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The Perfect Window Treatments For Home Theaters And Media Rooms In Cincinnati

April 17, 2019

For some TV and movie lovers in Cincinnati, the home theater or media room is more than a hobby room, but one of the most important rooms you could use.  The entire room faces the large 4k television.  The sound system envelops you in dramatic scores and exciting sound effects. Now, it’s time to install the most functional window treatments for your home theater or media room experience.

When your home theater or media room is used as a gathering place, you should get the most from your television.  Nevertheless, you need a covering that will adequately black out the room, so that you don’t have to deal with glare on your screen. It’s also nice if your coverings could completely dampen outside sound.  As an added bonus, your coverings should have style even when the TV is off.  

So what are the perfect window treatments for a home theater or media room?

Your Window Treatments Should Make The Room Pitch Black

Shutters in Theater Room

When you watch a movie in a home theater or media room, you want the room free of outside light.  Your first instinct may veer to shades that block distracting sun and street lights.  Opaque cellular shades, roller shades or Roman shades can effectively keep the room dark. And with the right materials, you can have the room as dim as you want, so you can get a nice movie theater feel.

However, while the right kind of shade will make your room completely dark, they don’t do a fantastic job at directing outside light.  If you wish to have the option to direct light in addition to blacking out the sun, you should look at plantation shutters. Shutters have the ability to shroud the room in complete darkness when the louvers are shut. However, sometimes you might want some natural light, so the room doesn’t seem so claustrophobic. With these window treatments, you can direct outside light, so all your shows aren’t always in a dark theater.  

Your Window Treatments Should Hinder Sound

Shutters in a living room with a tv

Your window coverings should black out sun glare, but don’t overlook the significance of sound.  Outside noise, such as children playing in the yard or a running lawn mower, can disturb you from what you are watching. Sounds from your films and TV programs should also be addressed, as your program’s sound can become muffled when it bounces off your window’s glass panes.

Cellular shades can keep the room dark, but they usually are too delicate to adequately stop outside commotion.  Blinds can have similar problems as they hang loosely around the sides. Drapes and curtains might block outside sound, but might also distort your show’s sound and prevent you from hearing a true surround-sound experience.  

Plantation shutters, in contrast, stop outside sound and keep your shows sounding pure.  If your neighborhood is usually peaceful, any plantation shutter probably will fulfill the purpose. However, if you happen to be in a neighborhood that has more traffic or children, like near a school or on a popular street, you will probably want to use a denser faux wood shutter. No matter what shutter you choose, make sure you arrange your surround sound after the treatments are up so that you you get quality sound from your speakers.

The More Functional Your Media Room, The More Functional The Window Treatment

Bedroom with shutters and oar over tv photo courtesy of Kathy at The Daily Nest

As 50” - 72” inch televisions become in vogue, media rooms have started to become the main recreational area.  No longer confined to movies, media rooms can be a place for gaming, watching sports, and general entertaining. In this instance, you will want a practical covering that looks sleek when it’s not in use.

When a cellular or roman shade is up, they dissapear into the window sill.  This leaves your windows completely uncovered , like the window treatment doesn’t exist, which may not be the best idea. Plantation shutters let your room be seen as a multi-purpose space, and not just as a home theater. And since you can open or close shutters as much as you need, you can deligate a corner table where people might opt to catch up or play a game. The rest of the group can then sit in darkness on the main part of the room catching the double feature .

Which Window Treatment For Your Home Theater Or Media Room Will You Choose?

If your home theater or media room doesn’t have a lot of outside windows, then you may want to opt for a cellular, roman or roller shade.  If you prefer multi-use media room, then plantation shutters may be the best option. Any way you go, your Sunburst representative can assist.  Call 513-216-9740 so you can schedule your in-home consultation.