Vintage Theater

Old theater gets new life as a single-family home.

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Marilyn and Bill Morgan like to joke around that while some people have a home theater, they have a "theater home." The two dance instructors transformed a century-old silent movie theater in Baltimore, Ohio, into an unusual home. When Marilyn wanted to move closer to town, the old Aurora Theater grabbed her attention. The dark and dirty theater needed a lot of improvement, including repairs to the water-damaged tin ceiling and heating and cooling system.

They originally thought about living on the third floor, but decided instead to use the open space as a dance studio. Contractor Philip Barker helped them transform the grungy theater into an entertaining home. They retained the curved plaster arch, ticket booth, stage, balcony and even a few seats to maintain a theater-like ambiance.