Comments on: The Television and Fireplace Location Dilemma http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/ Home Design Tips and Advice from an Architect Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:31:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-5471 Bill Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:57:34 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-5471 Nick - You are correct that the retracting doors never go in all the way. If you have a flat screen TV, you might consider mounting it on a bracket on the back panel. The bracket could be the "articulating" type which would let you pull the TV out and angle it easily. This is often easier and safer than a pull out shelf with the TV sitting loose upon it. Nick – You are correct that the retracting doors never go in all the way. If you have a flat screen TV, you might consider mounting it on a bracket on the back panel. The bracket could be the “articulating” type which would let you pull the TV out and angle it easily. This is often easier and safer than a pull out shelf with the TV sitting loose upon it.

]]> By: Nick http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-5470 Nick Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:30:28 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-5470 Bill- Thanks for the response. I was thinking the same thing about using wall space to let the doors slide into. I don't think we will have much room to play with. The only concern about the doors not going all the way back is that it would be difficult to view from the side. From what I understand, the envelope doors are never totally flush when pushed back. One solution we are considering is allowing the shelf that the TV is on to roll / slide out a few inches if needed. Make sense? Does that seem practical? I will be looking forward to your drawings. Thanks again for your input. Bill- Thanks for the response. I was thinking the same thing about using wall space to let the doors slide into. I don’t think we will have much room to play with. The only concern about the doors not going all the way back is that it would be difficult to view from the side. From what I understand, the envelope doors are never totally flush when pushed back. One solution we are considering is allowing the shelf that the TV is on to roll / slide out a few inches if needed. Make sense? Does that seem practical?

I will be looking forward to your drawings. Thanks again for your input.

]]> By: Bill http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-5467 Bill Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:17:27 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-5467 Nick - I'm glad my article helped. With the wide format flat screen TV's we often need to create a false back for the doors and figure out a way to create depth for the doors to slide back into. One other solution is to use lifting hardware the lets the panels of the door lift up )covering the shelves above the TV) and pull down to cover the TV. Hafele makes some nice hardware for this. It is counterweighted so it is easy to operate. Download the Hafele cabinet hardware catalog and check out Hafele EKU-LIBRA 20H. I don't have any more drawings of this concept that are ready to go. A lot depends on the size of the TV you want or have. You could probably get the cabinetmaker, architect, or builder to sketch something (to scale) to see how it might all go together. I'm working on one for another client right now. When the drawings are done, I'll add it to this post. Nick – I’m glad my article helped. With the wide format flat screen TV’s we often need to create a false back for the doors and figure out a way to create depth for the doors to slide back into. One other solution is to use lifting hardware the lets the panels of the door lift up )covering the shelves above the TV) and pull down to cover the TV. Hafele makes some nice hardware for this. It is counterweighted so it is easy to operate. Download the Hafele cabinet hardware catalog and check out Hafele EKU-LIBRA 20H.

I don’t have any more drawings of this concept that are ready to go. A lot depends on the size of the TV you want or have. You could probably get the cabinetmaker, architect, or builder to sketch something (to scale) to see how it might all go together. I’m working on one for another client right now. When the drawings are done, I’ll add it to this post.

]]> By: Nick http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-5463 Nick Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:47:02 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-5463 Bill- We are building a home and are facing the fireplace TV dilema. We don't want to put the TV above the fireplace either. The wall is in a great room with a 30' vaulted ceiling. The wall is 18' wide with nothing else on the wall. Your design was a God-sent as we have tried to figure this out. At this point we are trying to design the piece. We figure it will be about 12' wide and 9.5' high with a crown molding-type wood cap on top. Part of the problem we are running into is that the depth of the stone and the width of the doors need to coincide if one hopes to have them slide into the cabinet (as I believe the ones in your pic do). However, your doors seem wider than the thickness of the stone (make sense?). Is it possible to frame some extra room into the wall behind the cabinet so that the doors have more room to enter? Do you happen to have any additional pictures or measurements of this entertainment center that may give a better idea about how you balanced the sizes of the different components? Thanks again for the great article. Nick Bill-

We are building a home and are facing the fireplace TV dilema. We don’t want to put the TV above the fireplace either. The wall is in a great room with a 30′ vaulted ceiling. The wall is 18′ wide with nothing else on the wall. Your design was a God-sent as we have tried to figure this out. At this point we are trying to design the piece. We figure it will be about 12′ wide and 9.5′ high with a crown molding-type wood cap on top. Part of the problem we are running into is that the depth of the stone and the width of the doors need to coincide if one hopes to have them slide into the cabinet (as I believe the ones in your pic do). However, your doors seem wider than the thickness of the stone (make sense?). Is it possible to frame some extra room into the wall behind the cabinet so that the doors have more room to enter? Do you happen to have any additional pictures or measurements of this entertainment center that may give a better idea about how you balanced the sizes of the different components?

Thanks again for the great article.

Nick

]]> By: Bill http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-4603 Bill Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:25:07 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-4603 Brenda - If the sill of your windows is high enough, you could build in some cabinets beneath the windows. One of them could hold the TV. The TV could be installed within the cabinet on a lift that would let the TV rise up automatically when you wished to view it and lower into the cabinet when you did not want to see it. I did this once with a situation like yours on a house I designed in Connecticut. The best known manufacturer of lifts like this is <strong><a href="http://www.auton.com/" rel="nofollow">Auton</a></strong>. The lifts are fairly expensive. But it might be worth it if it solves your TV versus Fireplace stand-off. And yout friends and family will think it's soooo cool! Brenda – If the sill of your windows is high enough, you could build in some cabinets beneath the windows. One of them could hold the TV. The TV could be installed within the cabinet on a lift that would let the TV rise up automatically when you wished to view it and lower into the cabinet when you did not want to see it. I did this once with a situation like yours on a house I designed in Connecticut.

The best known manufacturer of lifts like this is Auton. The lifts are fairly expensive. But it might be worth it if it solves your TV versus Fireplace stand-off. And yout friends and family will think it’s soooo cool!

]]> By: Brenda http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-4602 Brenda Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:16:17 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-4602 Bill, I love your idea of combining the tv & fireplace; however, I have windows on each side of the fireplace so could you give me some other idea of how to combine the two without putting the tv above the fireplace. Bill,
I love your idea of combining the tv & fireplace; however, I have windows on each side of the fireplace so could you give me some other idea of how to combine the two without putting the tv above the fireplace.

]]> By: Bill http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-4210 Bill Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:55:46 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-4210 Danielle - Try sending me an e-mail at info@designingyourperfecthouse.com and attaching your sketch. That should help me see what you're envisioning. I'll try to help you out. Danielle – Try sending me an e-mail at info@designingyourperfecthouse.com and attaching your sketch. That should help me see what you’re envisioning. I’ll try to help you out.

]]> By: Danielle Rughoo http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-4196 Danielle Rughoo Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:57:28 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-4196 Not having much luck, so hopefully, my description may help: North end (horizontally): bay window East side (vertically): Top end: Fireplace Bottom end: Wall South end (horizontally): Double glass sliding doors West side (vertically): Top end: Double glass sliding doors Bottom end: Wall Not having much luck, so hopefully, my description may help:

North end (horizontally): bay window

East side (vertically): Top end: Fireplace
Bottom end: Wall

South end (horizontally): Double glass sliding doors

West side (vertically): Top end: Double glass sliding doors
Bottom end: Wall

]]> By: Danielle Rughoo http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-4195 Danielle Rughoo Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:50:21 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-4195 Oh dear...just realised my diagram has become all muddled after I've submitted my comment...will see if I can do something else to give you a better idea! Thanks! Oh dear…just realised my diagram has become all muddled after I’ve submitted my comment…will see if I can do something else to give you a better idea!

Thanks!

]]> By: Danielle Rughoo http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/12/where-to-put-the-tv-and-fireplace/comment-page-1/#comment-4194 Danielle Rughoo Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:49:06 +0000 http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/?p=574#comment-4194 My husband and I have bought a house with a through lounge measuring 32'x13'. I plan to 'separate' the space with furniture to provide a living and dining area, however I also have the fireplace/TV dilemma. My instinct is to use the bay window end of the room as the living space with the couch and TV and the other end as the dining room however I can't seem to find a place to position the TV without detracting from the fireplace or having the back of the couch facing the double doors. I have (poorly!) indicated below a rough idea of how the room looks and wondered what you might suggest in terms of placement of furniture? Any help will be gratefully received! Thanks! _____________Bay Window______________ I D D I o o F p I u o i l I b r r a I l s e c I e e I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Sliding doors to l-shape kitchen My husband and I have bought a house with a through lounge measuring 32′x13′. I plan to ‘separate’ the space with furniture to provide a living and dining area, however I also have the fireplace/TV dilemma.

My instinct is to use the bay window end of the room as the living space with the couch and TV and the other end as the dining room however I can’t seem to find a place to position the TV without detracting from the fireplace or having the back of the couch facing the double doors.

I have (poorly!) indicated below a rough idea of how the room looks and wondered what you might suggest in terms of placement of furniture?

Any help will be gratefully received!

Thanks!

_____________Bay Window______________
I
D D I
o o F p I
u o i l I
b r r a I
l s e c I
e e I

I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
Sliding doors to l-shape kitchen

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