Home Theater Lighting

Light Fixtures for Home Theater Lighting

Light Bulbs for Home Theater Lighting

Accessories for Home Theater Lighting

Lighting Tips for Home Theaters

Guiding Principle

“Light is the first element of design; without it there is no color, form, or texture.” - Thomas E. Farin

Types of Lighting

There are several different types of lights that should be considered to be part of a well-lit home theater. Recessed downlights, step lights if there are steps, pathway lighting if the theater has several rows of seats, wall sconces and/or wall washer downlights, a fiber optic star ceiling, cove lighting, cabinet lighting, exit signs, rope lights, and stage lighting each provide an important component of a well-layered lighting plan for a home theater.

Avoid Direct Glare

Light fixtures in a home theater should not produce any direct glare. Thus, recessed downlights in the ceiling should be deeply recessed, wall sconces should have opaque fronts or dark translucent diffusers, and most, if not all, of the light fixtures in the theater should be dimmable.

Avoid Shadows on the Screen

While in use the rear of the home theater should be as dark as possible to prevent shadows on the screen.

Never Complete Darkness

The seating area requires at least some subtle lighting for illuminating the remote controls that control what is being viewed, for seeing and eating snacks and drinks, and for safely moving in the pathways of the home theater.

Intermission Lighting

Remember there needs to be enough light to illuminate the room adequately during intermission and maintenance times when the carpet needs to be vacuumed, for example.

Accent Lighting

A fiber optic star ceiling with twinkling “stars” or dimmable cove lighting provide very attractive accent lighting while viewers are enjoying a movie, a concert, or a sporting event.

Cabinet Lights

If there are cabinets in the home theater, possibly on either side of the screen, they should be lit well enough to be able to read labels and any controls whenever necessary.

Step Lights

For rooms with steps, step lighting is vital to ensure the safety of everyone using the theater.

Rope Light

Rope light can sometimes be used to accent the perimeter of the room.

Stage Lights

Stage lights are optional to accentuate the proscenium part of the stage during intermission.

Exit Sign

If you have a large home theater, you may want to consider using a green LED edge lit exit sign to indicate where the egress is located.

Dimmers

Each set of light fixture types (e.g., all of the wall sconces or all of the downlights in the front of the theater or all of the downlights in the back of the theater) should be controlled by a separate dimmer.