Very nice.

Thanks mom! My favorite part of the entire project is that we were able to do in-wall speakers that are controlled via the TV remote volume for under $100 total. From a website called parts-express.com, the in-wall speakers cost us $50 and a small amp cost another $25. When picking out the TV, we just made sure that it had a "variable-level line out". All this means is that when you change the volume on the TV, it changes the volume on the headphone jack. So the in-wall speakers are always-on and mom can easily change the volume without the hassle or cost of buying a giant A/V receiver that would frankly be overkill for such a small space and limited budget. The stoop was actually poured in place. First I placed a couple concrete blocks to act as the base. Then I laid a 3/4" board down and attached strips of melamine around the sides. Once it was dry I removed the side pieces and then used a multi-tool to cut away the overhang on the bottom board. After that it was simply a matter of laying a brick veneer around the blocks. The stoop was then stained a red earthy tone. Parts Express has tons of products for running wiring for a project like this. I know I wanted to be able to run more wires in the future, so instead of doing specific wall-plates that locked us into whatever wires we chose, I just bought wall-plates that have basic openings for running wires through. It doesn't look as good, but it's all out of sight anyways, so who cares. Next I ran a 1-12" PVC pipe in a straight line between the two plates. This makes it SUPER easy to snake new cables. No bends, no sharp edges to get caught on. It's a piece of cake.

Very nice look for a very nice price and a very nice story! Thanks for sharing!