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Haunted Mansion fan Brad Kalmikoff is living his dream with a happily haunted home theater in Buffalo Grove, IL, crafted with room for one (or many) more in mind.
A self-proclaimed chef, semi-professional drummer and professional action figure collector, Brad also finds time to maintain his status as a nationally recognized salesman. His home is more of a museum of action figures and Walking Dead collectables. At 35, Brad has already achieved his ultimate goal in life: having his own home theater.
Though, he soon realized that wasn’t quite enough…
“Having a home theater fully decked out with a projector and 120in screen, 2 rows of theater seats and a killer sound system wasn’t enough,” said Kalmikoff. “I thought it was boring and needed to have a theme. Naturally I thought Walking Dead, zombie themed, but since the rest of my home was already filled with this I wanted to do something different.”
After visiting several oddity and curio shops, a museum dedicated to death and several antique shops, a plan was hatched. After additional trips to several local antique shops and a few online purchases, a delightfully dark haunted home theater began to take shape. This “screaming” room is never really finished as Brad is constantly adding to the ambiance with newly acquired artifacts.
As of now the creepy cool corner of his home is only partially perfected. A themed wall, faux porch (formed from an existing exit door to the theater), and several spooky accents manage to set the tone of terror. Ultimately, Brad plans to expand his dark décor to the point of wall-to-wall chills.
An added and appreciated bonus to all this “boo” is the reaction he gets from inviting friends over to watch a movie:
“Everything I do in my life I try to make people smile or make their day. I love that I can cook for people and play music for people and just be creative and put a smile on someone’s face. That’s what I live for. My mother, the most selfless person on earth brought me up this way. I’m lucky to have been blessed with so many talents and it’s the greatest pleasure to use them to bring joy to others.”
It is with that very same motive in mind, that Brad has shared his haunted home theater with ITM readers. We share that sentiment, with the hope that these themed treasures bring a “wow” and smile to our readers.
And, dear reader, if YOU have a themed room or corner in your home, we’d love to share it with the rest of the ITM audience. Email Michael@insidethemagic.net with details and/or questions.
All images courtesy of Brad Kalmikoff
