Where is your TV?

January 15, 2015 11:39 AM

My potential apartment is small and has a large fireplace where a TV would normally go. Where can I put my TV? Suggestions for decorating a small apartment appreciated too!

The current tenant has the TV on top of the fireplace, but the fireplace is large and I don't want to crane my head. The wall perpendicular to the fireplace side has a large window, and it feels weird to put the TV across from the fireplace. Sketch here if that helps.

I debated putting it in the corner diagonal from the fireplace, but then where would the couch go?

As of now, not sure where anything else is going: dining table, couch etc...

posted by inevitability to Home & Garden (18 answers total)

I'd put it in the corner between the window and the fireplace if I didn't want to put it over the fireplace.
posted by empath at 11:45 AM on January 15, 2015 [3 favorites]

Are you going to use the fireplace, or is it ok if it gets covered? I would probably just stick the couch in front of the fireplace and put the TV across - why does that feel weird?

And yes, I can't for the life of me figure out what is up with all the people these days putting TVs over their fireplace... the middle of the TV should be at eye level when sitting down (when slouching down on the couch, really), everything else just hurts.
posted by brainmouse at 11:45 AM on January 15, 2015

Yeah, if you're not going to use the fireplace or it's nonusable or whatevs, I would have the back of the couch against that wall and the tv on the opposite one.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:51 AM on January 15, 2015

Response by poster: Definitely using the fireplace! :-) I have two dogs ready to curl up in front of it.
posted by inevitability at 11:52 AM on January 15, 2015

Will the TV fit in the fireplace (not in front of it)? If so and you're not going to use the fireplace, I'd put it there. It's great to have people sitting around the fireplace, you can put the fireplace channel on if you're having a party, and if you just want to cover it up and have your living room look nice when you're not watching, you can get a pretty fireplace screen. Also, the sides of the fireplace keep glare off the screen.

In fact, if your TV won't fit, I would get a new smaller on.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:52 AM on January 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

Put it in the corner. If you can put it on a rolling table, then you can roll it in front of the fireplace when you want to watch it and roll it back when you don't. If not, just move the couch to face the tv when desired and the fireplace otherwise.
posted by jeather at 11:57 AM on January 15, 2015 [2 favorites]

I'd mount it on the wall between the window and fireplace. The new mounts are really sturdy - you can pull it out to a slightly better angle when you're watching it, and push it away when company is coming over. Paint that wall (or the whole room) slightly darker grey and it'll recede into the background. Silver Fox is the perfect living room grey!
posted by barnone at 11:59 AM on January 15, 2015 [3 favorites]

I'd put it across from the fireplace, mounted on the wall. I'd put the couch parallel with, and facing, the window (so, not directly facing the tv or the fireplace). This breaks the room into "living room" (i.e. couch to window) and "dining room" (i.e., back-of-couch to kitchen). Put two chairs, or another small seating option, facing the couch, in front of the window. Maybe a floor pillow (or dog bed) in front of the fireplace.

Also, I recommend SketchUp (free version; or trial full version), if you want to play around with drawing this out. The database has models of a ton of furniture, from ikea to designer, so you can just drop them into your room.
posted by melissasaurus at 12:11 PM on January 15, 2015 [2 favorites]

Nthing putting it in the corner between the window and fireplace, if it fits. I would put the couch either facing the TV so it's at a diagonal to the room as a whole or up against the wall facing the fireplace, as long as it's not at an uncomfortable angle to the TV. The idea of being sideways to the TV seems crazy to me.

I'd put a 2-person bistro table in between the living room and kitchen for a dining solution, unless the kitchen is bigger and can fit an eating area in there.
posted by majesty_snowbird at 12:32 PM on January 15, 2015

I'd wall mount it above the fireplace and angle it down. The point of wall mount is that the TV can pivot.
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:12 PM on January 15, 2015

We have a somewhat similar layout in our house (and the previous owner had the TV above the fireplace, ugh), and we have the couch backed against the window and the TV across from it. Exact angle depends on if you want to watch TV from the kitchen, or what size/angle table there's space for.
posted by tchemgrrl at 1:31 PM on January 15, 2015

I agree with Mellissasaurus on the couch placement. Put the TV in either corner depending on the angle of afternoon sun through the window, if any, and the location of outlets, cable hookup, etc.
posted by TDIpod at 1:46 PM on January 15, 2015

I'd put it perpendicular or slightly angled to the long wall opposite the kitchen and put the couch in front of the window. Drapes for TV viewing in the daytime.
posted by rhizome at 2:24 PM on January 15, 2015

Hang a projector from the ceiling aiming towards the window, and then hang a pull-down screen (1:1, 16:9) from the ceiling in front of the window. WAY better than a TV. And when you aren't using it, it just rolls up!
posted by amaire at 2:25 PM on January 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

i've done the straight facing couch tv diagonally in a corner thing for almost two years now. zero complaints.

at my previous place i had a very similar room(same layout of fireplace with a door to the right of it), and put the tv above the fireplace. i totally hated it the entire time i was there and regretted it, vowing to never do it again. it was so tiring to look up at, and such an awkward angle, that i watched way more stuff and almost exclusively gamed on my desktop or laptop. pretty much only used the tv when other people wanted to, or i was going to do something with my hands.

my advice would be don't wall mount it, get a small tv stand to the left of the fireplace. twist the tv on the stand to face towards the couch, with the stand flat against the fireplace-side wall.

The twisted tv on a flush stand thing looks better than you think it would. especially if the stand is barely the width of the tv.

If i was starting from scratch i'd do the projector option, but it seems like you already have a tv and all the bits. several friends have the roll up screen+ceiling mounted projector setup and love the crap out of it though. it's especially slick if you have a powered screen that just pops down when you turn the projector on. Then you have to buy well... a lot of stuff though.
posted by emptythought at 4:32 AM on January 16, 2015

A corner stand for the TV would be your best bet.

You can bring the sofa into the middle of the room if you like, with a console table or desk behind it, and angle it towards the TV with the fireplace on the right. (It really depends on how large the room is.)

Some cable companies offer wireless receivers so you're not chained to having to put the TV right where the cable outlet is. I think you can buy boxes that do this as well. So the cable box is in one room, but the TV is wherever you want it to be.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:55 AM on January 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

This is the same setup my house has except that our front door is to the left of the window. We have the TV at an angle in the corner between the fireplace, have the couch parallel to the fireplace, and have two chairs on either side of the fireplace. The chairs are swivel gliders so they can be turned towards the TV easily if people are over and we're all watching something. I've pondered putting the couch parallel with the window but am worried the room would get too crowded.
posted by notjustthefish at 11:28 AM on January 16, 2015

You can get a mount that will mount above the fireplace but let you pull the TV down in front of the fireplace to watch it.
posted by reddot at 11:57 AM on January 21, 2015