Fireplace, before installation My client in Laguna Hills had 2 primary locations for televisions in the house. The first one was in the family room, and above the fireplace was the best location in relation to the room layout. (Important design footnote: in creating a good functional design for a room it’s important not to have opposing viewpoints. In other words, a room must have a single focal point, not multiple focal points. Having opposing focal points can create a feeling of confusion when in the actual space. If the primary focus of the room were a view (i.e. of the ocean) you would not want to take away from that view. Placement of furniture and other items needs to take this into consideration. This could also be true for TVs, fireplaces or any other elements that may be a focal point.)
The client wanted a large flat screen TV that needed to be mounted on top of the fireplace. In addition he wanted surround sound, which meant some sort of speaker application. In a surround sound situation you have 3 channels: left and right front channels, a center channel for voice, and rear channels for effects. We had an unusual situation with the fireplace being brick and also not having walls on either side for us to use in-wall speakers. So, the first part of our solution was to put the front sound effects on either side of the TV using a specific product called a speaker bar that does left, right and center channels. We did our rear effects in the ceiling.
The client wanted a large flat screen TV that needed to be mounted on top of the fireplace. In addition he wanted surround sound, which meant some sort of speaker application. In a surround sound situation you have 3 channels: left and right front channels, a center channel for voice, and rear channels for effects. We had an unusual situation with the fireplace being brick and also not having walls on either side for us to use in-wall speakers. So, the first part of our solution was to put the front sound effects on either side of the TV using a specific product called a speaker bar that does left, right and center channels. We did our rear effects in the ceiling.
The real challenge was to get all of the required wiring to run from the TV over to the cabinetry where the equipment was housed, and keep it invisible. My solution was to design a façade of wood on the fireplace to house all of the wiring so you wouldn’t see it. We ran the wiring down the leg of this façade to the outlet on the wall. It was a seamless installation giving the impression that the TV and speakers had no wiring.
Our 2nd TV location was over the fireplace in master bedroom. Here our installation was a little easier because we had conventional stud and drywall construction. This allowed us to bring all the wiring for the TV and sound through with minimal repairs needed.
For this TV, my client had an unusual request in that he did not want to see the TV on a regular basis. We used a product called Visionart – which allows you to have the look of a piece of art with the function of TV; simultaneously in one place.
The client selected a Giclée for the art; a form of limited edition artwork. This was mounted on the Visionart special apparatus, allowing it to be rolled up inside a decorative frame, exposing the TV when desired. When finished watching, the art can return to its original position.
The music for the main part of the house was 2 part – one tied to the system in the family room, one tied to a control in the master bedroom. In the master we used a wireless system called Sonos which allows you to stream music from multiple sources wirelessly.
Up next, we’ll present our finished project with excellent photos of my client’s completed home. As always, feel free to comment and ask questions about the work and thank you for taking the time to read about our latest project.
Our 2nd TV location was over the fireplace in master bedroom. Here our installation was a little easier because we had conventional stud and drywall construction. This allowed us to bring all the wiring for the TV and sound through with minimal repairs needed.
For this TV, my client had an unusual request in that he did not want to see the TV on a regular basis. We used a product called Visionart – which allows you to have the look of a piece of art with the function of TV; simultaneously in one place.
The client selected a Giclée for the art; a form of limited edition artwork. This was mounted on the Visionart special apparatus, allowing it to be rolled up inside a decorative frame, exposing the TV when desired. When finished watching, the art can return to its original position.
The music for the main part of the house was 2 part – one tied to the system in the family room, one tied to a control in the master bedroom. In the master we used a wireless system called Sonos which allows you to stream music from multiple sources wirelessly.
Up next, we’ll present our finished project with excellent photos of my client’s completed home. As always, feel free to comment and ask questions about the work and thank you for taking the time to read about our latest project.
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