Monday

tips for hanging the TV above the fireplace

A lot of people are against the idea of hanging the TV above the fireplace, but sometimes it just makes the most sense to put it there.  I'll admit, I'd love to hang our TV above a pretty dresser and surround it with a gallery wall, but that just wouldn't work in our living room.  It's long and narrow and in order to get the most seating and make it the most functional the TV has to go above the fireplace.  We've made it work by adding a shelving unit next to the fireplace to house all our electronics.  That has helped keep things streamlined and also helped take some of the focus off of the TV. 


Some of you are like me and this is the way things have to go down in your house too.  So here's a little inspiration to keep things looking pretty even when you're TV ends up being more of a focal point than you might like.

If you have the space, I think it always looks nice to have some built ins surrounding the fireplace.  It helps create visual interest and is great for storing some of your electronics too.  If you don't want to go custom, there are a lot of ways to customize store bought shelving units to make them look high end.  (check out how Kristin updated some IKEA Billy bookcases here)



Adding molding around your TV makes it looks like it's supposed to be there.



If you really want to hide the TV when you're not using it you can add some doors.  You can go a little more contemporary with this idea...



or a little more rustic...



If you or someone you know is handy with tools, building a frame is a great idea.  Check out the DIY here.



Paint the wood work/walls around the TV a darker tone.  This makes the TV blend into the wall a little more, creating less of a stark contrast.  The built ins here are a nice touch too.



And if you really want to get fancy, there are products on the market like this one from Seura that can actually turn your TV into a mirror or work of art when it's not in use.  I'm not sure how well these work or if it interferes with the way the TV looks, but it's a pretty neat concept.  I've seen Candice Olson use this idea in some of her designs too.



Do you have any unique ways that you've come up with to make your TV fit in more with your home decor?

5 comments:

Dwellings by DeVore said...

I like it when the TV hangs above the fireplace. Love the first photo with the bookcases.

Dwellings by DeVore said...

we have ours above the fireplace- small living room and there was no other choice. i am fine with it there, but i sure would love to really decorate the mantle! :)

Dwellings by DeVore said...

All great tips dear, I don't have one, but in our living room, I've learned to embrace (since I can never really get rid of it or my hubs will probably get rid of me too ;-) it by decorating around it just like what I did with our media center last christmas :-)....http://buhayatbahay.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-other-side-of-our-christmas-living.html

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Ours is over the mantle too - same deal, it just works best for the space. I have been hopelessly hands-off with decorating around it though - just a few mantle accessories and that's it!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

We have ours above our TV and I hate how much it stands out but all the wiring was builtin when we bought the house to it makes the most sense. I would love to do some beautiful molding around it someday when the budget allows. It really does make such a big difference!

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