Home Theatre space paint color choices

[crashkelly]

Hi all,

I am just about done the priming for my basement renovations, including an HT space, and I am confused about the best choices for color in that HT space.

I will give a bit of a room description first.
The basement is basically 35'L x 13'W x 7'9"H (finished drop ceiling height). of the previous dimensions, approximately 15'L x 13'W x 7'9"H is for the HT space. Now the HT space is not separated from the rest of the basement except for a half wall at the back.

Here is a couple of not so good pics taken a couple of weeks ago:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/crash.kelly/BasementRenovations/photo?authkey=iLzCuACQdvc#5149208077611888818" target="_new"><img border="0" src="http://lh5.google.com/crash.kelly/R3WpdwSg8LI/AAAAAAAAAMo/K7DFMqcY3Lc/s144/106-0607_IMG.JPG" /></a>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/crash.kelly/BasementRenovations/photo?authkey=iLzCuACQdvc#5149208339604894146" target="_new"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.google.com/crash.kelly/R3WptASg8cI/AAAAAAAAAO0/l1glo9h7UuI/s144/106-0624_IMG.JPG" /></a>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/crash.kelly/BasementRenovations/photo?authkey=iLzCuACQdvc#5149208352489796050" target="_new"><img border="0" src="http://lh5.google.com/crash.kelly/R3WptwSg8dI/AAAAAAAAAO8/4heoQtBcqmA/s144/106-0625_IMG.JPG" /></a>

More pics are available here if you are interested.

All my components are black, my component stand, DVD stands, bookshelf, and CD racks are all black (hand-built by me in my bachelor days ). The floor will be a laminate (pseudo oak if I remember correctly) and the sectional couch is a tan color (couch was bought in the summer by the wife). The drop ceiling in the HT space will remain white unless I can work some serious magic and get WAF for a dark color.

My research so far says the colors should be dark, but I am not sure how dark and really what colors are best suited for this. The space is primarily for HT, but it will also be used, along with the rest of the basement, for other family activities so it can't be a cave.

The space will eventually have a projector and screen, the screen will more than likely be a motoroized one attached to the ceiling in front of my 48" crt rear projection, but it will possibly be a fixed one on the back wall.

Personally I am partial to greys (thinking dark for the HT space and light for the rest of the basement, but I am not sure if those are a "good" HT color or not.

Been looking at color chips for about two weeks now and am more confused than ever.

Any input greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Michael

 

[Motorhead]

Hey Michael;
I have been a professional painter and finisher for almost 40 years, semi-retired. Gray is a difficult color to live with. Just ask anybody who has been in the military. You can choose dark colors and just use floor lamps or bookcase lamps for your non-home theater use. In my room, which is 10x15 and is a dedicated 2 channel listening and a home theater set-up with a projector, I painted the ceilings black(more like a historical black/charcoal) and the walls a dark historical green. Historical colors do have gray mixed in. Dark burgundy is a beautiful color and is an extremely warm color to live with. Purchase quarts and make your samples on a small drywall board primed like your room. 2x2 feet is a good size to hold up and determine whether you like the color.

 

[mike c]

I wanted a dark color, but also wanted one that had a little life in it ... I went for maroon for the walls. somehow, I ended up with eggplant.

I wanted black for the ceiling, but people said that was unnecessary ... so I ended up with gray.

 

[sparky77]

I hate to say it, but this is where you might have to actually consult your wife on this one, I would take into consideration for the planned seating and what our speakers are treated, if you want a showcase, go for a contrasting color from the speakers, that would be my pick anyway.....

 

[crashkelly]

Thanks for the replies

Great information.

I guess I will be heading back to the paint store yet again (have tried the online paint choosers but the colors are never quite the same).

I was/am considering colors out of the red family, but have yet to see a chip that really popped and caught my eye.

I will try out painting the drywall samples as you suggested Motorhead, it is an excellent idea.

I have consulted the wife and basically she doesn't care what the basement gets painted, until it is done of course and she does not like the color . Speakers are all black oak finish so they will go with just about anything and everything.

Thanks again and I will post when I have picked some colors, or at least narrowed it down a bit

Cheers
Michael

 

[D.R. Payne]

I think red is a good home theater color. This one in particular is called "cherry cobbler" and is a Behr paint. Please excuse my bad photography.

 

[bandphan]

http://www.hytechsales.com/prod150.html

 

[j_garcia]

I went with a Dark grey on the wall behind the system with a very light grey on the sides, light enough that most don't notice that it is grey. You can click on My HT, but I haven't put up any recent pics...with it done. I have to take some soon....

 

[crashkelly]

Thanks for the further replies.

I think I am going to go out this weekend and select some chip candidates and then out of those candidates pick a few to buy some samples of and paint on some primed drywall and go from there.

I know I can do it over again if I don't like it, but I would rather just the once.

Thanks again all
Michael

 

[AVRat]

Here's a room with dark walls and lighter colored accents to show what can be done. http://blog.audiovideointeriors.com/1107diy/

 

[evilkat]

Wow those are some pretty damned impressive HTs in that blog!

 

[crashkelly]

Here's a room with dark walls and lighter colored accents to show what can be done. http://blog.audiovideointeriors.com/1107diy/

Very nice!!! Thanks for the link. Talked it over with the wife on the weekend and we are going to go with the greys, dark for the HT area and light for the rest of the space. We found colors we both like and they are not drab or gloomy so we are going for it. If it turns out we don't like it we can always paint over (sigh).

I will post more pics when done.

Cheers
Michael

 

[bpape]

Looking forward to the pics. One step closer to bringing those poor babies in from the cold garage...

Bryan

 

[crashkelly]

Looking forward to the pics. One step closer to bringing those poor babies in from the cold garage...

Bryan

No doubt. It has been a ong time in coming and there is still quite a bit of work to accomplish but it is getting close.

I can hear my speakers crying every night. Last night it was -28C (-18.4F)

Cheers
Michael

 

[bpape]

Now that's cold - I don't care where you live! I'd be bringing that stuff in the house right now. No way would I leave it out there in that kind of cold.

Bryan

 

[Johnd]

Now that's cold - I don't care where you live! I'd be bringing that stuff in the house right now. No way would I leave it out there in that kind of cold.

Bryan

Agreed. And it's not just the cold. That kind of temperature extreme is void of any humidity...so whatever is left in that environment is drying out rapidly. Not good. Extreme humidity changes can wreak havoc on things. I would do as bpape suggested and get whatever is of any value out of that environment immediately.

 

[crashkelly]

Now that's cold - I don't care where you live! I'd be bringing that stuff in the house right now. No way would I leave it out there in that kind of cold.

Bryan

Done! Actually I did it the night of my post about the cold. It was the first "real" cold snap and I knew it could not be good for my equipment. It is now sitting, happily I might add, in a corner of my heated crawl space.

Glad I did to as next week it is supposed to be -35C, and that is the high

Cheers
Michael

 

[jonnythan]

I love this color scheme:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28864

 

[crashkelly]

Yes. I have seen that thread before and agree that it is a nice color scheme. I really like the built-ins, but unfortunately thought about doing something like that a little too late.

Going to be testing out some color samples this weekend as I have the house to myself, will make things quite a bit simplier

Cheers and thanks
Michael

 

[jonnythan]

I love this color scheme:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28864

I got a negative rep for this post