 65-inch TV."
The
walls are red and when combined with the black ceiling and
floor, "the room turns into a big, dark cave when everything
dims down," Miller adds. Outside of the theater, a faux
ticket booth greets guests and a bar modeled after an old-fashioned
theater concession stand provides theatergoers with treats
from the candy rack and authentic popcorn maker.
The
movie theme is also carried through the entire play area with
old movie posters and other memorabilia from the silver screen.
"We
love this place, Miller says. It's a real showpiece that keeps
us entertained for hours."
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| Miller
and Megan van Vliet have created their own movie theater in
their home including a snack bar complete with popcorn maker.
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Left:
Even the second floor hallway exhibits the beauty of timber framing.
Right: Casement windows in the master bathroom, and throughout
the home, are easy to open, letting the refreshing lake air flow through. |
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oil lamps. "In our dining room there is a contemporary piece
of art with Hershey's Kisses," he says. "We commissioned
that piece with the money that we got when we were married. It's very
special to us."
Beneath the
dining table is a large area rug that Megan says, "really ties
the whole room together," working off the drapes and the painted
Kisses.
The floors
are done in a combination of treatments. "We have a nice, natural
Berber carpet that plays well with the wood in the great room and
other areas of the house," Miller says. "The 'hardwood'
floors are a wide plank, pine-like manufactured material that we
chose instead of true wood because of the radiant heating system
that we have throughout the house." The black tile used in
the kitchen is also seen in the entryway, pantry and all the bathrooms.
Light
Up the House
The primary sources of light after hours are from above, by way
of a series of discreetly placed halogen cable lights.
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"We
have these lights on minute calbes that actually blend right in,"
says Miller. "I didn't want the huge, bulky lights that some
people tend to have in their timber frame homes. We wanted something
that was more natural. You can barely see them, they are not overpowering,
and they shed a lot of light."
In the great
room, the couple selected four corner sconces to shed lighting upward,
giving the room a warm glow up into the vaulted ceiling.
During the
day, sunlight beams into the home through wall after wall of energy-efficient
windows. "It was Megan's idea to have the area around the windows
painted white, window sills and all, so that your eye would go to
the great view outside and not be distracted or lost in a sea of
wood," Miller says.
"Megan
and I love the lodge-like feel of our home. It's not pretentious
in the least," he continues. "We designed it ourselves
and that is pretty special. It's my de-stressor, my haven, my sanctuary
and when I get home from work, I'm the happiest man alive."
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