Which Factors Should I Consider When Choosing Home Theater Lighting?
When planning out a home theater set-up, it’s easy to put all of your attention into the obvious details: your screen, your speakers, and really, really comfy seating! But don’t forget the detail that has the power to set the tone for your entire home entertainment room: lighting!
Your choice of illumination can either enhance or detract from the overall effect of your home theater, so be sure to make well-educated decisions when planning out, purchasing and installing lighting components. Here are a few key points to keep in mind while you map out the lighting scheme for your viewing room:
What kind of mood do you want to set?
Most home theater fans are in pursuit of the ultimate chill-out space: a room where they can unwind at the end of a long day, or provide laid-back entertainment for their friends and family. For the majority of people, a relaxing environment calls for soothing lighting, and incandescent lights are a great choice for those who are after a warm and cozy glow.
On the other hand, if stark, super-modern, energetic lighting is what appeals to you, opt for lamps and light fixtures that feature bright-burning halogen bulbs. The bottom line is that there’s really no “right” or “wrong” with lighting… opt for whatever will be most enjoyable to you and your guests, but keep in mind that effect you create largely depends upon which types of lighting products you choose.
Is your Home Theater a dedicated viewing space, or is your entertainment set-up located in a multi-purpose room?
Even though we all dream of having a fully-loaded, designated Screening Room, the reality is that most of our home theaters can only be referred to as The Living Room! Regardless of what you call your home entertainment space, when you’re planning its lighting, you’ll need to take all activities that take place there into account.
A multi-zone lighting scheme isn’t really necessary in single-purpose, Viewing Only spaces, but if your living or rec room is doubling as a home theater, task lighting is an important element. Think of it this way: in a shared space, there’s probably going to be more than movie viewing going on, so allow for light in some areas, and darkness in others. Make it possible to dim the lights in the room for optimal viewing, but also provide for proper lighting in other areas where someone else may want to read, play a game, or use a computer.
Will you need path or step lighting for safety?
Think of it this way: when you’re out at the movies, it can be an ordeal groping your way through a darkened theater if you get up mid-movie to use the bathroom or hit the concession stand for another box of Junior Mints. Typically, the only things that keep you from crashing into the walls or trampling on your fellow Will Ferrell fans are the little rows of floor lights that guide us from seat to door and back again.
It’s the same way with home theater, just on a smaller scale. Chances are, your viewing room is the center of activity when guests come over, so put in some creative path lighting to keep them safe while they’re moving around in the dark. If your home theater seating is arranged in tiers, you might also want to consider LED step lights… they’ll ensure that your clumsier friends don’t catch their toes and wind up facedown in their popcorn!
Beware the glare.
When you’re plotting the lighting layout for your home theater, be sure to place light sources where they won’t cause a glare on the screen. Soft, indirect lighting from wall sconces is usually a safe bet when you’re trying to avoid screen glare. Another easy solution is track lighting, with multiple adjustable lamps that can be aimed in any direction.
It all comes down to figuring out what works best in your space… every home theater is different, so play around with light levels and angles to before you make any purchases or move forward with permanent installations!
Remember that too much darkness can cause eyestrain.
If you’ve ever ended a computer session with bleary eyes and a headache, you know that eyestrain is no trip to the movies… but that doesn’t mean it can’t result from a trip to the movies (or an evening in front of your viewing room’s screen). Just like working at a computer in a dimly lit room, it’s easy to wear your eyes out by watching a movie in total darkness.
There’s an easy way to prevent home theater-induced eye fatigue: don’t let your screen be the sole source of light while you’re viewing. You can still bring the lights down, just leave a soft peripheral light on: you’ll still get a nice, dark movie-theater effect, but you won’t be abusing your eyes.