Mounting a TV above a console or dresser

Most wall-mounted TVs hang above a piece of furniture. When the two are sized and spaced well, the wall looks designed. When they aren't, even a perfectly level TV looks off.

The gap

Leave about 4 to 8 inches between the top of the console and the bottom of the TV.

• Less than 4 inches and decor, a soundbar or a centre speaker won't fit, and the TV looks as if it's sitting on the furniture.
• More than about 10 inches and the two pieces stop reading as a group — the TV appears to float.

If a soundbar goes between them, add its height plus an inch or two of air above and below.

Height still comes first

The gap is a styling rule. The comfort rule is that the centre of the screen should land near seated eye level — around 42 inches off the floor in a living room. With a typical 24 to 30-inch-tall console and a 65-inch TV, both rules agree. With a tall dresser they don't: in a bedroom that's fine, because you watch from a bed and the TV sits higher anyway; in a living room, choose a lower console rather than a higher TV. More in how high to mount a TV.

Width

The console should be wider than the TV — ideally by a few inches to a foot on each side. A 65-inch TV is about 57 inches wide, so a 60 to 72-inch console frames it well. A TV wider than the furniture under it looks top-heavy.

Centre on the furniture, or the wall?

• If the console is centred on the wall: easy, centre everything.
• If the console is pushed to one side by a doorway or vent: centre the TV on the console. The eye reads the pair as one object.
• Over a fireplace or between two windows, centre on the architecture.

Mark the console's centre on the wall with tape before the bracket goes up; studs rarely fall exactly where you want, and most brackets let the TV slide a few inches to compensate.

Depth and bumped heads

A slim fixed mount keeps the TV about an inch from the wall, well behind the front edge of a 16 to 20-inch-deep console. Nothing sticks out to walk into.

Cables

The console hides the devices, so the only visible cable is the drop from the TV. Options:

• In-wall kit ($119): nothing visible at all.
• Cord cover ($39): a neat painted channel.
• With only a few inches of gap, a short bundle held behind the TV and dropping straight behind the console can be almost invisible on its own.

No console at all?

A floating shelf under the TV ($39) holds a streaming box or console without furniture on the floor.

Kids and pets

If the console is climbable, anchor it to the wall as well.