[Webmonkey]

Hi guys.

I am finally buying my own home, so that gives me some more options in regards to what I can paint the walls of my living room/cinema.


- As the room will also serve as a normal living room, black is out of the question.

So that currently leaves me with a choice of going either gray or beige.

I understand that gray would a good neutral color that should have the least effect on the projected image, but I am just a bit worried that a gray room will be a "depressive" or "un-welcoming" room.


- whatever the color - should the ceiling be a darker tone - or the other way around??? ???

 

[Aberk]

Grey is an "in" color. At least in my area. When my wife and I bought our current home a couple of years ago, she hated the paint colors so much we spent quite a large sum of money having the WHOLE house repainted in various shades of grey and I think it looks great.

My entire basement is also shades of grey (not 50 varieties though...)

Darker tones are used to minimize light reflection, but it also should be a flat non-reflective paint. Ideally, you would paint the first several feet from the screen a dark tone, but we all know the WAF typically rules that out, so we settle for only doing the ceiling and it helps accent the walls to have it a different color too.

 

[Webmonkey]

My entire basement is also shades of grey (not 50 varieties though...)

Darker tones are used to minimize light reflection, but it also should be a flat non-reflective paint. Ideally, you would paint the first several feet from the screen a dark tone, but we all know the WAF typically rules that out, so we settle for only doing the ceiling and it helps accent the walls to have it a different color too.

I am planning a matte color for the walls and ultra matte for the ceiling. - over here we have a scale from 0 - 100 where 0 is ultra matte and 100 is ultra gloss - I have never seen products below 2 and above 80. 25 is usually used in kitchens for easy stain protection/removal and 50+ for bathrooms.

I already know that I will go for a 2 for the ceiling and 5 for the walls.

- Is your ceiling darker than the walls? - And how about dark gray wool carpets for acoustics improvements?

 

[fierce_gt]

imo, go grey, and add color with furnishings.

drapes, throw pillows, blankets etc are where you can add color. the grey walls just give you a neutral background that works with everything!

 

[woodgieroo]

imo, go grey, and add color with furnishings.

drapes, throw pillows, blankets etc are where you can add color. the grey walls just give you a neutral background that works with everything!

I completely agree.

Says the guy who's colors were all picked out by an interior designer and are various shades of grey.

 

[Webmonkey]

I completely agree.

Says the guy who's colors were all picked out by an interior designer and are various shades of grey.

- how many gray tones does your cinema have?


I am contemplating painting the ceiling a dark neutral gray, and letting this color continue "down" seamless the projections screen wall, so a bit like an "L" shape if seen from the end of the room and then having a lighter tone neutral grey for the last 3 walls.

- Or maybe also have the darker tone on the back wall (opposite the screen-wall) and then keep the ends of the room in the lighter tone?

In my previous rental, I had a white/black checker board wallpaper on the back wall from the previous tenant, first I thought it look cool, but the white parts were reflecting on the inside of my JVC 3D glasses, quickly becoming very annoying...

 

[wpbpete]

Hi guys.

I am finally buying my own home, so that gives me some more options in regards to what I can paint the walls of my living room/cinema.


- As the room will also serve as a normal living room, black is out of the question.

So that currently leaves me with a choice of going either gray or beige.

I understand that gray would a good neutral color that should have the least effect on the projected image, but I am just a bit worried that a gray room will be a "depressive" or "un-welcoming" room.


- whatever the color - should the ceiling be a darker tone - or the other way around??? ???

Make the screen wall an 'Accent Wall' with a darker contrasting or similar darker color. Have you considered a DIY Painted Screen?
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/110-diy-screen-section/

 

[Webmonkey]

Make the screen wall an 'Accent Wall' with a darker contrasting or similar darker color. Have you considered a DIY Painted Screen?
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/110-diy-screen-section/

So the screenwall darker than the ceiling ?

And what is the definition of "accent color"? I know what complementary are, but not accent.


I already have a 92" Da-Lite CinemaVision which is epspecially good for preserving polarization for 3D material, so I am not parting with this - bought it 15 years ago for my Barco 808 back then

 

[T-Bone]

Make the screen wall an 'Accent Wall' with a darker contrasting or similar darker color. Have you considered a DIY Painted Screen?
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/110-diy-screen-section/

So the screenwall darker than the ceiling ?

And what is the definition of "accent color"? I know what complementary are, but not accent.


I already have a 92" Da-Lite CinemaVision which is epspecially good for preserving polarization for 3D material, so I am not parting with this - bought it 15 years ago for my Barco 808 back then

An accent wall is one wall painted with a different color. And brings attention to itself.

For instance, when I was looking through model homes the master bedroom would have an accent wall where the headboard was. Just that one wall where the headboard would be is one color Different than any other wall color in the room. Sometimes red. Sometimes forest green. But you get the point.

So if you were to do that, it would look spectacular during the daytime when you were not watching content on the screen.

-T

 

[Webmonkey]

An accent wall is one wall painted with a different color. And brings attention to itself.

For instance, when I was looking through model homes the master bedroom would have an accent wall where the headboard was. Just that one wall where the headboard would be is one color Different than any other wall color in the room. Sometimes red. Sometimes forest green. But you get the point.

So if you were to do that, it would look spectacular during the daytime when you were not watching content on the screen.

-T

Thanks for clarifying that! Much appreciated.

- now - any suggestions for an "accent color" that would well with my 2 tones of grey?


and what about my "backwall" opposite the screenwall, I assume it should also be dark in order to limit reflections back to the projection screen?

 

[woodgieroo]

- how many gray tones does your cinema have?

Only one - Sherwin Williams Grey Matters.

 

[T-Bone]

An accent wall is one wall painted with a different color. And brings attention to itself.

For instance, when I was looking through model homes the master bedroom would have an accent wall where the headboard was. Just that one wall where the headboard would be is one color Different than any other wall color in the room. Sometimes red. Sometimes forest green. But you get the point.

So if you were to do that, it would look spectacular during the daytime when you were not watching content on the screen.

-T

Thanks for clarifying that! Much appreciated.

- now - any suggestions for an "accent color" that would well with my 2 tones of grey?


and what about my "backwall" opposite the screenwall, I assume it should also be dark in order to limit reflections back to the projection screen?

I looked at your color online.

One option would be to use muted red... For lack of a better term. Nothing bright and certainly not fire engine red. Maybe like the Deep Red you would find on an apple.

I would leave the back wall as is... I am assuming it's the same Shade of Grey on your side walls.

-T

 

[Webmonkey]

I looked at your color online.

One option would be to use muted red... For lack of a better term. Nothing bright and certainly not fire engine red. Maybe like the Deep Red you would find on an apple.

I would leave the back wall as is... I am assuming it's the same Shade of Grey on your side walls.

-T

I was actually just thinking of a "Barn red" or "Burgundy red"

Like:

and

This is getting very exciting

 

[T-Bone]

I looked at your color online.

One option would be to use muted red... For lack of a better term. Nothing bright and certainly not fire engine red. Maybe like the Deep Red you would find on an apple.

I would leave the back wall as is... I am assuming it's the same Shade of Grey on your side walls.

-T

I was actually just thinking of a "Barn red" or "Burgundy red"

Like:

and

This is getting very exciting

Those look really nice. I bet that would look killer in a room.

Thanks for posting the samples.

-T

 

[Webmonkey]

Those look really nice. I bet that would look killer in a room.

Thanks for posting the samples.

-T

For some reason, they appear full size, despite that I re-sized them in the post

- They could also work well in the bedroom

 

[Onetrack97]

Hi guys.

I am finally buying my own home, so that gives me some more options in regards to what I can paint the walls of my living room/cinema.


- As the room will also serve as a normal living room, black is out of the question.

So that currently leaves me with a choice of going either gray or beige.

I understand that gray would a good neutral color that should have the least effect on the projected image, but I am just a bit worried that a gray room will be a "depressive" or "un-welcoming" room.


- whatever the color - should the ceiling be a darker tone - or the other way around??? ???

FYI - Neutral Gray is gray that reflects/contains equal amounts of red, green, and blue.

If you know a photographer with a calibrated gray card, take a picture of it next to a paint sample. In Lightroom or Photoshop, do a white balance on the photographic gray card, then put your cursor over the paint sample. The paint sample should have equal amounts of RGB, no matter how dark or light the gray is.

Same for white paint, as you know, there are lots of types of white paint.

 

[Webmonkey]

FYI - Neutral Gray is gray that reflects/contains equal amounts of red, green, and blue.

If you know a photographer with a calibrated gray card, take a picture of it next to a paint sample. In Lightroom or Photoshop, do a white balance on the photographic gray card, then put your cursor over the paint sample. The paint sample should have equal amounts of RGB, no matter how dark or light the gray is.

Same for white paint, as you know, there are lots of types of white paint.

Could be worth a try - I have the X-rite colorchecker passport.


I wonder if the paint dealer can provide information about amounts of RGB in the mix.

 

[bofa89]

Hi guys.

I am finally buying my own home, so that gives me some more options in regards to what I can paint the walls of my living room/cinema.


- As the room will also serve as a normal living room, black is out of the question.

So that currently leaves me with a choice of going either gray or beige.

I understand that gray would a good neutral color that should have the least effect on the projected image, but I am just a bit worried that a gray room will be a "depressive" or "un-welcoming" room.


- whatever the color - should the ceiling be a darker tone - or the other way around??? ???

Below is a pick of what I did. It isnt the best pick but gives you a general idea. We did grey in the theater and in our entire home.

I don't see any issue with doing the same paint colors in your main living room.

 

[gambledog]

I went with beige in my theater/rec room and I'm quite happy with it. The rest of the house is full of grey and my wife and I wanted a bit more warmth as the area is being used as a rec room and entertaining space. My white ceiling doesn't actually bother me at all despite it being lit up a bit by bright scenes.

 

[Webmonkey]

Below is a pick of what I did. It isnt the best pick but gives you a general idea. We did grey in the theater and in our entire home.

I don't see any issue with doing the same paint colors in your main living room.

Looks great! - I love the way the ceiling and front wall "becomes one"

- btw - what color is the carpet - is looks bright???