Thinking outside (and around) the box
architect Elissa Morgante of MorganteWilson.
Designer Melissa Lewis of Lewis Giannoulias Interiors, also in Chicago, prefers to find or design the cabinet first; with so many TV sizes, there’s always one that fits.
Atlanta designer Barbara Elliott of Decorating Den Interiors prefers to leave a TV in a cabinet in view to avoid the extra step of opening a door or sliding a panel. Flaunt it: When a more contemporary decor is preferred, Barnard favors leaving the TV in full view, because a modern look is more forgiving of technology. Linc Thelen of Linc Thelen Design in Chicago concurs. “Sometimes a TV is just a TV, and it’s OK to show it off, in the way you leave an appliance in full view in a kitchen,” he says.
Lagrange also likes to celebrate the sleekness of the latest designs. “Now that they look really good, they’re often so handsome that they’re anything but obtrusive. Deciding whether to leave them out in the open or hide them depends on the homeowner’s preferences and aesthetics of each space,” she says. Camouflage it: If you’re not sure, consider a middle ground.
Some tactics won’t hide it completely or leave it in full view, but can make it a bit less noticeable: San Francisco designer Claudia Juestel of Adeeni Design Group may surround it with a frame to match a room’s decor; Morgante may paint or wallpaper using a dark palette, so the black TV almost disappears; Thelen may surround it with books in a bookcase as another way to mask it; Lewis favors grass-cloth wallpaper to add texture and coziness; Milwaukee Decorating Den designer Suzan Wemlinger may place it in a corner piece that’s an adjunct rather than the major star. Lower it: While a TV above a fireplace offers a nice dual focal point, the arrangement requires looking up, not a great ergonomic solution.
In fact, most people place wall-installed TVs too high, says Elliott. Greg Porthan, custom audio and video installation manager at ABT Electronics in Glenview, Ill., recommends hanging it 46 inches off the ground in a living space where you sit to watch and between 52 and 55 inches high in a bedroom, since you’re likely sitting up or lying down.
Many homeowners are also reassessing whether to include a TV in some rooms, particularly the bedroom, because viewing a screen’s blue light before sleep disrupts the release of melatonin.
Architect Stuart Cohen of Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects in Evanston, Ill., is finding that some clients forgo a fireplace in favor of a TV.
“It’s more and more the feature that helps center a room,” he says.
Some even want a TV in their bathroom, and medicine cabinet manufacturers like Robern deliver by incorporating TVs, along with interior outlets for MP-player hookups. Size it: Whatever direction you take, choose a TV that’s in proportion to the size of the room.
If the TV’s too large, it will throw off the entire room. And a large TV likely will be too close to the couch for safe viewing in a small room, Lewis says. Elliott agrees and suggests a 54- to 60-inch TV that is 10 feet or so from the couch or chairs in a typical 15-by-20-foot room.