So, where DO you put the TV in a 1920's house?

Orionaut

Orionaut

Orionaut

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Here's the thing, a TV isn't just a TV any more. It is a home cinema.

You cant just stick it in the corner of the room any more like one used to do (And why would you want to anyway! :p )

So I get my 60" 4K TV and my surround sound system.

How do I place it in my 1920's living room?

1920's houses were built very much with the fireplace as the focal point of the room. And it is difficult to arrange the rooms in a way that doesn't reflect this.

Lots of people do put TV's on the fire breast, but there are problems with this (It places the TV too high really, and if one is in the habit of actually using the fireplace there are heat and other problems to deal with too.)

So, you either have to put the TV where the windows are and face the light, or put your backs to the windows and put the TV on the inner wall.

(The alternative of putting ones back to the fireplace isn't an option really)

What do most people chose to do?
 
Mine is a 1950's house with the chimney breast in the center and have the tv in the right hand corner looking at the chimney, I have it pulled forward a little and at an angle.

My surround sound is not not set up the best though :(
 
One of my colleagues converted the chimney so they could have the TV in there and at the right height - fair bit of mess and effort to do though.

Our old end terrace house had a kitchen extension and the people who moved into it built it upto a 2nd storey to have their home cinema setup in that.
 
Rroff said:
One of my colleagues converted the chimney so they could have the TV in there and at the right height - fair bit of mess and effort to do though.

Our old end terrace house had a kitchen extension and the people who moved into it built it upto a 2nd storey to have their home cinema setup in that.
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The problem with converting the chimney is that you lose the fire place.

As somebody who lived through both the winter of 1963 an the power cuts of the "Three day week" Fireplaces are considered essential domestic infrastructure! I would never consider any option that meant the loss of a fireplace.
 
That's a lot of inconvenience to maintain a thing that you might need to burn some fuel in to stay warm once every 30 years though :p. Do you have a bomb shelter in the back garden as well?

I think if we ever returned to a three day week then you could keep yourself warm from the fire started by a petrol bomb, and now rapidly engulfing your house.
 
Our front room is two 1870s rooms opened up with two bricked up fireplaces. I'm opening up one to put all the devices in and the TV will be mounted on the breast with the cables going up the chimney void.
 
I have a 1920s claygate fireplace which has sort of dictated where my TV is. It's to the side of it with a seating area for TV in front of it. It dictates that I can't go above 50inch for TV but is OK. Not how I would plan it but the fireplace works for the room and wouldn't butcher it for the sake of TV (although I did consider it).

In my last victorian terrace I had the TV mounted above the fireplace (decommissioned as chimney taken out above) and it was a bit high.
 
I put mine in the bay window - I had a TV/hifi unit made expecially low so as not to obscure the window too much.

Not ideal but the only real solution if you want to keep the fireplace, which most people do, is to get a projector and motorised screen. But this ups the budget considerably if you want a good quality picture.
 
TV in the bay window is the best option with the main viewing position directly opposite. The surround sound system setup is then much more conventional. Put venetian blinds in the bay window so you have more control over the amount of light behind the TV, blinds also help hide the TV from view outside.
 
We have just bought our first home which had a back boiler. Back Boiler was removed and a combi fitted else where in the property which left us with a whopping hole in the wall. Neither myself or SWMBO we're that fussed about having a fire as the radiators in each room are mahoosive. So I did this:

IMG_20160807_212511_zps2ev08d1h.jpg


Originally had the TV in the corner next to the bay window (just to the right of the chimney breast). Since putting it on the wall it's made the room look and feel so much bigger!
 
1800's house here. I just stuck the telly on the chimney breast as the fireplaces in both rooms are quite big and stick out enough (at the top) to ensure the heat that's rising isn't directed at the telly.

Simples :)

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No problems with heat at all and the fireplace here gets used most of the time we are in this room. Had a Samsung 40" in the same place before and it lasted 10 years, this LG 55" has been in place for about 5 years and still going strong!

In the other room I'd say the fireplace isn't as wide as this one so heat does rise up to the TV (and we've had the chimney breast removed so heat is generated from the wall itself) - however this again hasn't been an issue at all - My kids bust my TV's before heat or anything kills them lol

Both TV's are angled down ever-so slightly (thanks to the mounting kit on the back of it) so yes whilst it is slightly higher up than usual its not an issue and you soon get used to it. Much rather prefer it this way as you can experience the whole 'cinema' effect to its fullest extent (surround sound etc).
 
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Wall mounted tvs are a personal hatred of mine, it looks horrendous and gives you neck ache watching it as they are without fail always mounted too high.

Id be removing the fireplace and usung central heating like most people.
 
NoobCannon said:
Wall mounted tvs are a personal hatred of mine, it looks horrendous and gives you neck ache watching it as they are without fail always mounted too high.

Id be removing the fireplace and usung central heating like most people.
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Agreed about wall mounting too high. The TV should be no more than eye-level about a third down from the top of the TV when in your normal seating position.
 
Orionaut said:
The problem with converting the chimney is that you lose the fire place.

As somebody who lived through both the winter of 1963 an the power cuts of the "Three day week" Fireplaces are considered essential domestic infrastructure! I would never consider any option that meant the loss of a fireplace.
Click to expand...

Fortunately we have backup power generation and gas for heating as a fallback - atleast enough to run heating for a week without resorting to burning things and longer if the gas stays on.
 
Ive just recently mounted mine on the chimney breast in our 1930s semi. Studded the fireplace, plasterboard and had the front skimmed. I have a wood burner in the back room so have this to fall back to if needs be.

TV mounted on the wall cables ran in void and out the right side of the TV just need to tidy them up and get a nicer cabinet for the side now:

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Only issue is the hearth. When we bought the house it had been completely renovated so new carpets and they had carpeted up to the hearth :(

When the time comes to replace the carpet I will remove the hearth too. For now the wife is going to get some "nice ornaments for it"....
 
Is that ambi light or similar behind the TV? I had a play with bias lighting awhile ago and didn't think much of it - then I tried it again where I happened to have exactly the right distance/space and tone of wall behind it and it really worked well.
 
Rroff said:
Is that ambi light or similar behind the TV? I had a play with bias lighting awhile ago and didn't think much of it - then I tried it again where I happened to have exactly the right distance/space and tone of wall behind it and it really worked well.
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Yea just some cheap LED strips from the bay. Seems to help when the room is dark. Supposed to be white 6500k but seem a little blue while watching but when they only cost around £8 for a 2m strip with multiple colours you cant complain!

EDIT: slightly better / darker picture:

ipv5s1.jpg
 
It's in the corner of the room, where you'd put an old style TV... only just enough room for my 48" set. Need to have a redesign really so I can get a bigger one :p
 
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