As we were laying out the family room, one of the main considerations was where to place the TV? I generally agree with most designers that say NOT to place it above the fireplace. But, with few other options, we had to weigh the pros and cons of placing it above the fireplace.
We Didn’t Have a Lot of Options to Place the TV
When we looked at the floor plan, there weren’t a lot of walls to put the TV on. The previous owners had their TV mounted on the west wall (with the openings to the living room and the kitchen.) We had lived with this configuration for a while before embarking on construction and it was strange. It meant that the sofa had to be facing the TV. This left little room to move around the sofa and no room to place adjacent chairs. And, most important of all, it meant that the gorgeous fireplace was off to the right side of the room, like an afterthought on the periphery.
We Wanted the Fireplace to be the Main Focal Point
As we had designed the room, our focus was the beautiful fireplace. After all, as discussed in this article, it was the only thing we left in the natural wood. So, we wanted all the furniture to be oriented toward the deep wood-burning fireplace.
Cons of Placing the TV Above the Fireplace
The biggest con of placing the TV above the fireplace is that it’s a bit frowned upon. Most designers and articles you read say you should not do it (siting heat, neck strain and other issues). We looked at a few different options:
- Placing the TV in the bookshelves — We looked into some sort of mechanism where we could mount the TV in front of the bookshelves. This could work, and I’ve seen it done well in some magazines. But with our setup, we would have this odd black box sticking out creating two, competing focal points. Without it, the bookshelves could balance the dark fireplace.
- A Cabinet — We thought about a cabinet, but there really was no room. Anything we looked at would just be a gratuitous piece of furniture.
Pros of Placing the TV Above the Fireplace
The biggest pro to placing the TV above the fireplace is that we could arrange the furniture in a way that optimizes the layout, size and elements of the room. The sofa would face the fireplace (north), and still have an open view to the wall of windows out to the back yard (east). We could place our game table and chairs in the alcove, next to the doors and it would have a clear view of the TV and the backyard.
There is a science to the size, placement height, angle and the viewing distance of the TV. This is a good article about the formula and all the variables.
With the room arranged in this configuration, and with a 55” TV, we had enough room to move the sofa back far enough to have a comfortable viewing distance without straining anyone’s neck. We decided that it really was our best, and really only, option.
Now, how to Minimize the Visual Impact of the TV Over the Fireplace?
The decision was made, the TV will go over the fireplace. Given that this was the logical placement, we started to think about ways that we could minimize the visual impact of having the TV placed above the fireplace.
- TV as artwork — We had heard about those TVs that become framed artwork when turned off. The price was a barrier to this option.
- Hide the TV – This could be an interesting option, but since the chimney brick is directly behind, there isn’t enough room to sink it into the wall. We could build it out and build doors that opened and closed.
- Create a visual reason for being – Our carpenter came up with a brilliant solution. He would build a box that the TV would sit in. This would visually anchor it above the fireplace. Later, if we wanted, he could build doors that would hide it entirely. This was a simple fix that allowed us to live with it and decide if it bothered us.
We Are Not TV People
I should have mentioned at the top that we are not really TV people. We would much rather spend an evening staring into a roaring fire and listening to music, reading, or getting some work done. So, for non-TV people we were shocked at how much time and energy we put into this decision.
In the end, we are totally fine with having the TV above the fireplace. We like the way the box frames the TV and have not felt the need to disguise it any further. We believe we made the right choice for our room and haven’t looked back.
I hope this helps as you weigh the pros and cons of where to place your TV. In hindsight, my biggest advice is not to over-think it. Do what’s right for your home and your lifestyle. Rules are made to be broken and they don’t apply to all homes.
WETSU! WETSU!
XO JT
