• Will This Big Screen Work in My Family Room?
  • One of the biggest design dilemmas of today is “Now that we bought this big screen TV, how do we design the room around it?” How far above the floor is the ideal viewing location? How far from the screen should the seating area be? How do we fix the glare that is hitting the screen? Where is the best place to put the TV?
  • The first thing to think about when purchasing a big screen TV is what size should it be. In this case bigger is not always better. Think about the room you are going to put the TV in. What is the main purpose of this room? Will it mainly be a TV viewing area, or do you want conversations to take place in the room, too? Will this room sometimes be a quiet reading room? Do you want to entertain in this room without the TV being the focal point? By answering these questions, you are well on your way to a great room design.
  • Next you will want to decide where in the room the TV should be placed. Is there a fireplace? Is there a window with a great view? Do you want to look at the fireplace and the TV at the same time? I’ve noticed a lot of people mount the TV above the fireplace. This can be a big mistake because it may be too high on the wall and give you a sore neck when watching TV. The ideal location is to place the TV on the wall so the middle of the screen is about 45″ above the floor. This will give you good viewing without a sore neck.
  • Back to the question about how big the screen should be. On average, the diagonal measure of the screen should be one third the distance from the screen to your eye. In other words, a 36″ diagonal screen should be viewed from 9 feet away and a 60″ diagonal screen should be viewed from 15 feet away. Always check with the manufacturer’s recommendations which can vary with the type of screen you get. Check this out before you buy.
  • Consider the size of the room and the placement of the TV and furniture. Is the viewing distance going to work for your room and the TV you are considering? Think about the couch or chairs facing the TV straight on versus on an angle. The picture, brightness, color, and contrast may be distorted if the furniture is not placed correctly.
  • If you want this room to have other purposes than just TV viewing, you may want to consider a cabinet that will close to hide the TV. Some cabinets are available with doors that swing open and closed. Be sure to allow enough room for the full door swings. Make sure that when the doors are open, the do not block a window or interfere with traffic flow. There are also cabinet options where you can lower the unit into a base cabinet. Always think about where all the cords will go and plan accordingly.
  • The last thing I hear about is too much glare. Any windows you have in that room will give you glare during the day. There is a very simple solution, room darkening shades. They come in many variations including woven woods, honeycomb shades, and wood or faux wood blinds. The blinds or shades can be motorized and operated via remote control and are available for your skylight windows.
  • If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Beyond Blinds, Inc. for more information.
  • Beyond Blinds, Inc. is your source for custom window treatments. We are experts at Draperies, Blinds, Shades and Shutters. Our designers bring samples to you to save you time. We are a Hunter Douglas Showcase Priority Dealer with motorized shade experience.
  • Beyond Blinds Inc.
    630.232.9901
    http://beyondblindsinc.com
    john@beyondblindsinc.com
    1144 East State Street, Suite A117
  • Will This Big Screen Work in My Family Room?
    By John Fredrick