Please suggest colours for HT room

[lucmor444]

So the recent storms in Melbourne means a tree has forced a refurbishment of my HT room. 
 

I can’t make this room a bat cave but do want to use colours that improve the viewing experience for a projector. 
 

What colours have people found they like, works and has a reasonable WAF?

[petetherock]

I've painted my front wall and ceiling with chalk paint - the stuff you can even write on.

It's a matt black.

The rear and side walls are a bisque colour.

You can see what it looks like in my signature.. 

[lucmor444]

Thanks Peter - Your room is great but I don’t think I can get away with matte black. 
 

Bisque is worth exploring. 

[Quark]

I went with chocolate inspired colours  - Haymes Castlegate walls (much darker than it appears in the pictures) and Chocolate trims - see here. Obviously not for everyone, but works with the rest of the house.

 

One thing I should mention: used to be a BIG fan of Dulux paint but they've gone to hell with thin, watery crud with poor coverage and adhesion. Paint shop recommended Haymes - so much better to apply and great coverage/adhesion.

[lucmor444]

Thx Quark. 
 

I prefer Haymes too. 
 

Nice colour combination suggested although thinking on this more I think shades of grey may be more acceptable for our house. 
 

I might get away with with the front quarter of the ceiling in a suitable black. 

[Luc]

Black.

[lucmor444]

The ideal Luc but not a goer unfortunately - it’s not a dedicated room so needs to be reasonable suitable as a room for normal use as well. 

[lucmor444]

I also hope this thread doesn’t start to reflect those found on social media. 
 

Constuctive and helpful posts please noting my initial post. 
 

I just don’t want to waste time with silly responses. Half my house has been smashed by a large tree so my patience is a little lacking at the moment. 

[Kaynin]

Whatever colour you use, going with a matte finish will make a big difference with reducing light reflection.  The downside, of course, is that it marks when you look at it, and good luck trying to clean marks off.  It's touch-up paint every time!

 

I went chocolate brown walls (photos don't reflect that colour too well, but they are brown), white trim and chocolate ceiling, but now going black on the ceiling.  Of course, mine's a dedicated room - but I will say this, if you go a white (or similar) light coloured trim, it helps break up and soften the very dark colours we go after in HT rooms.

 

 

 

 

[Kaynin]

4 hours ago, Quark said:

Paint shop recommended Haymes - so much better to apply and great coverage/adhesion.

 

 

Yes, +1 for Haymes, made in Ballarat I believe.

 

 

[lucmor444]

Nice room Kaynin and good idea about the light colour trim. 
 

My room had black curtains that a could draw across the walls (and a night sky type wall paper on the front half of my ceiling. 
 

But I am thinking of using front wides as well this time around (if insurance will replace my damaged processor rather than try to repair it - it doesn’t support front wires) so continuing with curtains is unlikely to work. 

[Kaynin]

Yeah if your curtain covers new speakers then it won’t work.   Curtains are a good idea for a dual purpose room though.  It’s tough having compromises, but everyone I’ve ever spoken to has compromises in their room in one way or another.

 

I’ve never used front wides though.  I’m currently upgrading from 5.1 to 7.2.6 and still no front wides!  Are you 100% sold on installing them?

 

My room started dual-purpose, then the ex gave the room to me a couple of years later, but of course the doors and windows aren’t exactly where I would have put them the first time around.

Edited June 11, 2021 by Kaynin

[petetherock]

26 minutes ago, lucmor444 said:

Nice room Kaynin and good idea about the light colour trim. 
 

My room had black curtains that a could draw across the walls (and a night sky type wall paper on the front half of my ceiling. 
 

But I am thinking of using front wides as well this time around (if insurance will replace my damaged processor rather than try to repair it - it doesn’t support front wires) so continuing with curtains is unlikely to work. 

Curtains work well. Eg they can run across the bookshelves if you have some..

A tip: make sure they run along the floor if they are in front of a window, so it really blocks out the light..

[lucmor444]

I am very attracted to front wides based on reports about how they are very effective in improving the overall front sound stage and in the pans to sides/rears. However if I keep my current processor then I will not be using them. 
 

But as noted everything is a compromise and my curtains did a fantastic job of making my room a bat cave even during the day. They did come right down to the floor to stop all light from the windows/French doors. 

[Guest Prof.]

I used a dark blue/grey in my previous theatre..It has a good WAF..and gives good screen contrast..

[petetherock]

try this.. you reach for the skies  

 

[RankStranger]

I haven't got anything to add about paints but I wanted to say sorry about your misfortune with the storm and I hope you come out of this with a better room and not too many grey hairs  

[Silver Audiophile]

How not to build a HT room.. use a pre existing mains living room with beige walls that I'm not allowed to change and have no way of blocking out natural daylight.

 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2021 by Silver Audiophile

[petetherock]

Well it's a lovely room.. WAF high..

[Guest thethrowback]

On 14/06/2021 at 12:40 AM, Silver Audiophile said:

have no way of blocking out natural daylight.

 

Curtains might be handy.

Edited June 14, 2021 by thethrowback

[Silver Audiophile]

46 minutes ago, thethrowback said:

 

Curtains might be handy.

Photo doesn't show the extent of windows and height. Cathedral ceilings, with shutter opening windows, floor to ceiling windows, large open areas continuous dinning area and kitchen all with extensive windows. Some windows are triangular in shape, never designed to shut with curtains.

[April Snow]

You could get blockout roller blinds ? For the windows that are high up they can be put on a Motor that are operated by remote, so can be operated that way?

 

You can in fact get double roller blinds - you have the Blockout blind closest to the window so the gaps are minimal and the sunscreen as the second blind.

The Sunsreen allows you to see out through the day too but filters the sun. 

The lower blinds could be chain operated and the blinds for the high windows motorised (which would save costs)

That may help ?

 

In fact looks to me you may have sunscreen blinds there already - so you would just need to get the blockout ones made - they will have to put them on a double roller - but any good blind company can sort this for you. 

 

This would at least help the the light shining on the screen from those windows in the photo?

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by April Snow

[Silver Audiophile]

Thanks, I already own the double roller blinds combo upstairs. As you said those blinds have the block out blind closest the windows. They still let a large amount or light leak in from the edges.

I was also told they couldn't be customised for the triangular windows or the shutter windows up high.

I don't watch much in the way of movie anyhow. When I do, I just watch them at night.

[lucmor444]

Thinking of Software or Web Grey for the walls from this colour group

 

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7071-gray-screen

[Puunda]

I am in the process of painting my HT room. I have chosen a very dark grey. I have bought the paint but not put it on yet.

I have painted the ceiling white, but it looks like it's common to paint the ceiling the same colour as the walls. Is there a reason for this?

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by puunda