Rant: PSA to builders, housewives, and general complaint


In our search for a new house, I’m seeing some disturbing and annoying trends, mainly, living rooms where the ONLY place to put a TV is way high above a fireplace. This leaves zero flexibility for tv placement, additional audio components etc. Most don’t even have plugs. I'm also in Texas and there's ZERO need for a fireplace.

Not to mention all the "open concepts" we’re seeing where the living room is strangely shaped and the kitchen is basically in the room where you hear all the kitchen noise and you’re 100% accessible to your spouse and their conversation (ramblings).

This isn’t a problem if you have $2m to spend but for most of us, we’re limited in where we can set up our toys and this does not help.

Thank you for listening.

dtximages

I've been struggling with the same scenario for years, and have come up with the perfect solution. @larsman is correct - MantelMount is 1/2 the solution. You add a Media Decor https://mediadecor.com/product-category/moving-art-screens/ piece of art to cover your television. When you want to watch TV, the art rolls away, and the MantelMount MM860V2 automatically lowers the TV to the correct height. Our company has been installing this solution for a year and it works great!

And this is exactly why I designed and custom built my current home (at least that's what my wife always says)

My solution to the TV issue involved a free standing fireplace between the dining area and living area.  TV was on the far wall opposite the fireplace.  Large windows on the outer wall.  The room has multiple focal points that don't compete.

My house is a 1905 model. I am 50 years newer. My 3 systems are vintage as well. I solved the television problem by simply not having one. I watch a movie on the computer from time to time. I have 10' ceilings on the ground floor, a dungeon look-alike basement made out of stone, and 3 bedrooms up stairs with 9' ceilings, one is a library/listening room, another is my drum room/recording space, and the third has a bed. The living room is connected to a real dining room by an arch. Kitchen right angle to dining room. The electric service was redone by a previous owner, an electrician, so I'm at least up to NEC circa 90's. I miss the wood stove from my old farm house (Minnesota winter). My problem is the floors downstairs; not a level space to be found, and they are soft and springy. Many turntable experiments for the 4 in use, even bringing back my old sand box, but leaning toward three speaker spikes under butcher block cutting boards for leveling, various isolation feet in trials..... Sorry I couldn't help with the TV issue  ;)