When designing a room, most people don’t put that much thought into getting the right TV stand. They’ll spend weeks looking for the perfect sofa, chairs, coffee table, window treatments and decorations. Then they buy a big flat-screen TV that ends up either on some improvised table or directly on the floor, which is far from ideal.
In any living room, the TV will inevitably become the focal point, so you want the TV stand to match the rest of the furniture, fit any other electronic devices such as game systems or streaming media players, and hide the cables. Getting the right TV stand also keeps your TV safe from accidents and ensures a better viewing experience. If you love binge-watching TV shows, movie nights with your friends, playing video games or keeping up with your favourite sports team, then you’ll definitely want to invest some time into getting the perfect TV stand. Keep reading to learn about the fain features you need to consider.
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Choosing the Right Size
If you want a theatre-quality viewing experience and you’ve decided to get a 40 or 50-inch TV, you have to consider how much floor and wall space you need to set aside. As a rule of thumb, TV stands should be wider than the TV to prevent overhang, offer even weight distribution and minimize the risk of your TV toppling over.
Since TV measurements differ from TV stand measurements, matching the two can be quite tricky. TVs are measured diagonally, but when choosing the TV stand, you need to consider height and width and what else you want to have room for. Maybe you have an extensive DVD collection, and you have other devices you want to connect to your TV. When it comes to weights distribution, the TVs we typically see in homes now are more top-heavy than older box-style models, so they’ll need better support.
The Right Viewing Angle
You’re not going to enjoy watching TV if it means craning your neck at uncomfortable angles for hours. You want your TV stand to bring the display at the optimal viewing angle. Since this is measured sitting down, it will also depend on the height of your furniture.
The TV shouldn’t be above eye level as this will tire your eyes and strain your neck. Sit down on your sofa or chair and measure the distance between the floor and your eyes. Then, depending on the height of your TV, you choose the height of the TV stand. Alternatively, you can mount the TV on the wall and place a shorter TV stand underneath to frame the screen and hold your other devices.
The Right Fit for the Room
If your living room is small or irregularly shaped, it doesn’t mean you can’t get that wide-screen TV you’ve been dreaming of. There are always solutions. You can opt for a swivel TV stand, which will allow you to get the optimal viewing angle. You can also get a corner TV stand so you can place your TV in a more compact spot, or, as we already mentioned, you can mount your TV and the wall and place a smaller TV stand underneath that works with the size of the room.
Room layout is an important factor in choosing the location of your TV. Avoid placing it in front of a window since this will strain your eyes and ruin your viewing experience. The TV should be in a spot where it won’t reflect any light either, and there needs to be enough distance between the seating area and the screen. First of all, nobody likes climbing over furniture when moving through the room, and if you have guests over, this might lead to them bumping into things.
Second of all, the bigger the TV, the further away it will need to be from the seating area. Large TVs generally require about 7 or 8 feet of space.
The Right Style for the Room
Your new TV stand needs to match the style and décor of the room you’re planning to place it in. Luckily, TV stands come in a variety of colours, materials and styles, so you should be able to find something that doesn’t clash. If the room is decorated according to a modern, minimalist aesthetic, then you’ll want something with simple geometric lines, open shelving and glass or metallic elements. The collections from Loft Design Company are a perfect example.
On the other hand, a traditionally decorated room full of antiques will require a TV stand with more ornamental details. You can choose something durable, with thicker frames, made out of richly stained woods like maple, oak, mahogany and cherry
When choosing the style, you also want to remain practical. You may want a TV stand with beautiful glass doors and shelves, but if you have small kids, that might not be the best choice. You’ll want a sturdy hardwood model that fits an environment where rambunctious kids are running around and playing. Every element in your home needs to fit your lifestyle.
The Right Features
The features depend on how you use your TV. Do you watch a lot of movies? Do you like to invite your friends over to watch sports games? Do you mostly play video games on it? Or do you barely use it at all?
The answers to these questions will determine how much storage space you need, what kind of storage space and any other features. For example, you may need an advanced cable management system to keep all your devices connected but still keep the room looking tidy. Some models can even reduce overheating for these various devices.
Maybe you need to move the TV when your friends come over to watch the game. If you need to change the angle, but you’ll be keeping it in the same room, you’ll want a swivel TV stand, and if you need to move it to another room, then you want something light and easy to carry.
In case you want the extra storage space, but you don’t spend so much time watching TV, a hutch style stand would work better.