A TV above the fireplace might not be your first choice of living room configuration, but it can look really good if done right.
There are some dos and don’ts when it comes to hanging a flat-screen TV above an electric fire. So in this guide, we’ll show you 23 ideas for how you could have your TV above the fireplace in the living room, as well as giving you some useful installation tips at the end.
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Can You Put a TV Above An Electric Fireplace?
You can hang a TV above most electric fireplaces without any adverse effects to the TV. Most electric fires blow heat out of the bottom or front, so as long as you leave enough of a gap between the fireplace and the TV, it won’t get warm at all.
1. Hi-Gloss Wood Effect Wall
This modern and luxurious fireplace takes up the entire wall. The gold framing of the electric fire and the TV match each other as well as the gold accessories in the room.
2. Stone Fireplace With Shelves
This large feature fireplace works well with the high ceilings. The traditional stone gives a cosy feel while the custom made shelves provide a good place to display ornaments.
3. Floating Wall With Off-Center TV and Fire
In the center of the room, this modern marble effect floating fireplace features an off-center TV that balances visually with the small electric fire beneath.
4. Modern Fireplace With Speakers
A short but wide electric fire allows you to have your TV positioned a little lower for the best viewing angle when sitting down, without craning your neck. This modern fireplace also has built-in speakers for a surround sound experience.
5. Matt Black and Wood Fireplace
Matt black and wood can look great together. Choosing these colors means that the TV isn’t immediately noticeable when its not switched on, which draws the eye to the beauty of the flames beneath.
6. Modern Brick Fireplace With TV Above
Hanging the TV on the brick chimney breast gives extra space to the room, allowing more space for an extra armchair. Many would find this preferable to cramming the TV in the corner.
7. Luxury White Fireplace With Shelves
The great thing about this fireplace is that it doesn’t have any definite end points. Instead, it seems to join continuously with the rest of the room with the pretty shelve and handy storage cupboards to each side. It’s a great use of the space.
8. Marble and Wood Wall
This modern electric fireplace is tucked beneath the TV. Barely noticeable, recessed into the black marble, it will give off a cosy warmth without taking attention away from the television above.
9. TV and Electric Fire With Shelves
This small, modern electric fire doesn’t take up much space at all, leaving room for a TV above as well as some asymmetric shelving that can be used to display books, photos and other nick nacks.
10. Ultra Modern Electric Fire
This gorgeously modern villa has a very wide electric fire beneath a TV that’s perfectly positioned on its own wall with spotlights above. This would be tricky to achieve in most homes, but if the space allows, then this look stunning.
11. Marble Chimneypiece With Electric Fire
This marble chimneypiece is actually fake. It’s a look that can be easily achieved with MDF wood and marble-effect wallpaper for a budget yet expensive-looking fireplace with a TV above.
12. Wooden Fire Surround With TV
This statement wooden fire surround has been handcrafted to include shelving and storage. While you could have a mirror above, this also provides a suitable place to hang the TV.
13. Simple White Fireplace with TV Above
This large electric fire is a similar size to the flat screen TV above. This creates a balanced look the the two mirror each other in a way that’s undoubtedly visually appealing.
14. Fireplace with LED Backlight
This old-fashioned electic fire might not be to eveyone’s taste, but it demonstrates how LED lighting can be used along the sides of the chimney breast to provide a frame effect around the fireplace and TV.
15. Asymmetric Fire Surround
The asymmetric design of this electric fireplace and TV setup maximized the space in the room, giving lots of hidden storage as well as a place to put a desk and chair.
16. Small TV On Mantle
If this isn’t the main TV room in your home, then why not opt for a small TV which you can sit on top of the mantlepiece? With decorative shelves to each side, this TV doesn’t spoil the look of the room at all.
17. Box Fireplace With TV On Top
If your electric fireplace has a boxy design like this one then it’s easy enough to sit your TV right on top of it. With a fireplace like this one, you can even angle your TV for the best viewing angle.
18. Stone Fireplace With Shelves
This cosy, traditional electric fireplace has a recessed area meaning that the TV can be set back a little, rather than jutting out into the room. And, shelves on each side of the chimney breast are the perfect place to display books and ornaments.
19. White Brick Fireplace With TV On Top
This white brick-effect fireplace has enough of a ledge on top that you can easily place a TV. In a small-sized room, only a small to medium television is needed as you’ll be sitting close to the screen.
Suggested read: How Big Is A 32-Inch TV?
20. Wide Fireplace With TV Above
The wide design of this fireplace gives a handy place to put a DVD player, Sky box, games console, or whatever else you need to plug into the TV.
21. Cosy Traditional Fireplace
This traditional stone fireplace is so beautiful that you barely notice the TV positioned above it. This television is quite close to the ceiling though, which may not be ideal for most people.
22. Corner Fireplace With TV On Top
If your fireplace is in the corner of the room you can still have a TV above it. This TV is positioned on a stand that leaves room for a DVD player beneath.
23. White Corner Fireplace
A corner TV gives a good viewing angle wherever you sit in the room. In this home, a false wall has been put in so that the electric fireplace can also be positioned in the corner, beneath the TV.
Electric Fireplace and TV Installation Tips
You should always leave at least 6 inches between the top of an electric fireplace and a TV. This will ensure that the heat from the fireplace doesn’t affect the TV at all.
The best way to hide wires from a TV above the fireplace is to drill into the wall and bury them underneath. If this isn’t possible, you could use cable covers and camouflage them so that they don’t look too obvious.
TV size should be determined by the distance from your eyes to the screen, not the side of the fireplace beneath the the TV. The standard recommendation is that the screen size should be 1.5x the viewing distance.
Ideally, your couch should be three feet from a fireplace with TV above. That way, you can feel the heat, without damaging your furniture or hurting your eyes.
When your TV is above the fireplace, you’ll usually need to put your Sky or cable box, DVD player, or games console next to it. Put up shelves or a cabinet next to the fireplaces and store your devices in there.
To Conclude
It can be tricky to fit both a television and a fireplace into a room, but having the TV over the electric fire provides the ideal solution. There are many ways to do this, so whether you want a traditional feature fireplace with a TV above or a modern electric fire with a large flat-screen TV, these ideas should provide you with some inspiration for your living room design.