If you’re thinking about installing a home theater system in your Southlake, TX residence, there’s one major concern you may not have considered. No, we’re not talking about how you can watch beautiful 4K content, or how you can achieve the best 3D surround sound possible. It’s even simpler than that – we’re talking about how you can minimize ambient light and glare as part of your viewing experience. In this blog, we’ll take you through different technologies that can help prevent washed-out picture in your space. Read on for more.

See Also: How to Choose the Best Screen for Your Home Theater System

Smart Lighting Design

The way your lighting is designed can have a big impact on the amount of glare you see on screen. All fixtures should be pointed away from the screen, so the image won’t be overpowered by them. Moreover, you should have zone controls implemented, so that you can control the lights around the screen separately from the ones in different parts of your theater space.

Motorized Shades

For Westlake, Texas homeowners who want something a little more flexible than a dedicated home theater system, a media room provides an excellent option for entertainment of all sorts. However, with any multipurpose room, the most common mistake is taking a “jack of all trades, master of none” approach. To create a space that provides a top-notch environment for all of your favorite activities, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. We’ve listed the top design mistakes and how to fix them below.

DON’T Permanently Block Out Natural Light

Sunlight is the bane of any dedicated home theater. It washes out projector visuals and creates a glare on television screens. Since you’ll likely want to enjoy movies and shows in your media room, your first instinct is probably to create a room without any windows. The problem is that the room needs to be available for other activities, like chatting with friends or playing a game of cards. In those cases, natural sunlight is great to have.

DO Install Blackout Shades on the Windows

The solution is to keep the windows, but include motorized shades that completely block out the light when you need a dark environment. With motorized shades, you have more flexibility for creating the perfect lighting for each activity, and changing the lighting is as easy as pushing a button.

DON’T Clutter the Room with Equipment

Bulky speakers, gaming equipment, and a pile of remotes on the coffee table create the distinct feeling that everyone is supposed to stare at the screen and jump right into a movie or video game. If you want the space to be open for other activities such as a fun party or relaxing with a good book, you don’t want to be distracted by the presence of AV equipment.

SEE MORE: 4 Unique Uses for Your Brand New Media Room

To create a space that is perfect for movie or television enjoyment, you have to think carefully about every element—the projector, seats, acoustics, etc. Today, we’re going to discuss one of the most important aspects of a home theater system: the screen. To learn how to choose the best screen for the theater in your Colleyville, TX home, read on.

Step 1: Assess the Space

Your room will have a big impact on the type of screen you purchase. When looking at the space you’re going to convert into a home theater, there are several considerations to keep in mind:

• Shape: Most home theaters are rectangular for a reason. A long, deep room provides better viewing angles and a longer throw distance for your projector, which in turn allows you to have a larger screen. If your theater is shaped like a square, it will likely impact how large of a screen you can fit into the room while still giving the audience a comfortable view.
• Size: The larger the theater, the more space there is for seating and a bigger screen. Keep in mind that just because you have a certain amount of space on one wall doesn’t mean that you can buy a screen exactly that large. Depending on the room, you may need to put A/V equipment on either side of the projector, plus you don’t want a screen that is so big that the movie-watchers have to crane their necks from side to side.
• Lighting: Screen manufacturers now provide different materials that are designed to optimize visual quality based on how much light is in the room. For traditional movie theaters without any windows, your best bet is to go with a white screen, but if you do have ambient light in the room, you should consider a gray screen. Darker screens will block out light that isn’t coming from the projector so that you don’t have a washed out image.

SEE MORE: 5 Design Tips for Your Home Theater System

Step 2: Decide on Style

When it comes to screen styles, you’ve got two main options. First, choose whether you want a screen that is fixed in place at all times or one that retracts into the ceiling when not in use. With traditional home theaters, most homeowners opt for fixed placement, but if your theater is more of a media room with multiple purposes, a retractable style is worth considering.

The second choice you need to make is the frame style. You can get a regular, flat frame, or you can install a curved frame. Just like curved TVs, curved frames may provide a better viewing angle and help dispel ambient light. However, you’re not likely to find a retractable curved frame, and if you have a lot of theater seats, the curved style might impact visual quality for the fringe seats.

If you’re considering designed a home theater system for your Southlake, Texas home, we have a question for you: how do you plan on making it unique? You don’t have to settle for a cookie-cutter home theater design. Instead, you can make your space as personalized and fitted to your needs as you’d like. Of course, to achieve that custom theater look, there are a few design tips you should keep in mind, and you can read about them below.

SEE MORE: How Can You Upgrade Your Home Theater System?

Choose a Theme

If you have a hobby, movie, or location that’s important to you, why not use that as a theme for your home theater system’s décor? Choosing a theme, whether it’s your favorite sports team or a binge-worthy television show, makes it much easier to create a cohesive design for your theater.  

Use Every Space

Yes, it’s easy to plan out the screen and the seating, but what about the ceiling? A popular design choice for home theater systems is to recreate the night sky above you. Twinkling lights provide ambiance to the space without causing too much extra light on your movie screen. Tie in the carpet pattern and lighting sconces into your chosen décor theme, and you’ll have a truly immersive theater experience.

Hide Your Speakers

A blatantly obvious speaker can break through the immersive décor scheme in your home theater, so avoid the clutter of devices entirely by hiding them behind the screen. In order to do this properly, you need the right type of screen—an acoustically transparent fabric that allows the speakers to transfer high-end audio without any loss of quality.