Decor: Helping your TV blend in

You can either place your TV on a wall mounting, wall unit or TV stand.  

In Summary

The television is one of the main means of entertainment in a home. Therefore, positioning it properly is necessary for everyone’s enjoyment as Beatrice Nakibuuka writes.

If you have to turn your head to look at your screen, just know you will develop pain in your neck. Proper placement of your TV can determine its enjoyment while you watch.

Functionality
Depending on the functionality and what you intend to use the room for, you may choose to have your TV in the dinning, living room, kitchen, bedroom or bathroom. You may also decide to put the TV in a place where you alone can watch or for the entire family.
If it is to be used by the whole family, put it in a strategic position where someone both in the dining and living room can see. If you do not want your television to take the lead in the living room, you can consider incorporating it into a shelf built in the wall.

Viewing angle
The viewing angle affects your viewing experience and picture quality. It is recommended that the best TV experience is when viewed straight-on, at a height where your eyes are at the same level with the middle of the screen. Hence the popularity of TV stands and wall mountings as a smart design choice for placing your TV.
Gloria Kawuma, an interior designer at Habitat Consults, says, “Your TV should be placed at normal eye-level because it is the best viewing angle. When you are seated, your head should be even with the middle of the screen to avoid straining the neck while viewing. You will be most comfortable if you watch your TV looking straight ahead, rather than up or down at the screen.”

Light
Consider the light from windows or lamps in your room. Windows should have proper dressing with either curtains or blinds to adjust bright sunlight thereby eliminating reflections off the screen.
“When placing a TV, it is important to note the direction from which your natural lighting comes. Avoid placing your TV in front of a window or mirror because the reflection from it will produce a glare that affects your sight. The difference in light from the windows and your screen can cause eye strain and sight problems in the long run,” says Kawuma.

Beauty
In terms of design, Christine Butegwa, an interior designer at Rukundo Design and Décor, says you need to hide TV cables to create a clean, seamless look.
“Framing your TV with a beautiful frame, mounting your TV on the wall or deflecting attention from the TV using clever tricks such as placing it on a wall with framed photos, or is a built-in cabinet filled with books, or hidden behind a painting. These are all interior design tricks to optimise the look of the TV as an addition to your room and not something that competes with the rest of the items in the room,” she says.

Butegwa adds that if your power source was placed at the doorway during construction; consider relocating it or having an extension to a safer place from obstruction or where children will not easily knock down your television set.
The viewing distance from your TV matters a lot. You may sit some inches away for the safety of your eyes. However, you can get a larger TV for better viewing.
“Sitting the right distance from your TV is also an important part of optimising the viewing experience. Experts recommend viewing distance of between 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 times the screen diagonal (what does this mean) for HGTVs,” says Butegwa.

The size of the screen would also depend on your family size. Although people with smaller families can go for bigger TV screens, those with bigger families must have the bigger screens so that people do not strain their eyes to watch it, says Kawuma.
“Let the TV not take away the community or family feeling when you are at home. There should be provisions for conversations, time for the children to do homework and resting time. It would be hard to have ample rest if you took the TV to the bedroom.”