Game Room Light Fixtures Ideas

Lighting is an important factor in any space. When it comes to game room lighting, the unique nature of this space presents its own special considerations. Whether you have a professional game room as part of your business or a personal one in the comfort of your own home, there are certain elements to lighting this area worth noting. When looking at this type of lighting plan, it is easiest to break it up into designated sections of the area.

General lighting

When planning this type of lighting space, you want to focus more on using task lighting or area lighting instead of going all out on general lighting fixtures. For instance, a game room should have a gentle, welcoming vibe which can be hard to achieve with too much light placed directly overhead with general lighting fixtures. This is not to say the space will be dark or have no general lighting at all. It is simply stating that you should focus on lighting specific areas such as the pool table, games, or bar as the main focus. These areas of lighting will contribute to the overall lumen output of the space and you can fill in any gaps where general lighting needs to be placed after these crucial areas are covered first.

Pool table area

The best place to start with game room lighting is lighting the pool table since it usually acts as the focal point of the space. The most common application for this area is a long pendant mounted fixture which hangs over the table. It should offer ample downlight with an acceptable level of uplight permitted. While the type of bulb matters less for this area in terms of fluorescent or LED, the matter of color temperature is important. Since you will be looking at colorful objects against a green or black felt surface, the color perception needs to be easy on the eyes to avoid discomfort or strain. The best way to achieve this is to opt for a cooler color temperature, as well as considering the matter of color rendering index. The best bet is to opt for a color temperature of around 3700 to 4000k with a CRI of 70+ for an easy to see choice.

Gaming area

For the gaming area, there are other important elements related to lighting to keep in mind. For example, the most important aspect to take care of is reducing glare for screens. Whether you have old-fashioned gaming systems like an arcade or a personal set up of a larger screen monitor with your favorite gaming system hooked up, the matter of glare needs to be addressed. You want to avoid having a lighting solution with too much direct light focused in the direction of the screens. You should also consider installing diffusers for the fixtures in this area to help reduce the glare factor. Another element to be aware of when lighting anywhere near screens of any sort is the color temperature in relation to the screen temperature. If your gaming systems are old fashioned with a black screen and minimal light produced, you want to avoid using whiter tones of color temperature or the contrast will be too drastic for the eyes to comfortably adjust. When choosing color temperature, you always want to consider the color temperature of the screens.

Bar area

Many people overlook the bar area when considering their game room lighting, but this is one of the biggest elements of the space. The bar area is a place where friends can hang out and talk in between gaming so the lighting needs to be warm and inviting with a gentle ambiance. A great solution for this area would be a track lighting fixture. With this type of fixture, you can easily position the light spread so it casts a gentle spread instead of a direct scope of illumination. Track lighting is always great for highlighting specific areas such as wall art as the main focus and then allowing for the remaining downcast light to cover the bar area without being too direct and overpowering.