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Although it may seem counterintuitive, it’s possible to have a home theater that is too dark! If you’ve ever struggled to locate your popcorn or navigate to your seat, then that’s a sign that you need to brighten up the space. Our team at SounDesign is prepared with several lighting solutions that will provide visibility without overwhelming the space, while further adding to the atmosphere of an authentic cinema.
Overhead lighting is a necessity for the times when you aren't watching a film, like when you're cleaning and prepping your space for the next movie marathon. Your two primary options are recessed or mounted lighting fixtures. Recessed lighting will add an elegant feel to your space at an affordable price. However, the bulbs can only be placed within carved holes in the ceiling studs, so installation is somewhat of a hassle. If you don't properly plan and execute installation, you may be left with asymmetrical lights. You could alternatively opt for mounted lighting fixtures, which are considerably easier to install. However, considering they match the common lighting style across most rooms in your home, your home theater will lose a bit of cinematic ambiance.
Next, you’ll need complementary lighting to keep at a very soft glow when you’re watching films, leaving just enough visibility to see your snacks or make your way to the bathroom without disturbing anyone. If you’re a homeowner aiming to replicate the atmosphere of a miniature cinema, wall sconces are the perfect option for casting a dim light up or down the wall. Sconces are available in a wide range of shapes and styles so you can opt for something relatively discreet or fabulously opulent to match the feel of your home theater. You'll need to place an up-to-date electrical box behind each wall sconce, so we suggest leaving the installation to the professionals.
Would you like to have a ceiling that resembles a starry night sky? This effect is easy to achieve with fiber optic lighting, a machine linked to a multitude of light-tipped fiber tubes. The common standard is to set white lights against a black or very dark blue or purple ceiling, but you also have the option to include lights that change into RGB lights for something with more fun visual nuance. Your kids will love the magical feeling of being beneath a multi-colored night sky. However, this memorable effect isn't the best complementary lighting for most home theater spaces. The lights will only appear like stars if you have a slightly indented ceiling; otherwise, you might be left with a headache instead of a sense of awe. Before you choose this option, we recommend you have a professional team like SounDesign conduct an on-site assessment of your ceiling’s size, structure, and shape.
For creative homeowners who want to experiment with lighting as often as they please, LED light strips may be your option. These lights are incredibly versatile and the most affordable option for complementary lights. You can cut them to your desired length and easily install them anywhere, whether you’d like to place them behind your screen to decrease eye strain or tape them to the floor to line your walkways. These lights also change in color and intensity, creating a fun effect when installed around movie posters, or under shelves and seats. It may not be as professional or elegant as wall sconces, for example, but LED light strips are the best choice for a DIY decorator.
With automated solutions, there are now many ways to operate your home theater's lighting! Do you prefer to use a voice command or control everything from an app on your phone? More homeowners are choosing smart home devices as they become more affordable, so now is the best time to invest in your home theater! With automated systems, you can control every aspect of your lighting, so you can turn off your overhead lighting while keeping your wall sconces at a dim golden glow via a wall panel, remote control, smartphone app, or voice command assistant. You can even take it a step further by integrating your lighting control with the rest of your home theater’s audio-visual system from a central location, and set up “scenes” that will get the lights dimmed and the movie started within seconds!
Fumbling in the dark will be a problem of the past once you add the safety precaution of lighting to your home theater. Once your home theater is lit to your tastes, you’ll be surprised that it feels even more like a movie theater, and your movie nights will be sure to impress your family and friends. Since nearly all of these lighting solutions require installing high-voltage electrical wiring, we think it's best to employ a team of professionals like SounDesign to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Whether you have more questions for wall sconces or would like an on-site assessment to see if fiber optic lighting is a good choice for you, contact us today to begin!