How do you lay out this room with a TV and a fireplace?

[LDNRennovation]

Hi all, we are renovating and can’t seem to agree on this room. 
 

It has a fireplace which we would like to keep, and doors on three sides. Obviously the tv does not go above the fireplace… right?

 

I don’t want to watch tv with my head at an angle, so what else can you do? Is it just impossible? Partner says he just wants a tv room, then what’s the point of the living room? Any ideas?

[Tony L]

8 minutes ago, LDNRennovation said:

Obviously the tv does not go above the fireplace… right?

Of course that's right.  & neither does it go within a few inches of the ceiling (another current fashion).

 

I'd be putting it to the right of the fire place, with the sofa directly opposite.  The rad isn't ideally positioned, but that wouldn't stop me optimising the TV.

[LDNRennovation]

Yes I could shuffle it all down there, maybe get another sofa so it doesn’t make the room look unbalanced? I thought it was an ok room but once you think about furniture it’s a daft room with too many doors.

[-rick-]

14 minutes ago, LDNRennovation said:

It has a fireplace which we would like to keep, and doors on three sides. Obviously the tv does not go above the fireplace… right?

 

I don’t want to watch tv with my head at an angle, so what else can you do?

 

As a last resort there are some pull down TV wall mounts that allow you to mount the TV above a fireplace but pull it forward and down for when you want to use it. Not personally keen on the option but wanted to make sure you know it exists.

 

2 minutes ago, Tony L said:

I'd be putting it to the right of the fire place, with the sofa directly opposite.  The rad isn't ideally positioned, but that wouldn't stop me optimising the TV.

 

I was thinking that (with a small sofa). If you put a single rotatable chair to the fire side of that and then other chairs (or another sofa) in the other parts of the room you could effectively divide the room into a smaller TV snug and a somewhat larger social space, though the dimensions are a little tight for this.

 

14 minutes ago, LDNRennovation said:

Partner says he just wants a tv room, then what’s the point of the living room? Any ideas?

 

He wants this room as mainly for TV or he wants this room as a living space and to use another room as a dedicated TV space?

 

How much TV do you watch?

[JohnMo]

12 hours ago, LDNRennovation said:

can’t seem to agree on this room

Out of the parties that doesn't agree has the design flare? They are right.

 

For me it's my wife, I have a say, then I'm told what going to happen. Simple.

[Russdl]

Just to be contrary. 
 

Definitely put it above the fireplace, your head won’t be at a noticeable angle and it is fully articulated so you’ll cope with any minor angle required. 
 

Replace the mantle piece with a larger one to provide heat protection (maybe remove a course or two of blocks so the mantle piece can be lower). 
 

Then get a Samsung ‘the frame’ TV so that you have a stunning artwork in pride of place, above the fireplace, for those times you’re not watching the box. 
 

[LDNRennovation]

2 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Out of the parties that doesn't agree has the design flare? They are right.

 

For me it's my wife, I have a say, then I'm told what going to happen. Simple.

Haha! I guess it’s me but he knows what he likes, and has some pretty solid design rules. 
 

15 hours ago, -rick- said:

 

How much TV do you watch?

 

Lots! Mainly films and so was thinking of a cinema room. Rather than a pull down tv, maybe a projector or something? Maybe that would work.
 

Or maybe it swings from here? (I did an AI version) I really love all these ideas.

 

 

[ProDave]

2 hours ago, Russdl said:

Just to be contrary. 
 

Definitely put it above the fireplace, your head won’t be at a noticeable angle and it is fully articulated so you’ll cope with any minor angle required. 

That is a very personal choice.

 

A lot depends on your sofa.  If you are watching a tv at roughly seated eye level then it does not matter.  But what I found visiting a relative with a tv above the fireplace is it got VERY tiring with your head constantly tilted looking upwards and a low backed sofa.  It would imho need a sofa with a high back so you could rest your head against the high backrest to begin to make it bearable for me.

[Mr Punter]

16 minutes ago, ProDave said:

That is a very personal choice.

 

A lot depends on your sofa.  If you are watching a tv at roughly seated eye level then it does not matter.  But what I found visiting a relative with a tv above the fireplace is it got VERY tiring with your head constantly tilted looking upwards and a low backed sofa.  It would imho need a sofa with a high back so you could rest your head against the high backrest to begin to make it bearable for me.

 

Agreed.  I would want the horizontal centre of the TV to be in line with the mantelpiece.  To the right.  You could easily conceal all the cables and kit in the alcove.

[ProDave]

2 hours ago, LDNRennovation said:

 

 

I like that layout, you can see the fire, you can see the tv, you can see out to the garden.

 

Perhaps a motorised tv mount to swing it out a bit when in use?

 

And the unit below solves the age old problem of where to put all the "set top" boxes.  Always a problem with a wall hung tv. 

[SteamyTea]

The pictures are better on radio.

One problem solved.

Fires in homes are coming under more scrutiny and legislation, so why bother.

Another problem solved.

[Iceverge]

Reflections from the windows ruin many a good TV room. TV needs to be on the same wall as the windows, not opposite. 

 

I reckon the top of the TV should be no higher than your head when sitting. TVs above the fireplace are for massicists. 

 

The Fireplace will get a bag of logs at Christmas probably and the rest of the time you'll heat the house ussing common sence so I wouldn't compromise the audio visual experience for the sake of moving the sofa once a year. 

 

 

Sofa at 1. 

 

TV at 2. 

 

Two nice light arm chairs at 3 and 4 that  can be turned to watch the TV or spin them around to sit facing the fire  

 

 

[Russdl]

6 hours ago, ProDave said:

That is a very personal choice

absolutely. 
 

6 hours ago, ProDave said:

But what I found visiting a relative with a tv above the fireplace is it got VERY tiring with your head constantly tilted looking upwards and a low backed sofa

I find that a bit strange, but if that was your experience then I can’t argue that.
 

In our previous place we had a screen above the fireplace and a projector behind us, no one ever had issues (old, young and in between) watching films, sport etc. day to day viewing was an normal TV at normal level (which actually was probably looking down a bit).

In our new place we have a large TV at an above fireplace level because it’s a picture/photo when it’s ’off’ and that’s the only TV we have (no fireplace this time).
 

No complaints from old, young or in between.