6 Types of Lighting Perfect for Your Media Room

With more and more families forgoing the movie theaters and staying home with their favorite films instead, the media room has taken on more importance. Whether your media room is small and plain or large and dramatic, its lighting is key to a great experience.

Many people overlook the lighting in a room traditionally meant to be used in the dark, though. What types of lighting can help you turn your media room into a multiuse, safe, and fun place to hang out? Here are six of the most common to consider. 

1. Overhead Recessed Lights

Recessed lighting, which is installed flush with the ceiling, is ideal for one of the main ingredients in any room's lighting design: overhead lights. Bright lights are necessary for safety and comfort. And recessed lights (such as can lights) provide plenty of useful light without getting in the way of viewing or the projector like pendants will do. Put them on a dimmer switch for the most effectiveness. 

2. Cove Lights

Want to take your media room to the next level? Try cove lights in the ceiling. These lights are installed between the wall molding and the ceiling itself. The resulting effect is a strip of beautiful backlights outlining your room's dimensions or certain architecture. These lights provide ambient light that can serve as safety lighting when watching movies or brighter light for moving around. 

3. Wall Sconces

Because you want to avoid light fixtures that get in the way of viewing angles, most hanging and floor lamps are not an option. A great alternative is the wall sconce. Sconces provide less lighting than overhead lights, but they have much more ambiance. You can also find sconces that blend with every style or decor of the media room — from old-fashioned Hollywood glamor to chic modern minimalism. 

4. LED Strips

One lighting innovation that may be the most fun to work with is the LED strip. These versatile strips of small, energy-efficient LED lights can be placed just about anywhere. Use them as columns to replicate the theater experience or place them horizontally as floor directions or stair lights. Highlight the architecture of the room or place them behind the screen for a fun effect. You're often limited only by your vision. 

5. Table Lamps

Small table lamps are an easy addition to any media room on any budget. These lamps should be low enough not to interfere with viewing and soft enough not to blind audience members in the dark room. Place them by seats so people can turn on a light during the movie if it's needed. Shed soft light on tables, snack areas, and the bar so everyone can help themselves. Use them where large or built-in lighting options may not work. 

6. Fiber Optic Lights

Another way to dress up even the simplest media room is to use fiber optic lights hung from the ceiling. These lights are usually positioned to resemble a night sky full of stars, so they're commonly called star ceilings. While this isn't a style that will fit every home media room's decor, it can be a fun and low-energy decorative feature that will wow your guests. 

Where to Learn More

How should you integrate two, three, or more types of these lights in your own media room? Start by learning more about options for today's homeowner. Central Electric Co. can help. We'll work with you to determine your options based on the existing structure, design the ideal lighting arrangement, and get all the lights ready for their debut. Call today to make an appointment or find answers to your lighting questions.