A living room without a TV just isn’t complete and some even feel like this about other spaces such as a bedroom, the office, the kitchen or even the bathroom. The process is simple: you get a TV, you bring it home and then you find the perfect spot for it which can either be on a table or cabinet or directly on the wall in which case things are a bit more complicated and an important question arises: how high should you mount the TV?

The decision to have the TV mounted on the wall is a smart and practical one but only the first step in the process. What you need to do next is find a suitable TV wall mount. A flat screen TV wall mount should be chosen based on criteria such as the screen size, the weight of the TV and, of course, the type of mounting system that you prefer.

In a lot of cases, the TV is integrated into a wall unit system meant to create a cohesive lookSome people find the ideal TV mounting height to be too low for their taste and they choose looks over function

The fixed ones, for example, are not adjustable and while they’re tight against the wall they limit the height at which you can keep the TV. The tilt-swivel mounts, on the other hand, have the TV placed farther off the wall but they allow it to rotate side to side and to tilt, providing more flexibility. They’re also more practical, letting you access the back of the TV more easily.

You need to find the balance between everything in the room, with the TV as a focal pointThe furniture can be custom designed to perfectly fit around the TV

If you have the TV and the wall-mount, all that’s left to do is figure out the ideal height at which to position the TV. This is the trickiest part. A lot of factors are involved, including the type of TV, its screen size, the layout of the room, the furniture in it and the proportions of the couch but also the height of the viewers. Everything has to be balanced in order for the viewing experience to be a comfortable one.

Remember to always measure the height for the TV while seatedThink of how you’ll be using the TV. Will you be seated on the sofa or standing?As a general rule, it’s not usually indicated to have the TV placed above a fireplace or source of heat

As a general rule, the center of the screen should be at eye level when you’re seated. So measure your couch, sit down comfortably and measure the height from the floor to your eye level. It’s up to you to find the average height based on the height of everyone who will be watching TV in that room. There are also some formulas you can use to figure out how high to mount the TV. For instance, to find the ideal viewing distance, use the following formula: VD = TVS/.55 where VD = viewing distance and TVS = TV size. To find the mounting height center (MHC), use this formula: MHC = ELH+ (VD*.22) where ELH = eye level height. – download the chart.

Basically for a 55” TV wall mount the viewing distance should be somewhere between 6′ and 12′ and for a 65” TV wall mount it should be at around 8′-12′. Generally, the TV is placed at a height of 42” above the couch. Of course, these numbers can vary quite a bit depending on the particular circumstances and on your personal preferences. It could be possible, for instance, to prefer a wall-mounted TV cabinet in which case you must also take into considerations the measurements of this piece.

It’s possible to not give a lot of important to how comfortable it is to watch TV if this isn’t a common activityIn some cases, compromises can be made in order to preserve the symmetry or aesthetic balance in the roomStyle can prevail over function in cases when the TV is meant as a background element and not for movie-watchingThe TV doesn’t have to sit at the center of the wall if the sofa is placed in the cornerTake into consideration any design changes or restructuring you might want to do before mounting the TVNothing is final and there are always alternatives and options to consider so be creativeInstead of having the TV mounted directly on the wall, you could add a back panel that hides all the cordsPanels are actually very practical, helping a lot with the cord-management systemA lot of different combinations are possible based on a lot of personal preferences and stylistic details