Televisions Above the Mantel
Written on January 19, 2013 at 11:00 am , by Kate
The television has become a mainstay in most homes and as a result everyone seeks creative ways to incorporate a TV into a space. How do you include that big black box in your everyday life without it overpowering the room?
Some people have both a living room and a family room, which allows a separate space for casual TV viewing and a more formal space for sitting or entertaining. However many households need to squeeze that television into just one main living space and a common solution among renters or homeowners is to mount the television above the mantel.
Mounting the television over the fireplace establishes one focal point instead of two, so it’s a sensible solution for that reason since furniture can be arranged around that singular viewing zone.
One thing homeowners must plan for when mounting a television above a fireplace is the location of wiring. Specialists in the industry can assist with where to place the equipment and speakers and in the the clever hiding of unattractive wires.
A sure way to achieve balance is to closely align the size of the television screen with the size of the fireplace box. Temperature is always a concern for any television mounted above a fireplace, so take precautionary measures with framing and sheetrock to ensure the heat to the flat screen doesn’t rise above 90 degrees.
Opting for a gray frame when making a purchase is one way to help the television recede into a lighter background. Incorporating software that will project landscapes or other soothing images when it’s not in use is a clever way to make the television mimic artwork.
How big should your TV be? The answer often varies when you ask women and men. Most men prefer larger screens, especially the sports fans!
The general rule of thumb is that the distance from the television screen and your viewing spot should be between two to three times its width. Ex: with a 32” screen, sit between 5 ½ and 8 feet (96”) away for the best entertainment experience.
For those who seek alternatives to placement of a television other than the mantel, good news! Next week, I’ll feature several creative ways to design around a TV that do not include placement above the fireplace.
How have you designed your living space to accommodate a television ?
.
.
Categories: Decorating Ideas | Tags: television above mantel
7 Comments
7 Responses to “Televisions Above the Mantel”
January 19, 2013 at 9:12 pm, by Andrea
Thanks for this post, and I look forward to your next one. I’d really like to do this with our television and these pictures are inspiring.
January 20, 2013 at 2:26 pm, by Marisa
I’m looking forward to your not over the fireplace tips. We placed our couches back to back to create 2 zones – a fireplace zone and a tv zone. Unconventional but it works!
January 21, 2013 at 12:55 pm, by Lisa
Just wondering how much space between the top of the mantle and bottom of the tv do you recommend?
January 21, 2013 at 10:06 pm, by Kate
Hi Lisa! Each space varies based on the height of the ceiling, and the height and width of the mantel… you’ll notice the differences in the images above… generally speaking though you want the frame of the television to be 5-6 inches above the mantel at a minimum.
Kate
January 28, 2013 at 9:30 pm, by Designing Around a Television | BHG Centsational Style
[...] week, I placed a spotlight on televisions over the mantel as a practical design solution for including televisions in your home’s space planning. As [...]
February 5, 2013 at 1:46 pm, by Ann
Hello! Great post. I was wondering if you had information on where some of the items were purchased? Such as the green/yellow shower curtain near the top of the post? Thank you!
February 6, 2013 at 4:11 pm, by Cindy
These look great, but where do you hide the components? Almost everyone has a blu-ray, receiver, speakers, sound bar, roku/cable/dish box, etc that need to be withing direct range of a remote control and usually wired into the TV.