Holiday season is just around the corner. This makes it the perfect time to clean up your home and prepare for entertaining friends and family. Your media space will be a favorite gathering place, no matter if your guests are visiting for a short time or to enjoy the big game. The American Lighting AssociationThe American Library Association (ALA) offers a few suggestions to improve everyone’s viewing experience.
Whatever space you have, be it a media room, a TV nook, or anything else, comfort and lighting are the most important components. The majority of media-related activities take place in multi-use spaces. Lighting must be able to switch between daily life and TV viewing.
“One of the primary design objectives in a media space is to create the ability to achieve multiple and varied types of experiences, and lighting provides the key element to achieve that goal,”Joe Rey-Barreau AIA, IES is an education consultant for ALA, associate professor at University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design.
For the ultimate media viewing experience, three elements are required: the source of the light, the types and location of light fixtures, as well as the use smart dimmers.
Light source
Remember that natural light from the outside can be as powerful as indoor lighting. Multipurpose spaces often have windows. This creates the need for light control during daytime and night, when even minor reflections could be distracting.
Erik Anderson, national sales director for Lutron Electronics Co. says that lighting is the most important aspect of his job. “the sun is light bulb number one.”As a way to control ambient lighting, he suggests motorized shades. These can be retrofitted onto existing windows. It is important that you consider the source of your light as well as the season and time of day. These factors will affect the intensity and angle of the light as well as the amount of light coming in.
Placement and type of fixture
There are many different types of fixtures that can be used in a media room than in a family or living room. There are many things to consider when selecting fixtures for any media space. You can get the best advice from a qualified lighting consultant at an ALA member showroom.
Smart dimmers
Dimmers can seem simple, especially when they are so easy to set up and have a lot of impact. The new wireless smart dimmers attach to a wall or can be placed on a tabletop. Anderson explains that Lutron’s Caséta Wireless dimmers are designed for simple, do-it-yourself installation. These inexpensive devices can be connected to a smartphone to remotely control lights, shades and temperature.
“It can be inconvenient to turn each thing on and off every time you enter or leave a room,”Anderson. “With Lutron’s Caséta Wireless, you can pre-set it to adjust everything at once, so that it all comes to life with one press of a button.”
For more ideas and advice for improving your media viewing experience while maintaining functionality in your multi-use space, stop by your local ALA-member lighting showroom or visit AmericanLightingAssoc.com.
