Where to Put a Television

Nab one of the prime locations in the living room by placing a flat panel screen over your mantel. Though you'll need to plan for installation and wiring, the result will be fabulous.

Get a seamless look by integrating a television into a custom-built furniture unit. This one acts as a room divider as well, with doors that close off the space to the sitting area beyond.

A slide-away panel could hide this small TV when it's not being used. Yet it is easily available during mealtimes when desired.

This functional room divider/TV cabinet allows for easy television viewing on one side. On the other, it provides a cleaner look with some handy display space on top.

This solution is perfect for a remodel or building project, since wiring would need to be completed during the framing stage. Note the in-wall speaker and special hardware to raise and lower the artwork.

Keep a television out of sight by building it into a custom cabinet. At the touch of a button the unit can be elevated to viewing height. Visit www.auton.com for a selection of motorized units.

Here's a great way to have a TV in a kitchen or bathroom. Include a specially made cabinet with doors that recess and a pull-out shelf. Be sure to install an outlet at the back of the cabinet.

This installation is similar to the previous slide, yet the doors have been omitted. A larger slide-out shelf that has the look of a drawer was used.

This TV sits in a space that will accommodate an even larger television in the future. Dark walls and comfortable, practical furnishings keep the room a prime spot for viewing.

Use this solution when your fireplace is the focal point. Instead of installing a TV in another area of the room, have a built-in cabinet and bookcase made to fit around the existing fireplace. This makes your seating area function perfectly for fires as well as for movie-watching.

Sacrificing 15 to 20 inches of floor space offers many square feet of storage when you install shelving and cabinets along a wall of a family room. Include a space for a large TV, sound system, CDs, and DVDs.

This television was set at the perfect viewing height in a box designed to be in keeping with the modern style of the space.

A small television fits perfectly into a corner cabinet, making the most of a sometimes awkward location.

Here's another corner location in a kitchen where the television was set over double ovens. A corner often allows for better viewing from many areas of the room.

Even in a room as glamorous as this, a television can be made to appear as a normal part of the landscape. The thin LCD screen and clean silver housing have a clean, high-tech look that fits into the decor.

Small TVs can sit directly on a desktop or counter. They can be moved away quickly for cleaning and flat panel versions take up very little space.

The low TV cabinet on the right is a nice height for viewing, yet doesn't overpower the room. It is also placed close enough to the fireplace so that the dual focal points are served by one common seating area.