Things That Inspire: TV over fireplace

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The TV Dilemma: TV over fireplace?

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In the family room of the house we are designing, there is going to be a wall with a fireplace, no mantle, but rather a streamlined fireplace surround. We are going to have a small basement, which will have a family TV room, and this will be the main location for watching TV. However, we will also have a TV in the family room – and the most logical place to put a TV given the layout of the room is above the fireplace.

In general, I am not a fan of the fireplace above the TV look. My architect and designer seem OK with it though – perhaps because we have the opportunity to design an arrangement that will simultaneously highlight the fireplace, and conceal the TV. When thinking about this issue, I recently surveyed a sampling of some of my favorite decor magazines to see if I could spot any TVs. Not surprisingly, nary a TV could be found. Even though TVs have come a long way over the past decade – becoming so much sleeker and more attractive - it still seems like many designers, homeowners, and magazine editors prefer to hide them away.

I will give credit to House Beautiful, however; in a recent feature, HB showed how nine designers around the country deal with their own flat screen TVs. My favorite was from San Francisco designer (and fellow blogger) Grant Gibson. Grant came up with this ingenious way to display his TV in plain sight, and yet also blend it in to its surroundings. He positioned it as part of a tablescape on a skirted table; the color of the TV matches the painted doors perfectly. I wonder where these doors lead? Did he have to sacrifice the function of the doors for the placement of the TV? Perhaps Grant will check in and let us know.

Although so many are loathe to display the TV in plain sight, the bottom line is that TVs are an essential part the modern existence, and in many respects, the placement of the TVs determine some of the usage patterns of a house (as Bunny Williams says, “if you want to use your living room, put the television in it. Put a computer in it. But make it attractive!”). The picture above, from the Bunny Williams room of the 2009 Kips Bay Showhouse, had a TV – although not placed in a way that is conducive to watching. It was a showhouse, after all! I saw this room in person last spring, but did not even notice the TV as the room was corded off and this vignette was not in the direct line of sight. Image via House Beautiful, photo credit Thomas Loof.

This room arrangement by San Francisco designer Palmer Weiss seems like the ideal arrangement. The TV is at the perfect level, balanced over a furniture piece that could house the unsightly electronics and cords; the furniture piece has enough surface to also have a tablescape with pictures, books, and lamps. The sofa seems like the ideal viewing distance from the TV. Interior design by Palmer Weiss.

I have seen a few houses recently where the TV is built into the side of the island of a kitchen, facing a keeping room. The two houses where I saw this arrangement were homes of empty nesters; in a house with young children (like my house) I don’t see how this arrangement would work, as the island tends to function as eating area/arts and crafts area/homework area.

When researching this post, I came across some interesting pictures on Apartment Therapy where the home owner takes the TV/fireplace alignment one step further, and actually uses the inside of the fireplace to place the TV.

In an even more logical approach to TV placement, the parents of my neighbor have this brilliant set up in the lower level of their lake house. The 73” TV is recessed into a stone wall, in the place where you would expect a fireplace to be positioned. When the owners have a party, they often put on a ‘fireplace’ program on the TV; so clear is the picture that many a guest has been surprised to learn that it is a TV in the space, not a fireplace. I love this arrangement, and the half moon cabinet on the right is a charming way to hide the Wii and other TV paraphernalia.

These are all good alternatives to the TV above the fireplace, but what if you want a working fireplace and a TV too? It is often tricky to place a TV in a room with a fireplace, given that the fireplace is usually the focus of the room, and takes up one of the prime walls. Blogger Decorno started a lively discussion about whether placing TVs above a mantle is acceptable. People seem to be in one camp or another – most of the comments seem to be negative towards the idea of a TV over a fireplace, but a vocal minority see this as the wave of the future, and a practical solution to the ‘where to put the TV’ dilemma. The image pictured above was one of the few images in my inspiration files that dared to show the TV – and here it is, placed above the fireplace.

Although some real estate photos are as staged as any magazine photo, it is a bit easier to spot TVs in the MLS listings; in houses that were built in the last few years, TVs are becoming more and more common above the fireplace. This photo, from a beautiful home on the market in Atlanta, has a family room in which the TV is recessed into a wall above a fireplace, and it looks quite good. Image via Blayne Beacham.

The same house has a TV in the outdoor room – a major trend in Atlanta real estate. Image via Blayne Beacham.

Brooklyn Limestone has perhaps the most elegant solution for a TV above the fireplace – the TV screen is treated as art, and is framed accordingly. The frame is painted out to match the walls, which allows it to recede somewhat, focusing the eye on the carving and on the TV.

This photo, from a real estate listing, shows a TV mounted above a stone fireplace. The stone backdrop helps the TV recede a bit.

Clearly there were no other options for TV placement in this room, given the sheer number of windows that bring in light from so many sides. There is something about this look that works for me – perhaps it is because the size of the TV makes it viewable from a greater distance, or all of the windows in the room, or maybe it is the sconces on either side of the TV. I might be scared to watch TV in this room at night, though – no window treatments in the room makes a person pretty exposed at night! (Love the contrast of the modern flat screen and the retro phone and radio on the desk)

Another example of a TV above a fireplace, but this is a sleek contemporary look where there is no mantle. I am not loving the speakers mounted around the TV, but the TV itself looks almost like a piece of art, and the size and color seem to match the opening of the fireplace. I like the fact that there is not a mantle, which gives more latitude in the TV placement.

Another more contemporary style fireplace, with a TV that seems to work with the scale of the fireplace and the wall. I don’t think this furniture arrangement is too conducive to watching TV, though!

This room, in one of my favorite houses by architect Steve Giannetti, shows how a TV can be mounted above a fireplace with beautiful results. The fact that the TV is recessed, there is not a huge mantel, and the TV is a good size and proportion for the room make arrangement work well.

All in all, given that I am custom building and not retrofitting into a house, I think that the concealment method might work well if I have to place a TV above the fireplace. It seems like the best of both worlds – retaining the fireplace as a focal point, yet still being able to open up the case for the TV when it is time to watch. I think this works best for a TV that is used occasionally, not the main TV in the house; the viewing angle might be a bit challenging if inviting a house full of people over for a Superbowl party.

Avery Fine Art, based here in Atlanta, makes screens for hiding TVs. They create a framed box that holds the TV; the box can be opened when the TV is being viewed, or closed to look like art. Avery Fine Art often uses antique prints to decorate the outside of the frame.

Ray Goins custom makes beautiful screens for flat screen TV concealment, like this verre eglomise version.

Ray also creates flat screen TV concealment in the form of custom paintings, created in panels and mounted on a wood case.

Doing a quick scroll through my inspiration files, I found a few images where I suspected that a flat screen TV was being hidden by paneling or some other artful method of concealment. Here is the family room of designer Lori Tippins; I seem to recall that this pretty wood case above the fireplace hides a TV.

This is one of my all time favorite family room pictures, from a house designed in Charleston by Jenny Miller. The fireplace in this room does not have a mantel, and the paneling above the fireplace clearly opens – there has got to be a flat screen TV behind those doors!

I have always suspected that the chevron patterned case above the fireplace in this beautiful Betty Burgess room conceals a small TV. I was able to see a private home with the interior design by Betty, and she used two antique doors on a sliding track that could be opened and closed to reveal and conceal the huge TV on the wall.

So, readers, I would love to hear your opinions about TV placement in a home. Where do you have your TV? What do you think about a TV above the fireplace? Are you a fan of conceal or reveal? As always, feel free to send me any pictures of how you have placed TVs in your own home or your clients’ homes. I always love seeing your pictures!

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