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Star ceiling panels - several options but no reviews. Advice?? (1 Viewer)

Laura Meyers

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Apr 21, 2017
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Laura Meyers
Level Newbie here. We are finally getting the opportunity to have our dream (but smallish) home theater. A star ceiling is at the top of the design wish list. We have a contractor but they are suggesting purchasing panels rather then doing the work for us might be the better route. There are a lot of options and I don't know where to start. We are not "do it yourselfers" and we are in Portland OR which I don't get the impression is a hot bed for home theaters. Any advice would be HUGELY appreciated - have you purchased any pre-made star ceiling panels you'd recommend (or recommend against)? Anything we should look for? Thanks!
 

nightsky

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Sep 30, 2010
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Jeff
Hi Laura...

Did you ever figure something out for your star ceiling? I notice that this thread is a few months old, but I thought I'd jump in in case I can help.

Yeah, usually contractors know how to screw in sheetrock screws, run wiring, ducting or whatever it is they do... and don't like taking on new projects. Especially a star ceiling.

Well, star ceilings is something I know a little about. I mostly know about the painted ceilings, because that is what I do for a living, and can answer any questions you have about them... or I can try to get you answers about Fiber optics or a DIY stencil kit.

As a quick reference...

Painted Star Ceilings - Can be expensive, depending on who you have paint it. There are some very good artists, and some not so good artists... so you'll need to be careful. A painted ceiling, when done right, can look very realistic and will leave you in awe. Unlike Fiber Optic star ceilings, they also only works well in a very dark room and they need some source of fluorescent light to charge them up. Black lights are great in a home theater.

DIY Stencil Guide - There are a few options out there and they all require some time, effort and Ibuprofen. But, the right kit can also get you a beautiful mural at a fraction of the price of painted or Fiber Optics.

Fiber Optic Star Ceiling - Fiber optic ceilings are great if you have a good amount of light that will be in the room. If you want to see stars while watching a movie, even during the bright scenes, then Fiber Optics is the way you want to go. They aren't cheap and they take a lot of time and patience to install one yourself, but, if you install it yourself you will save a lot of money. While great in rooms with light in them... you do give up realism. Still a great option if you have a lot of light in the room.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have other questions.

Jeff



Level Newbie here. We are finally getting the opportunity to have our dream (but smallish) home theater. A star ceiling is at the top of the design wish list. We have a contractor but they are suggesting purchasing panels rather then doing the work for us might be the better route. There are a lot of options and I don't know where to start. We are not "do it yourselfers" and we are in Portland OR which I don't get the impression is a hot bed for home theaters. Any advice would be HUGELY appreciated - have you purchased any pre-made star ceiling panels you'd recommend (or recommend against)? Anything we should look for? Thanks!
 

Laura Meyers

Auditioning
Joined
Apr 21, 2017
Messages
3
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Laura Meyers
Thanks for the information, Jeff. We decided to put it off for now with the goal of adding something later. I didn't know about the DIY Stencil guides. Something to look into - maybe get a Costco membership for the ibuprofen :)
 
M

MoralAuthority

If you google "star lights in ceiling" you will see many examples. I used some generic fiber-optic kits from amazon and they worked out great...important caveat... installation was a nightmare. Total nightmare. I've seen pre-built panels which look extremely easy and promising but they are very expensive of course. Another alternative is a laser projector search on amazon for "
Laser Stars Hologram Projector
"... it does green laser stars but they do move around slowly, and you can project a blue nebula that also moves slowly. Can mount to wall or put on ceiling. Infinitely cheaper and easier too. Plus you can bring the projector to another room any time.
 

nightsky

Stunt Coordinator
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Sep 30, 2010
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55
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Jeff
Hi Laura... Yeah, I don't push them much because, while the stencils are ready, I want to have all the boxes printed and looking nice as wells as the tools packaged with branding. But, lots have used them and they work great. There are other, less expensive stencils that you can use too. It just depends on how real you want the ceiling to look... but pretty much anything you'll find will be better than the plastic stars. :)

I also have plans to do some videos on how to paint a star ceiling (free handed), but I'm still waiting for more people to show interest in that first. I did put one together just to correct some bad information that I saw on the Internet... but, while it gives some tips, it doesn't go into a lot of detail. I still want to do a series of videos later. For now if you want to at least see some simple guidelines... then you can check this out

If that urge to have a star ceiling does come back (and you've stocked up on your Costco Ibuprofen)... then I'll be happy to help you find an option that will work best for you... whether it's something I have, or any other option. It's all the same to me. I just think everyone needs a star ceiling! :)

Good luck.

Jeff


Thanks for the information, Jeff. We decided to put it off for now with the goal of adding something later. I didn't know about the DIY Stencil guides. Something to look into - maybe get a Costco membership for the ibuprofen :)
 

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