It used to be that placing a TV in your home meant having a large, sturdy piece of furniture to put it on. While today’s TVs are lighter and more versatile, the number of components attached to them has increased. Many gadgets are converting to wireless technology, but most entertainment systems still have a mess of cords and wires. These accompanying accessories make placing a TV difficult. We at Marvelous Woodworking have seen many beautiful homes that have an odd piece of furniture in the middle of a room with a TV sitting on top of it, cords cascading down the side. The homeowners’ request is always “fix this”. We have found several solutions to this issue.
Hang Your TV Above a Fireplace Mantel
The space above a fireplace mantel can be a useful place to mount or place a TV, turning your hearth room into a warm TV room as well. We have seen among homeowners a 50-50 split between those who love and those who hate this look. However, there is a compromise. By installing the unit in a recessed area above the fireplace, one can place a special glass over the cavity to hide the TV when it is off. The glass looks like a normal mirror, but becomes transparent when the TV is on.
Placing a TV above a fireplace mantel does mean you have to get creative with where you put the wires and components. Several of our clients have opted for custom side cabinets to hold accessories, with wires hidden inside the fireplace mantel itself. We at Marvelous Woodworking create hollow custom fireplace mantels that store wires out of sight to make the area look clean and uncluttered. Wires can also be stored inside the wall behind the fireplace. Gas fireplaces that have smaller or no chimneys make a behind-the-wall solution easy, while traditional fireplaces with brick chimneys may need a false wall in order to have space and access to wires. How you manage the cord situation with a TV above the fireplace all depends on what you have in your home already, what you are willing to renovate, and how much space you have to add things.
Store Your TV and All Its Components in Custom Cabinetry
Xboxes, speakers, wires, sound bars—if you have all these and more, an organized space with doors, shelves and drawers may be your best option. Custom cabinetry can be made to your exact specifications to hold all you have. Wires are easy to hide, and can be made readily accessible with a door directly to them. We have crafted custom cabinets with installed display lights and even a vent to meet the needs of our clients. A cabinet can be built into a wall, or can be free-floating, allowing you flexibility if you live in an older house with fewer outlets available to you. With custom cabinetry, your opportunities for creativity are endless.
Build a Media Wall
Some of our clients want a look that seamlessly integrates their entertainment system together within the room. So we build a media wall, a false wall 4 or 5 feet away from the room’s real wall, with compartments that store all their media equipment. The extra space behind the wall is where all the wires go, and it gives the homeowner access to everything. A media wall can be difficult to build in some homes because there is not enough space. However, in the home above, this media walls works perfectly in this spacious basement area.
Wall-Mounted TVs
TVs are light enough and slim enough to be simply mounted on a wall. However, you still have the same issues of placing components and hiding wires. Custom cabinets or shelves can be made to store components under the TV or on either side.
Placing a TV in a home is a case by case scenario; each space, TV and set of components is different, as well as the style the homeowner wants to achieve. We at Marvelous Woodworking love to find new, unique solutions to each situation in order to best fit the home, the homeowner’s needs and the look they want. You can schedule a design consultation with us by email or by calling (317) 679-5890.
