You want a home theater and you want one badly, right? You want a big screen television with huge, booming speakers and subwoofers all over with sound so realistic, you'll swear the action is live right in your living room. All your friends will be green with envy but....wait. Aren't home theater systems ugly? And what about the WAF? That's right, the dreaded Wife Acceptance Factor - or the SOAF, Significant Other Factor. This one variable keeps so many from actually following through and building the sound system of their dreams but there is absolutely no reason you can't have your cake ....um speakers...and listen to them too.
The key to building a great sounding and visually pleasing theater set up is less is more. For a simple, clean look, hide your components out of sight and minimize the front stage speaker footprint. In my set up ( pictured) I used a pre-existing linen closet positioned behind the theater wall and placed all the electronic components within on an audio rack. 
The entire system is remotely controlled by a Harmony Ultimate Remote - which works by remotely converting RF (Radio Frequencies) to IF ( Infra Red Frequencies - used by most components) to your system - right through the walls! Just make sure to have plenty of ventilation. If you don't have an adjacent closet or room, a cool enclosed media cabinet like THIS one from Restoration Hardware will only add style while keeping the wizardry behind your stellar sound out of sight.
In my install, room limitations led me to choose Totem in-ceiling speakers for my four surround channels. This not only solved the issue of placement for my open concept living room, but also helped keep the overall look clean and simple. The alternative would have been four freestanding surround speakers to either side and behind the Jaymar theater sofa. I just didn't want the clutter (SOAF). To a lot of enthusiasts, this might be too much of a compromise sonically, but I consider myself to be a bit of a home theater snob and the end result , after proper calibration, is exceptionally good. A very nice solution.
Once you have your gear set up and speakers selected everything else is just a matter of personal taste and style ( or a good designer's). Home theater sofas are notoriously hideous but Jaymar as well as a few others make some relatively decent looking ones. Rugs and drapes help soften sound reflections and tame any room harshness. Oh, and don't forget the movie posters. Design doesn't always have to be serious.
Enjoy your movie.
