Backyard Tips and Tricks

It’s never been easy designing a room around the television set and now that flat screens are popular, that chore either got easier or more difficult, depending on the type of room you have. Here are three solutions.

Over the Fireplace

The whole point of a flat screen TV is to place it on a wall, some people say. And many newly-built homes are designed with a space in mind for that purpose. Just the right-sized niche may be located above the fireplace with the electrical/cable outlet at just the right height. Where to put the TV is a no-brainer, although you may have to figure out where to put your TiVO/DVD/Receiver out-of-sight to avoid visual clutter. Some would suggest burying the wires in the wall while others would discourage that due to maintenance difficulty. You may want to place the TV paraphernalia in a cabinet located near the TV.

If you don’t like the idea of a TV above the fireplace because it may take away from the ambiance, you can creative a decorative façade, such as a mirror or piece of art. There are other issues to consider, though, such as the smoke from the wood-burning fireplace and eye- and ear-level issues if installing your TV above the fireplace would be too high for optimal viewing. But it does save on floor space so it’s worth considering.

Stand-Alone

If you don’t like the idea of the TV over the fireplace for whatever reason—maybe it makes the TV too prominent or too high, you don’t have a fireplace or your niche is too narrow for a flat-screen TV–you may want to purchase a TV stand and place it against a wall. That’s assuming you have an appropriate wall to place it up against for viewing.

Built-In Cabinet

If your room is large enough, another choice is to build a cabinet with a center piece for the TV with bookshelves on either side. If you are not the handy kind, you can hire a contractor or handyman to do the work for you. The TV show This Old House featured a panel where the TV disappeared after viewing. But too much cabinetry in the living room or family room can be just as overwhelming as too many cabinet-covered appliances in the kitchen—a little goes a long way.

Fireplace Cabinet

If you don’t have a fireplace but would enjoy having the look of one and you’d like a place to hide the flat screen TV then a fireplace cabinet may be for you. One company, PictureHouse Cabinets makes these and other TV hideaways. Brookstone offers a cabinet with a life for the TV, which hides it when not in use.

All you have to do is get creative and you’ll soon be enjoying your new flat screen TV.