You’ve invested in a high-definition TV and splurged on a killer surround-sound system—why settle for anything but the best when it comes to your smart home lighting? While the right lighting strategies can enhance video playback, the wrong ones can ruin it. For example, watching TV with an overhead light switched on is usually a bad idea. If you’re ready to kick back and watch your favorite flick or binge-watch your latest Netflix obsession, here are some expert tips for finding the perfect balance between ambient and task lighting.
Choosing the right ambient lighting is crucial.
When choosing the right combination of ambient and task lighting, remember that ambient lighting is a general light that fills the room, and task lighting is directed light on a specific task. The amount of ambient and task lighting you need depends on the size of your room. It is recommended that you include ambient and task lighting in a small room with only one lamp and TV stand (in this case, there are two lamps). But if you have an enormous living space with ample floor space for a premium sound system or multiple couches, then perhaps only one light would suffice as a source of both types of lighting—make sure to keep all corners lit!
For any given room size, there are some general guidelines: If it’s smaller than 15 feet square (all measurements in this article are in imperial units), use three lamps: one at each end and one directly behind where people will be sitting; if it’s larger than 15 feet square but smaller than 25 feet square (15 x 15 ft = 225 sq ft), use four lamps: two at each end plus another placed roughly between where people will be sitting; from 25 x 25 ft onward (225 × 225 = 5450 sq ft), go ahead and take advantage by adding as many lights as necessary!
Don’t forget about wall switches.
Wall switches are a great alternative to dimmers, especially if you don’t want to spend any time installing or paying for additional equipment. They’re also super easy to install and can be installed in various places around your home.
Wall switches come in various styles, so no matter what kind of look you’re going for, there’s sure to be one that matches!
Consider how you’ll use your TV room.
You’ll want to consider the type of activities you’ll be doing in the room and how long they will last. If you’re going to be watching content for hours at a time, then it’s more important that your TV room has excellent acoustics than if you’re watching a movie every once in a while.
If there’s any furniture in the room besides your couch, make sure it has some space between it and the wall behind it so that light from your TV isn’t reflected off those surfaces back onto your screen. Leave at least 5 feet between your seating area and any walls or other surfaces behind them. For example: if you sit 10 feet away from a 120″ screen with 3D glasses on (with each eye about 6 inches apart), there would ideally be 18 feet between where people are sitting and any adjacent wall surface or piece of furniture.
Create a layered lighting design.
A layered lighting design is the best way to create a comfortable environment, and this means combining ambient and task lighting in different areas of your home.
Ambient light is used for general illumination, such as lamps or wall sconces in the living room. Examples of ambient light include floor lamps, table lamps, chandeliers, pendant lights, and ceiling fans with built-in light fixtures (if you have one). Tasking light is used for more specific tasks, like reading or working on projects at home. Examples of tasking include desk lamps with adjustable brightness levels, halogen work lights; LED flashlights with adjustable brightness levels; nightstands with built-in reading lights for late-night bedtime reading sessions!
It’s essential to consider ambient vs. tasking light in each room if you’re watching TV or movies at home, especially if you’re watching them on a projector screen outside because of rainy weather conditions! What works well depends on whether they’re indoors or outdoors, but here are some general tips:
Don’t forget about dimmers.
Dimmers are the most common type of lighting control everywhere—in your home, work, restaurants, and bars. A dimmer allows you to adjust the brightness of a light bulb by turning its switch in either direction. That’s how most people use them (and it’s also why they’re called “switches”). However, some other uses for dimmers can greatly improve your viewing experience.
Be smart with lamps.
As you’re setting up your television room, you’ll want to think about the mood that you want to create. The lamp(s) in a room can lend a lot of atmosphere and ambiance without being too overbearing. They can also help you achieve the perfect brightness level for watching TV or movies.
There are many different ways that lamps can impact what you see on screen:
- Lights with dimmers allow mood lighting, which can help make your favorite show even more enjoyable.
- A lamp alone may not be sufficient for creating a sense of space, but multiple lamps placed throughout the room will give it more depth than just one light source would provide!
- Having a bank of lights above the couch creates drama while ensuring everyone has enough illumination to see clearly during dark scenes (and avoids having someone’s head cast in shadow).
Use color temperature to your advantage.
- You can use color temperature to your advantage, too. Warm light, created by incandescent bulbs, makes you feel relaxed and cozy; it’s ideal for watching TV or reading a book. Cooler colors, created by fluorescent lights, assist concentration and productivity at work.
- Color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin, or K. The lower the number—for example 3000K—the cooler (bluer) the light will be, while higher numbers—such as 5000K—mean warmer (redder) tones.*
It is possible to watch TV and movies in comfortable, quality lighting.
You can achieve the perfect lighting for watching TV and movies by using ambient and task lighting layers.
Ambient light should be a general wash throughout your living room, so you don’t have to turn on the overhead lights whenever you want to change channels or adjust the volume. This is usually achieved through wall switches, dimmers, or lamps with dimmers that allow you to control brightness levels throughout your whole home. Task lighting focuses on tasks like reading (a lamp or floor lamp) or playing games (a table lamp).
If you have multiple light sources in one room—such as ceiling fixtures and table lamps—make sure they come from different sources: incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs, or LEDs are all fine as long as they’re not all from one type of bulb. Choose wisely when shopping for lights because some bulbs will give off more heat than others; newer LED lights are generally better at dissipating heat than older ones.
Color temperature refers to how warm or cool an object appears based on its ability to emit radiant power in Kelvin units (K), which range from 2800K (warm) up to 9000K (cool). Most televisions need bulbs between 4000K-5000K for colors on the screen to look true-to-life; daylight color temperatures can hurt contrast ratios by making blacks seem grayish rather than deep black like nightfall would naturally.
Conclusion
The key is to have a mix of light sources with different functions and brightness levels. In addition, it’s essential to think about how you will use the room where your TV or media center is located. Consider whether or not you will use this room for other activities, choose the right products, and design a layered lighting scheme that considers these uses.
