Home entertainment lighting should be both decorative and functional. Recessed, LED and dome lighting are just a few types of lighting options. Light fixtures can greatly influence a room's mood. Some home entertainment areas have theme lighting, including fixtures that resemble a movie reel or a bag of popcorn. Iron and rustic fixtures lend a casual art deco character to a lighting design. Crystal lighting gives a more sophisticated look and feel to a home entertainment room. Crystal is typically used in more formal settings.
Occasionally there may be a need to illuminate only certain areas of a media room. Task lighting allows for a specific area to be lit while other areas remain dim. This allows someone to watch a movie in the dark while another person reads near a task light. Desk lamps and decorative shades provide adequate task lighting for multitask entertainment rooms. Choose task lighting that suits the style, colors and feel of the entertainment room.
LED rope lighting can provide a soft glow to an entertainment center. They generally come in strands ranging from 3 to 150 feet long. The flexible rope light strands may be placed along a walking path, seating area or ceiling. Tension clips can be affixed to hold the lights into the desired position. However, the rope lights must not interfere with the movie screen's lighting.
Wall sconces add a tranquil touch to a home entertainment area. Sconces are available in the following shapes: teardrop, cone, half moon, angled, circular and square. They can also be customized or painted to match the décor of a media room. When selecting lighting fixtures, consider the relaxing feel of your favorite movie theatre. A sconce is usually installed flush against a wall and radiates light upward. Sconces can be used to dimly light the room and balance the lighting between the screen and the dark room during movies. A dimmer switch allows the simulation of the cinema experience---with the brightening and lowering effect of lighting before and after a movie.