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If you have a white ceiling you can't paint a dark color? Any ideas?

post #1 of 9
7/18/12 at 5:56am
Thread Starter 
I live in the hay loft of an old carriage house that is one large 1200 sq ft room, the ceilings are exposed wood with beams and the whole ceiling is painted white. As much as I'd love to paint it a dark color it would look a little odd and darken the whole space.

As you'd expect the white ceiling does not do the image any good.

Any ideas for putting something removable up while watching? I had thought of running a 'curtain' on wire on the ceiling from the top of the screen up to the seating position....figured you guys might have some better ideas??

Help!
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post #2 of 9
7/18/12 at 9:13am
Triple black velvet is the holy grail of light absorption. You only really have to treat the first 5 feet in front of the screen
I attach black velvet to the walls around my portable screen.. goes in a hall way facing the living room though an arch way.
I use neodymium magnets sewn in the velvet and some tiny brad nails with grommets in the velvet... also on my screen skirt I used black Gaffers tape rather than sewing.
Velvet on the walls that face the screen.

These magnets are so strong they hold on the steel corner bead under the plaster.
They work well for a stud finder to .. they grab the nails..
If your ceiling or beans has Nails or screws they will hold on them like glue.. Be creative it may look crappy when the lights are on, but then your take it down so no worries.

You say you have wood beams.. not sure which way the go, but if they go across the room in front of the screen you could us small brad nails put into the side of the beam then put grommets in the velvet to hook on the nails.
Wrap the velvet around the beam over to the last one that is close to the screen and hook on nails in the opposite side.. This would work with either orientation of the beams.. if you get what I am saying.

Be creative.. 5 ft out will help a lot!
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post #3 of 9
7/18/12 at 9:40am
If you've got wood beams running across the room then to could run fabric under and over them like on an outdoor pergola.
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post #4 of 9
7/18/12 at 2:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gumby1976 View Post

If you've got wood beams running across the room then to could run fabric under and over them like on an outdoor pergola.

They're are actually roughly 3x11" sections of wood that support the wooden ceiling...here's a photo, sorry should have posted one at the start! As you can see just throwing it together now...there will be a wall of wood with mass loaded vinyl on the other side eventually that the screen will hang on.

The back wall is brick so not too bad for sucking up light. Will be adding dark blue curtains also.

448

448
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post #5 of 9
7/19/12 at 7:39am
In my mind this is not as bad as it initially seemed. That cross beam is going to block most of the first reflection light. Is it possible to paint just that beam black? Cover it with velvet? I think doing that would handle most of the issues
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post #6 of 9
7/19/12 at 7:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayn_j View Post

In my mind this is not as bad as it initially seemed. That cross beam is going to block most of the first reflection light. Is it possible to paint just that beam black? Cover it with velvet? I think doing that would handle most of the issues

That large cross beam that supports the beams running across the room is actually about an inch behind the screen...trick of the image smile.gif

I thought maybe the Ikea curtain system using tensioned wire with black velvet?
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post #7 of 9
7/19/12 at 11:09am
Too bad. Before I saw the picture I was going to suggest a pair of velvet curtains hung vertically and parallel to the screen. Basically the problem is with light reflecting off the screen and then the ceiling. If you can block the view from the seats to the celing for the first 5 feet or so, you are good. One way is to paint or curtain the entire ceiling, but an equally valid way is to block the view of that area from the seating location.
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post #8 of 9
7/19/12 at 12:03pm
Real cheap test, buy a single black twin bed sheet at Bed Bath and Beyond. Use gaffers tape to attache to the beams on either side of the screen stretched across them flat against the beams. Will cost less that $20 and you will know what you want to do after viewing.
I use one of these black sheets to cover a mirror behind my seating area. $20 will get about a yard of velvet and the sheet will be 100% better than it is now.
Not saying leave it taped .. will need to come up with something that works for you but you will know the benefit of no reflected light.
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post #9 of 9
7/21/12 at 4:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by airscapes View Post

Real cheap test, buy a single black twin bed sheet at Bed Bath and Beyond. Use gaffers tape to attache to the beams on either side of the screen stretched across them flat against the beams. Will cost less that $20 and you will know what you want to do after viewing.
I use one of these black sheets to cover a mirror behind my seating area. $20 will get about a yard of velvet and the sheet will be 100% better than it is now.
Not saying leave it taped .. will need to come up with something that works for you but you will know the benefit of no reflected light.

Thanks all for the suggestions....Airscapes I'll give the black sheet a go to start with.
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