A new TV, especially a TV that will be one of the centerpieces of your living room, is an important design choice!
Photo of: Photos by Kaity
And not just for the TV. In addition to the set, you will probably also need to figure out how to hang it on the wall (and where) or what furniture or media center you want to install or remove it in. The TV you are interested in may not match your current setup or may not work. If you want to make sure that your home looks fantastic, you also need to consider making your technology look great in your home. As with many design options, this can be a little overwhelming if you think about everything at once. However, you don't have to take your time and we are here to help you. Here you will find almost everything you need to think about when looking for a new television:
How big is it?
The first thing you might think of when you get a TV, maybe right before or after the resolution and additional features of the device itself, is how big the screen is. Does it fit correctly on your wall or in or on your entertainment center? Does the size fit well with the size of the room and the expected distance of the screen from the couch? How much does the TV weigh? How can you support it properly? No matter what it looks like, if it could fall over (damage it and possibly fall on someone), it won't work. Most TVs come with stands that work perfectly. However, if you want to mount them on the wall, you need to consider that you have to adapt the design to the requirements of the mounting equipment. As a further comment on the selection of your television set and the implementation of corresponding changes, the visualization is of crucial importance here. While there are amazing offers for TVs on the Internet, this is one of the situations where you want to visit a shop or maybe a friend's house with a similar TV to see what you would be working with. Do not buy impulses and take photos of everything if necessary.
How and how often will you use it?
How often do you plan to use your TV? Stick to the mostly free options and maybe install something like an OTA DVR? While in the past there was only your TV and cable box, now with streaming, game consoles and other devices, things are a bit more complicated and therefore require a little more foresight before you buy the first TV you see online. If you use certain devices a lot, you want to find out how to give them an outstanding place without standing out in relation to the rest of your TV setup. If you don't plan to use the TV too often, but mostly turn it on for desks and special occasions only, consider a design scheme that will minimize its impact or hide it when not in use. Allow you to focus on other parts of your location or overall design. TV cover-up options can vary as well as prices, but it may be something you're working towards.
What about lines of sight and other furniture?
Have you ever seen a screen that has been out of sight for a long time? You don't want to hurt your neck by looking at a strange angle for hours, especially not at home. Make sure that you can rearrange your furniture if necessary so that the use of your TV is as comfortable as you hope. For this reason, you should consider the line of sight of the TV, how high up on the wall you place it, and where the couch, coffee table, and other furniture go before completing a design. If you're having trouble, a second set of eyes can help you a lot in this endeavor, and while they're there, they can conveniently help you move furniture around to make everything perfect.
Lighting can be the key
If you replace a TV, you have probably found out everything. As you probably know, lighting is an essential part of a well designed and attractive home. If you don't think ahead with this lighting, you can expect a poor viewing experience or a good picture will have a little unwanted contrast between the lighting in your home and the bright TV screen. Worse, you could have glare on half the screen and stop watching things until you turn off the lights. If this is your first time buying a new and big TV or trying a completely new setup, determining your lighting can be a problem for your living room. The light bulbs can be replaced quickly and easily. While you can't change the position of the ceiling light, additional lights of all types and even candles can improve the viewing experience or minimize problems at night. Overall, we recommend warmer lighting and the ability to easily adjust the intensity of this lighting.
What about the cables?
Cable management can be a nightmare, and poor cable management can ruin the look of an otherwise spectacular living room, whether it's modern or rustic. TVs come with at least some necessary cables, of course, and depending on your setup, you may need to route them around the house. This is especially the case if your cable or socket is a little away from where you want to place your television. If you want to improve the look of a room, cable management is simple, inexpensive and easy to change as you please. Some simple tools in this sense are just a maximum of $ 10 online order removed. We recommend staying away from the uglier tapes and opting for some nicer Velcro straps and other options. If you have cables that are too long, you probably don't need to worry as buying shorter cables will hardly cost you anything. If you're worried that trip hazards or cables will fall out of your setup, you can also try attaching cables to the wall (or in some rare cases to the ceiling).
You can also try going wireless (as much as possible), which means there are battery costs and potential signaling issues (though this shouldn't be a problem if everything is in the living room and is not blocked). You can keep things simple and just put devices in the right memory when you're not using them. Many wireless products also have a sleek design that can look good in many households and is generally more convenient.
Possible distractions
If you want people (including yourself) to enjoy your new TV, you should try to eliminate possible distractions in the TV space. Anything that shifts, changes color, is too colorful, or is highly reflective may not be a good choice to place around your TV, especially a larger or nicer one that really takes up space. You want the focus to be on the content of the screen. Consider moving these wonderful decorations to another room or setting them up so that they don't distract you. Sometimes a mostly blank wall is a good thing, and a big and impressive TV is a good reason to stick to it.
Conclusion
You know your living room and your home best and know what you can do with the room. So we're not going to tell you "do it no matter what". Instead, we want you to seriously consider these questions (possibly a checklist or at least create a page of notes) and have answers ready so you don't have design nerves. A television can be an expensive purchase and not easily reversible. That's why we want everything to work smoothly, and we wish you the best of luck.
