Your TV unit’s height is more important than most people understand. It makes modern TV units more comfortable to watch and influences the aesthetic dynamics of your decor and furniture.
Your walls make up the majority of the decorative space in most rooms and so how they’re decorated and the way they’re designed to be perceived affects the flow and feel of your home. The placement of wall art, windows and even your TV unit on your walls can impact the harmony and perceived size of your room, and the furniture in it. High TV units combine both optimal viewing and aesthetic contributions to make your TV a positive part of your living space experience.
Whether you go for a high gloss TV unit or a matte one, the best position for your TV, based on comfortable viewing, will depend on the size of your TV, the size of your room, your seating arrangement, the height of your seating and the average height of the people in your home. The centre of your TV should be at eye level with you when you are sitting across from it. A higher or lower TV unit (depending on where this puts your TV on your wall) can help keep your room visually functional without disrupting the comfort of watching Television in your home.
Bigger is not always better and an oversized television and TV unit can make your room look smaller and cluttered, negatively overshadowing the other aspects of the room no matter how well-curated and beautifully arranged they are. When deciding on the height of your TV unit you should consider first and foremost the size of your living space. This will impact how you lay out other arrangements in your space including the size of your TV, the amount of furniture in the room and what else is on the wall where you want your TV mounted.
Whether your television will be resting directly on your cabinet or your TV unit will be carrying accessories below, your unit needs to be a compatible size and height with your television. When placing your TV at a comfortable viewing height determined by the size of the TV itself and the distance between your TV and seating as well as the height of your couches or other chairs.If your TV is higher or you have a high ceiling that could make your TV appear too low at the appropriate height, tall TV units can be used to balance the appearance of your TV on your wall minimising the bare space that could look awkward. This could look like a decorative wall or shelving above and below the television.
Tall units can be overwhelming in smaller rooms depending on how intricately detailed they are and whether or not they incorporate shelving. In smaller rooms, the seating is also closer to the TV itself so the television set would be mounted or placed closer to the centre of the wall or even lower. This supports a lower unit that sits below the TV.
Modern TV units look very different to the TV units of old, many of which were as bulky as the TVs they held. A TV unit is completely optional in a modern home with some people choosing not to have one at all and mounting their televisions directly on the wall connecting them to appliances that are placed strategically out of sight. However, if you want to make use of your TV unit as additional storage the size of the unit and its cabinets, if it has any, is important. Consider the function of your choice and how it contributes to convenience and ease in your home.
Beautiful furniture that hasn’t been well coordinated or suited to the room can be reduced to looking unpleasant. Contemporary spaces are commonly built around entertainment and for many of us that is still the television. By extension, your TV unit is a focal point of the room and its size and height should complement the rest of the room so as not to be overwhelming (if it looks oversized), or neglected and out of place (if it is too small).
If your living space is large with appropriately sized furniture you would naturally be looking at larger and higher TV units. A simpler unit that complements the height of your TV will bring balance to the room without weighing it down and contributing to visual clutter. Conversely, in a smaller room with a comfortable viewing height that is lower, you would aim to make the most of the vertical space you have by choosing a TV unit that also doubles as a feature wall.
Media cabinets come in many shapes, sizes and variations that can make them uniquely suited to different homes. Depending on why you may be considering a high TV Unit in the first place there are different types of cabinets that you can choose from.
Modern flat-screen TVs offer a new and often convenient option for the placement of your TV. Before flat-backed televisions, it was much harder to safely have a TV above the fireplace which is also often built into the central and focal wall of your living area.
Although it still poses risks and can be dangerous (because of the heat and smoke being in such close proximity to your television), you can mount your TV above your fireplace and use a high unit installed to support a TV that will typically be higher than eye level. Such a TV cabinet can be fitted directly onto the wall just below the TV, possibly extending around the TV and above it, or built around the fireplace with cabinetry around the fireplace and the TV taking up the entire wall.
Full-wall units are more popular than you may think at first glance. Wall-mounted TVs or floating TVs can come with the novel disadvantage of leaving wires and plugs exposed. A combination feature wall and TV unit offers an elegant solution to the wiring problem. This type of unit is a contemporary version of the traditional full-wall unit that offers an abundance of cabinetry, display opportunities and storage above, below and around your television. This can either be a built-in unit made specifically to fit your home and the height and size of your television or made out of cabinets arranged and installed around the TV.
Floating shelves are an option on their own too, with alternative plans being made for wiring including moving plug points and various other wire concealers leaving the shelves and the TV to float on a plain wall creating a simple and artful display with minimal pieces. This minimalistic option can contribute to a light and uncluttered look.
One of the main principles of interior design, especially after 2020 is comfort and functional design that will make your home more enjoyable to be in.
Although high TV units may be more convenient for those who want to use the space below their TV storage, interior designers do not recommend high TV units, simply because when used, typically below the TV itself, it means the TV has been placed high on the wall and in a position that is not the most comfortable for prolonged viewing. Below are some exceptions:
In large living rooms where the unit would be supporting a large TV that is far enough from the seating area to make for comfortable viewing at eye level, even at a greater wall mount height.
Above a fireplace is sometimes the only place where your TV can be reasonably placed without creating an off-balance room layout. Mounting the TV and the TV unit as high above the fireplace as you can manage can make this safer. Heat and smoke from the fireplace will still affect the long-term working of your TV, however, with a well designed fireplace and enough distance between the fireplace and TV, this can be minimised.
In rooms with high ceilings the center of the wall is where you would naturally want to place the room's focal point. A higher TV and high entertainment unit can help bring balance to the room and take advantage of the vertical space.
FCI London has an extensive range of TV Units in an assortment of styles and designs. From trendy high-gloss TV units to suit postmodern and minimalistic living rooms to traditional wooden cabinets with an abundance of storage and everything in between.
Our expert interior designers are available to guide you through the endless possibilities and help you find the perfect TV unit to suit your home and your preferences whether you’re looking for a unit to place above your fireplace or a ready-built entertainment cabinet to store all your gadgets in the family room.
Visit our 30,000 sq. ft.showroom, the largest luxury showroom in London, to discover, explore and experience a wide range of contemporary TV units, along with professional advice from a team of experienced and award-winning interior designers.
Utilise our complementary services like 3D Rendering, project planning, and enjoy our signature personalised service. We aim to make your design journey as seamless as possible, saving you time and effort wherever possible.
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