Home Lighting

Designing a home theatre can be both fun and challenging. There are many facets that contribute to the design process, and it can be easy to forget some details. One major detail is lighting; the proper lighting can make or break a home theatre, so make sure to install the best home theatre lighting system possible. Here are five tips on how to best use lighting in your home theatre.

1) Make Things Flexible

When choosing lighting for a home theatre, leave your options open. Consider creating lighting zones and installing dimmer switches. By creating zones, some lights can be kept on, while others can be turned off, depending on your needs at the moment. Dimmer switches allow for change in brightness levels in the room to match the mood of what you are watching and increase screen visibility.

2) Start with a Theme

If you have a particular theme in mind, coordinate home theatre lighting to that theme. Many people like to model their home theatre after their favorite film, such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or The Godfather. You can get creative by choosing light features that complement your theme.

3) Furnishing and Material Choices

Lighting is about more than just fixtures and bulbs. Lighting can be enhanced or diminished by the different fabrics, paints, and materials used in a home theatre. Try to choose low-reflective materials that won’t cause glare. Ideal colors include black, burgundy, dark blue and dark green.

4) Use the Ceiling

Ceiling lighting is extremely important in a home theatre. Overwhelming brightness should be avoided, but you certainly don’t want to lack sufficient lighting. Try installing recessed lighting in a cove ceiling. This can provide gentle, warm lighting – without any unwanted or distracting shadows.

5) Direct Lighting Away from Screen

It is never a good idea to have lighting near a movie screen. Light can affect the visual quality of the screen and can cause color saturation and fading. To make the most of a home theatre screen, make sure all lighting fixtures near the screen are contained in their own separate zone. This allows you to keep them on when nothing is being shown and turn them off when a movie is in progress.

When looking to design a superior home theatre, keep these five lighting tips in mind. By following these helpful ideas, you can create a home theatre experience that is comfortable, enjoyable, and aesthetically pleasing.