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12 Simple Ways To Style Fireplace Decor With A TV

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best tv & fireplace decor ideas

Got a TV mounted over your fireplace? It can be tricky to decorate around it! Use these 12 ideas for fireplace decor with a TV, mantel & sound bar.

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Fireplace Decor With A TV

Should you mount a TV above your fireplace mantel? It’s one of the most comment decorating questions in this day and age. People seem to be really divided on it. What should you do?

rustic brick fireplace with tv mounted on the side

On one hand, mounting a TV above a fireplace gets the TV out of the way. It creates a single focal point for the space and makes for an easier furniture layout. It might well be the only place in the room to put a TV!

On the other hand, having the TV way up above can make it harder to view at such a height. A lot of people think a TV above the mantel is just down right tacky and a major decorating faux pas no matter how well it’s styled.

If you’ve decided to place your TV above the fireplace and need some ideas on how best to style it, keep reading!

Frame TVs for Above a Fireplace

If you don’t like the look of a TV above your living room fireplace, but don’t really have any other place to put one, consider getting a “frame TV”. Frame TVs have an ultra slim profile that doesn’t take up much space. The screen is designed to remain on and display images when not being used for TV watching.

This is a great way to display artwork above your mantel while at the same time, still having a TV above the fireplace.

Samsung is the brand that came up with frame TVs, but there are other makes and models on the market as well. You can get special frames for your frame TV. These are generally plastic or metal frame pieces that snap onto the TV’s bevel, making it seem like you are framing artwork.

Frame TVs & Frames

You can also turn a regular TV into a frame TV by creating a frame for it. Just be careful with leaving your TV on to display images. Many screens are not designed to show static images for long periods of time.

Garland For Fireplace Decor With a TV

outdoor fireplace with tv in niche above the mantel

You might think of using garland on your mantel to decorate for different holidays and seasons. But you can use garland year-round for fireplace decor with a TV.

Setting a stand of garland on the mantel below a TV works well to hide wires, speakers and sound bars. It can be changed out periodically as the year progresses.

Or stick with neutral garlands such as eucalyptus leaves and pip berries. Don’t forget that you add string lights or fairy lights to garland for a soft glow on your mantelpiece.

Plants For Fireplace Decor With a TV

Many people think of showing plants to the side of a fireplace hearth for a bit of height. But can you have plants on your mantel with a TV? I think so.

You just need to make sure that the height of the plants doesn’t interfere with your TV viewing. Low profile plants such as succulents or vines can be used below a TV on the mantel.

Taller plants can be used on either side of the fireplace TV as long as your mantel has enough room for them.

Decorative Faux Plants

Don’t get enough light in your space for real plants on your fireplace mantel? Consider using faux plants for fireplace TV decor instead. There are lots of varieties that already come in cute containers.

Sconces For Decorating a TV Above a Fireplace

Fireplaces are often in a dark part of the room and thus require some lighting. Mounting sconces above your fireplace mantel is a good way to achieve this.

Some might be concerned that sconces will look funny with a TV in between them. I think if you choose your sconces carefully, then they can look perfectly stylish alongside a TV.

Wall Sconces

To do this, look for modern, slimmer profile styles. Also consider that some of the light will reflect onto the TV screen if you have them turned on while watching TV. To minimize this, look for shaded sconces or ones with frost glass.

Vases For Decorating Around a Fireplace TV

marble fireplace with tv, sound bar mounted above mantel, with plants, vases

Vases are great to use to decorate shelves, and a mantel shelf is no exception. But if you have a TV mounted above your fireplace, then a vase might not work in that area.

To get around this issue, consider using tall, slim profile vases at the edges of the mantel. Alternatively, a wide vase might work too if you don’t mind it covering some of the TV. The picture above shows both options.

Decorative Vases & Jars

Small vases can also be used in front of your TV on the mantelpiece. But again, you’ll want to make sure they don’t get in the way of viewing the TV. This is another trick you can use to hide cords and sound bars on your mantel.

Candles For Fireplace Decor With a TV

tv in niche above fireplace with candles on mantel in living room next to window

I love using candles to decorate around the home, including on my fireplace mantel. One of the nice things about candles is that they come in all different shapes and sizes.

Smaller votives and tea lights will work great directly under a TV above your fireplace. Taller pillar candles in hurricanes or lanterns can be used on either side of the TV to provide symmetry to the look.

LED Votive Candles

I also like the look of showing candles on candle stands for a bit of height. Taper candles also work well for this. Having different heights in your mantel decor is visually interesting. Just make sure that the candles don’t get in the way of your TV viewing.

Like the look of candles, but are worried about using real flames around your TV? Consider using flameless candles instead of real wax candles. There’s lots of good styles to choose from on the market these days.

Decorative Flameless Candles

Here’s a fun idea for fireplace decor with a TV – create a gallery wall around the TV! This works well if your TV is mounted to a plain wall above the fireplace.

Or if your fireplace is inside of a TV stand that will sit against a plain wall. Many fireplaces are contained within a chimney breast wall which sticks out into the room a bit. If that’s your situation, you might not have enough room for a gallery wall around the TV.

The gallery wall helps create visual interest to the space while somewhat masking the presence of the TV. If your TV sticks out like a sore thumb against the wall, consider putting some pretty pictures around it.

TV On Side Of A Fireplace – Built Ins

fireplace in a living room with built ins, tv to the side of the fireplace

If you’re doing a fireplace makeover or building out a new fireplace, you’ll want to make sure to incorporate the placement of the TV into your design.

Some people plan on mounting their TV above the fireplace and will build out a special niche in the wall for this. But if you don’t want to have your TV above the fireplace, consider placing it on a built in bookshelf instead.

This has a few advantages. For starters, it keeps the TV closer to eye level to make for better TV viewing. Also, it frees up your mantel space to be decorated as your please. You won’t have to account for the TV with your mantel decorations.

If you’re worried you won’t be able to see the TV from the bookshelf, consider using a special TV mount that will allow the TV to be moved out for more optimal viewing. The TV can then be pushed backed into the bookcase when not in use.

TV On Side Of A Fireplace – Wall Mounted

fireplace in a living room, tv to the side of the fireplace

This is another great way to have a TV near your fireplace, but not mounted above the mantel. Mount it to the wall next to the fireplace instead.

As with having your TV on a built in shelf, this fireplace idea with a TV to the side frees up your mantelpiece to be decorated as your choose.

Now you may not be able to have a large TV mounted this way. But I think for cozy, intimate settings around the hearth, a small TV mounted to the wall may work just fine.

With the right wall mount, the TV can be moved into optimal positions for viewing your favorite TV shows, movies and watching sports.

Hiding A Sound Bar On Your Mantel

fireplace with tv and sound bar mounted above it in living room with vases, plants, lanterns

We talked about using decor items such as garland, potted plants and candles to hide a sound bar on your mantel. But do you really need to hide the sound bar? Or is it ok to just show it?

Personally, I think showing a sound bar on the mantel works just fine. But I would recommend keeping the cords as tidy as possible to make it seem well put together.

Sound Bar Mounts

Another idea is to use a sound bar mount. These mounts are often just brackets that clip onto your regular TV wall mount. They provide a way to safely hold the sound bar so that it sits directly beneath the TV.

This makes for a streamlined look and gets the sound bar off your mantel. The TV in the picture above would benefit from using a sound bar mount instead of just resting the sound bar on the mantel.

Small Decor Objects In Front Of A Fireplace TV

fireplace above mantel with small christmas decorations

Can you place lots of little decor objects in front of a TV, even if they will block the view slightly? Yes, I’d say so. A few bottle brush trees, logs and pine cones in the farmhouse winter mantel shown above work well to decorate this space.

I think it depends on how fussy you are about viewing your TV. Personally, I like to have an uninterrupted view of the screen. But if you’re ok with having the screen blocked a bit, then go ahead and use decor objects in front of it.

Another idea is to mount your TV up higher so that you get more space between the mantel and the bottom of the TV that can be used for decor.

TV Wall Mounts

Finally, consider what kind of TV mount you will be using. If you have a wall mount that allows the TV to be moved around for viewing, then the fireplace TV decor objects might get in the way of this.

Long, Extended Mantel Decor With A TV

tv above mantel with plants, brick, vases in living room

Lastly, when planning fireplace decor with a TV, consider the length of your mantel. A longer mantel will allow for decor at both ends with the TV in the middle.

If you are renovating or creating a new DIY mantel, consider making it as long as possible to account for having some decor around the TV.

If you’re stuck with a certain size mantel, consider using a smaller TV. Big TVs are tempting, but there is an optimal size for the best TV viewing. Sticking with this TV size or slightly smaller might help you gain some more space on your mantel for decorations.

I hope this article gave you some good ideas for fireplace decorating with a TV! What are you thinking about doing to decorate your TV & mantel?

More Fireplace & Mantel Decor Ideas

For more fireplace & mantel decor inspiration, tips and styles, check out these posts:

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