My fiancé and I are moving soon, and one thing he has been vocal about changing next time is our TV setup. Our current one is seen in Image 5, and part of the problem is that the left cabinet door has to remain open for the remote to work. At any rate, his request has me thinking about the different ways you can incorporate your TV — and store the Wiimotes, etc., that go with it — in a room.
The TV-over-the-cabinet is a popular choice, and you can make your telly look less out of place by hanging large (Images 1 and 5) or linear art (Image 6) behind it. My personal preference would keep any TV away from a mantle, but it looks nice and sleek in Image 4 because of the uniform black color. Similarly, in Image 8, the TV repeats the shape and color of the fireplace and the window casings. If your TV is surrounded by shelves, the decoration and storage will make the screen less of a focal point (Images 3, 4, and 9). Or, if you prefer a more minimal look and don't have lots of devices or doodads to store, you can try something like Maxime's Parsons table approach (Image 2) or a hidden home theater (Image 7).
Images: 1. and 3. Lonny 2. Jill Slater for Apartment Therapy 4. Jerry Jacobs via Despire to Inspire 5. Leah Moss for Apartment Therapy 6. Pappas Miron via Desire to Inspire 7. Gregory Han for Unplggd 8. Simon Upton for Elle Decor 9. Bethany Nauert for Apartment Therapy 10. Kim Lucian for Apartment Therapy
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Thanks -- this has inspired me to try an unexpected spot for my tv that I think might work a lot better for me than the traditional spot.
Get an RF remote and it will work through your cabinet!
We're planning on getting a flat screen to hang on the wall (that will show photos most of the time) and the DVD player, cable box, etc. is all in the closest behind the TV. :-) Nice clean, no cables...it does involve putting a hold in the wall for the cords though.
We're lucky; we have a walk-through room right off the living room that we have turned into a tv room, so the set doesn't have to be in the living room.
Timely post, as I just spend a lot of time (and money) moving my tv. It was the focal point on a wall, and we decided art would be better. The tv went on to the built ins (like #3 pic but not as well done, I'm afraid) and I had it all rewired to hide the cords, cables, etc. Well worth it! (http://holidayhouserules.typepad.com/house_rules/)
I've seen tv-behind-2-way-mirror-over-mantle a lot in Candice Olson's designs. Not sure how the 2-way mirror affects viewing pleasure, but it sure looks pretty snazzy hiding behind a mirror!
My husband and I have been having just this discussion. He installed a killer in-wall surround sound system, but it requires the TV to be the focal point of a wall in our living room. I have been trying to figure out how to mitigate the situation with furniture/shelves/storage options.
The mirror thing works pretty well. My cousin is a TV addict and has one installed in every room in his house.... including the master bathroom where it lives behind the mirror over the sink! The house is actually extremely tasteful and very well designed (his wife is an artist), and so the TVs are craftily hidden all over the place!
I really like not having my TV mounted on the wall so I can move it into a closet and turn that surface into a sideboard or bar during parties.
To disguise it a bit, I hung an antique quilt in dark colors behind it. The stand is an open bookcase so the books and vases and such I have in there also help distract from the TV-ness. My digital converter and DVD player are stacked with an antique chess set on top, though some books would have worked as well. And since I have other books and magazines stacked that way, it all coordinates.
While a lot of these designs are gorgeous, I really, really hate looking UP to watch TV. It's incredibly uncomfortable, and generally not suggested. Personally, I positioned the TV so that it was between lounging eye-level and sitting up straight eye-level. The size of your set will determine the height of the stand/cabinet, but my stand height is ~18". Even if you are not going for a full out home theater, check that your TV size/distance is correct, as well, for optimum viewing pleasure:) I rarely even watch the thing, but when I do, I want to be comfortable.
When televisions were ugly boxes, I was all for finding ways to hide them. And by "hide," I mean tucked away in an armoire or cabinet behind closed doors. Now that they're flat and sleek and somewhat ubiquitous, I'm all for leaving them out in the open. They're like light switches, or radiators, or heating vents, or even windows. I don't even notice televisions anymore. They're just a part of the room. That being said, I'd prefer not to see one above a fireplace. That's pushing it, in my opinion.
I saw something on HGTV recently where the TV was mounted on a wall covered in faux leather. Although that wall became the focal point, the TV still blended really well, so you weren't like "TV!!" the moment you walked in the room.
I love our set-up. My partner built a computer into a vintage record cabinet (the kind that has speakers built-in a a record player under the lid). He connected it to the flat screen TV, which is hanging above the cabinet. The receiver, sub, and a few other things are stacked on the floor next to it, balanced by a plant on the other side. A picture of Laurel and Hardy hangs above the TV.
My only regret is that it's the focal point when you walk in, but I've thought a lot about different arrangements and don't like them any better. This way you have to walk around the sofa and explore a little more, instead of walking straight into the room. I also like that you can see the whole place when you walk in, so I don't want to get a tall room divider shelf or anything.
These setups are nice and everything but if you enjoy watching not only news but also a movie with proper sound and don't have a dedicated TV room neither of those will work. I have my TV 'right there' and I don't mind... ;)
I hate TVs mounted over fireplaces. Much too high, and also strikes me as cliche to put it there.
There is only one tv in our house: it's in its own room because I refuse to have one in the living room or the bedroom.
i love the rug in picture 1
Our television is in an antique Chinese cabinet and mounted at an angle on a pull-out shelf. It is off set from the seating arrangement so that the focus of the living room is the fireplace. When we want to watch the television we just open the cabinet and pull out the shelf. It is perfectly angled for the sofa.
I think the best solution to tv placement is to either not have a tv, or have a small unassuming one. I refuse to get a bigger tv than the one we have — it would take over the room. Our tv — http://goo.gl/LZEEk
I think the best option with a big tv is integrated shelving around it with interesting stuff and books..hiding it always looks fake, might as well downplay it. The worst IMO is setting it on a low bench with nothing around it. Then it really is an ugly focal point.
I just upgraded from a 19" flat screen to a 32" because I was sick of squinting my eyes to see anything. This required me to get over some of my television snobbery. I watch TV all the time, so why be ashamed about it? I have three nicely organized 3-foot bookshelves along the wall. The TV is centered on top of them. I found some really awesome prints on Society 6 and Etsy to create a gallery wall and incorporate the TV into it. I can now enjoy my movies in style :-)