framed art

During Spring Break one year, my family and I rented a house in the mountains in east Tenessee. I loved everything about the house (there was a private tram on the property we rode down the mountain to get to the lake!) except the TV in the living room. It was mounted on the massive stone fireplace, and the only comfortable location to watch it was standing in the kitchen. Mounting the television on an adjustable mount and being able to lower it for a better viewing angle would have been great, but then, if the fireplace was on, the view of the fire would have been blocked, and we would have run the risk of roasting the back of the TV. If your home has a fireplace, the odds are high that your television is mounted above it. It’s a popular location as furniture is often arranged around this gathering spot, so it seems like a great place for the television, too. However, that assumption couldn’t be more wrong. Your TV Is Likely Too High Mounting your television above your fireplace likely means it’s mounted too high. It’s an awkward viewing angle unless you have a very low fireplace. In most cases, watching it while seated in your favorite chair will be uncomfortable, and the picture will doubtlessly be distorted. Would it surprise you to know TVs should be close to eye level when you’re sitting? Most people hang their pictures too high, but that’s another story for a different day. We all know heat rises, so anything above your fireplace, including your television, will be affected by it. So, beyond the uncomfortable viewing angle, there is also the possibility of damaging the TV. Heat damage will likely not be covered by the warranty, and while most TVs have certainly decreased in price, especially on Black Friday, do you really want to run the risk of overheating it and having to replace it before its time? Finally, mounting your TV over the fireplace detracts from the architecture of your room. A TV above the fireplace becomes the focal point. You don’t want to take away from the beautiful stonework or your custom mantel, but it doesn’t even have to be the fireplace itself. It can draw attention away from other architecturally interesting elements, artwork, or even your furniture! But then again, maybe you don’t want anyone to look at the rest of your room, and if that’s the case, perhaps you’re ready to give us a call. Where Should You Mount Your TV? While above the fireplace is a popular location, it’s not ideal, and there are alternatives to consider. Almost any other practical place in your home where the TV is not above the fireplace is a more appropriate location. If there is room off to the side of your fireplace and your furniture arrangement works, mount it there on the wall or put it on a stand. Think about other interesting ways to incorporate the TV into your living space. There are smart-looking artist-easel-type stands that work for TVs, which allow you to position the television almost anywhere. If you have a window that’s wider than your TV, consider placing the television in front with blackout curtains behind it. The curtains will block the light, providing a nice backdrop for the TV. Another option is to hang the television on the wall, add shelves around it, and add a cabinet beneath to give it a built-in look. The cabinet can hide media players, game consoles, and the mass of wires and cables that often accompany media centers. If Above the Fireplace Is the ONLY Option Some of you are likely thinking the only place in your room where a television will fit is above the fireplace. If that’s you, we do have a few suggestions. First, see how hot the wall above your fireplace gets. To do that, tape a thermometer where you think you want your TV to hang and leave it there for at least an hour (with the fireplace on). If the temperature stays below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you should be able to mount the television safely. A couple of tips that may help lower the temperature is installing a mantel that extends further into the room, helping to block rising heat, and/or using a blower that directs heat into the center of the room. To take the focus off your TV, consider putting it behind a special framed two-way mirror that looks like a mirror when the TV is off but disappears when it is on. Or purchase a TV that looks like framed art when not in use. Or build in the TV so that it can be closed off when not in use. However, all these options still have the height issue unless you use a special mount to lower it to the appropriate viewing height. Then there continues to be the issue of heat, and in that case, you may simply choose not to use the fireplace while you watch television. Simpler Times Remember when televisions came in cabinets? Choosing the location of where to put those monsters seemed simpler. But at least we don’t have to get up to change the channel now.