We Build the Stranger Things Living Room (Inside Our Garage!)

Matt
Nov 8
3 min read

Bringing Hawkins Home

Every good idea starts with a simple sentence like, “Hey, what if we build the Stranger Things living room in the garage?”

*Completed Stranger Things Living Room (Byers Living Room)*

Cut to a few weeks later: piles of plywood, tangled Christmas lights, and me covered in paint wondering how Joyce Byers ever found time to spell out the alphabet on her wall.

Watch the Build Video Here on YouTube

This wasn’t just a Halloween prop—it was the pre-show room for our full Stranger Things experience. Guests would step into the Byers’ living room before moving deeper into Hawkins, through our custom Hawkins Lab, and eventually into the Upside Down itself.

Building the Set

We started with a freestanding wall so the living room could exist as its own structure inside the garage. One sturdy main wall carried the famous alphabet lights, flanked by two curtained entryways that allowed cast and crew to move between scenes.

Two people install floral wallpaper on a panel in a garage. Wooden planks, tools, and shelves are visible in the cluttered space. — *Setting up the Living room walls*

Once the framework was solid, it was time for wallpaper—the kind that screams suburban Indiana circa 1983. We found a near-perfect match using adhesive contact paper (wallpaper link) and covered every inch of the set.

Next came the lights. We ran classic string lights (link) across the wall, then marked out each letter using a dry-erase marker before painting them on by hand. Every letter dripped and wobbled, just like Joyce’s frantic wall from the show.

Hands hang multicolored lights on floral wallpaper, over painted letters A, B, C, M, N, O, P. Warm ambiance with glowing bulbs. — *Handing the Christmas Lights for the Stranger Things Living Room*

To make the alphabet flicker and “speak,” I wired two separate sets of lights controlled by a DMX Fader (link). That let me trigger different flash patterns on cue—and yes, the lights can spell words if you time them right.

For builders who want a simpler route, flashing bulbs (link) can mimic the same random effect without any DMX hardware.

The Tech Behind the Magic

Every great experience needs a little behind-the-scenes control. In the middle of the garage, we set up a “pop-up control room” with sound, lighting, and video all synced together.

The vintage TV was real—no CGI here. We used an RF Converter (link) to send a modern signal to an old analog set, powered by a mini media player (link). That setup let us trigger pre-show videos directly from the computer, complete with static transitions and eerie messages from the Upside Down.

*Classic TV connected to Modern Day Media Player*

If you want to try this yourself, I’ve got a full tutorial on setting up motion-triggered media players right here.

Dressing the Room

We raided more garage sales than I care to admit to find authentic 80s furniture—floral couches, vintage lamps, and enough knickknacks to make your grandmother’s living room jealous.

To sell the illusion, we added creeping vines and tendrils overhead, made from black saran wrap (link) and aluminum foil (link), then coated them in black glue using a Webcaster Gun (link) with black glue sticks (link). Under the flickering lights, it looked like the Upside Down was spreading across the ceiling.

Finally, we connected the flickering lamp to our DMX system so it pulsed in sync with the wall lights. When everything came together—the hum of the TV, the glow of the bulbs, the slow flicker of the lamp—it felt alive.

The Big Reveal

When the first guests walked through, the room transformed from set-build to storytelling. The lights blinked in patterns, the TV flickered to life, and the familiar synth score filled the air. For a moment, everyone believed they were standing inside the Byers’ house in Hawkins.

And yes—it works.