Without a doubt, without any bit of hesitation or yammering I can tell you that the most difficult decision I've had to make during this entire kitchen renovation is ... where to put the stupid television.
I still hate where I put my television in the living room 2 years ago, so I can't totally be trusted with this sort of thing.
I can't decide if I want a big television, or a smaller one, should it be hidden, shown off, on the counter, on a wall?
I thought I had it all figured out. 3 times. 3 times I thought I knew exactly where the television should go and then some niggly little thought wormed its way into my brain and I reconsidered my decision.
I used hunks of cardboard and put them throughout the kitchen to see how I thought I liked them. Generally speaking I found I didn't like hunks of cardboard anywhere.
You'd think that once televisions became ultra slim, flat, and only 3" deep they'd be easier to deal with. But they're still big black holes.
So I finally took to the Internet to see if I could come up with anything there.
I found a few things I liked and two definite possibilities, along with a bunch of other things that wouldn't work for me, but were really interesting ways for incorporating flat screen televisions into your house or apartment.
Like this ...
I don't have any bookshelves in my kitchen, but I love this idea of putting a framed picture on a hinge that just opens up like door to reveal the TV.
The biggest issue I've always had with this sort of thing is that I'm not sure I'd ever be closing up the frame. I mean I guess I could close it up at night before I went to bed, but I'd probably be opening it up again the next morning. So it seems kind of pointless for me.
Yet another idea I can't use came to us from no other than Tricia Rose of Rough Linen! There I was browsing the Internet for interesting flat screen stands and up came a post from Remodelista.com gushing about Tricia's DIY television easel.
See the full DIY here.
That post in turn led me to a slew of other TV easels.
from Restoration Hardware
These were way too big for my modest sized kitchen. I mean I'm not Joan Collins. BUT ... they gave me an idea.
I could use a small, tabletop easel to put my television on the counter.
This one is only $20 from Curry's art supply store.
Or there's this one that even has pull out drawers where you could put the remotes.
$50 from Curry's
Both of these would work for me if I decide to put a small television on my counter in the corner, like this ...
(no this is not my kitchen, and no that is not my Wolf stove)
I also looked into under cabinet televisions but they average about 8" wide, so just large enough for a small family of moles to watch comfortably. Then I discovered under cabinet television mounts!
from Amazon
With these you can turn any television into an under cabinet television that can be pushed up, out of the way whenever you want.
Another thing people seem to be doing, which would work really well for some people, is mounting their television on the inside of their cabinets, either leaving the doors on, or in some cases taking the doors off entirely.
from BH&G
Then there's the option of using my big brick wall for a large television.
(please excuse the crap iPhone picture, and no ... I haven not yet figured out the whole ceiling/wire/crown issue
and I just hung the wood pizza peel and 2 copper pots to see how I liked the idea of filling the wall with pots)
My brick wall is right across from my island (which you've seen tiny bits of in recent posts) but isn't easily visible from any other part of my kitchen. My sink is on the opposite wall so I'd have to turn my head completely around a la The Exorcist to see the television, and it's also at a 90 degree angle from the rest of my counter. So, 80% of the time I couldn't see the television unless I made an effort.
But like my kitchen designer Carol Reed pointed out, it would look great on the brick, worked into a gallery wall.
via House Revivals
via DecorPad
via DecorPad
It's a great idea and would look great but that wall could be used as a display for so many great things. And I could change it up whenever I wanted to. But not if I have a television in the middle of it. But the television gallery wall would look great. But so would copper pots. But so would the television gallery wall. But so would wood cutting boards and rolling pins. But so would the television gallery wall.
Plus there's the issue of wiring the television onto a brick wall. If only I had a plug right there. Oh wait. I did. In insisted my electrician, Dave remove it.
He said "Maybe you should leave this plug in case you ever need it".
I said "NO. Don't be stupid. I will never need a plug there. I hate it. Remove it this instant."
And so he did.
Regardless, I could work around that pesky problem if I ever did finally decide that I'd like a big flat screen television on that wall. But I seem unable to make this decision.
So for the time being I'll be in the living room, staring at a wall, holding a bucket of black paint.
I'd never ask you to share a chocolate bar, (that's crazy talk) but if you liked this post ... please share it.
[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="5342563"]
kelliblue
Karen, if you could turn TAODS into a television program (which, IMO, should be done in very short order) that would definitely give me a reason to put a TV in my kitchen!
But first, I have to actually have a TV in the house to make that work...
kate-v
Well, other than a few pictures related to your kitchen renovation i.e. - a gentleman measuring what appears to be a counter space and the sight of your corner cabinet - sans doors or top - in a corner, I can't remember seeing any pictures of your present in-progress kitchen - the one with at least some of the cabinets in place. It is hard to say where you'd want to put a TV without kinda having an idea of what gonna' go where. You could put it where you can see it for now and just make a little cover for it - something like a pillowcase that opens across the lowest edge so you just drop it over the screen to keep it cleaner but still be very easy to lift off when you want to watch tv. you could maybe even have more that one little 'pillow-case' for your kitchen tv - use an antique (or retro) tea towel, or doily, or a picture of Walnut and Norma strutting their stuff, or a picture of your own home-grown poop shaped sweet potatoes, or.... My friend is a photographer and had some flower macros photos printed onto fabric which she made into a lovely handbag so you can get your pictures printed onto fabric to use for a tv cover that could be removed and it will take up almost no space at all.
christine
I must be missing something here - why have a TV in your kitchen?
Ginny
Why not do what a bunch of celebrities do? I've seen their bedrooms on TV (get your mind out of the gutter) where there is a piece of furniture at the foot of the bed. Press a button and up pops the TV. Press the button again and it disappears. You could switch it up and have it lower from the upper cabinet. Although, that would mean giving up a bit of space in the cabinets which for me wouldn't work as I need all the space I can get! But I could see something like this working. Just a thought.
Stephanie
Why not combine the two ideas? Put your TV on the brick wall and instead of a picture gallery, make your pots, pans and cutting board your gallery. Do you have copper pots? They'd look amazing hung on a black brick wall. Just a thought.
Kat
I think Stephanie's idea is the best so far but will check back in later!
Pam'a
As she already stated above, she'd have to crane her neck around like in The Exorcist to see the TV if it was on the brick wall.
And, she wants a TV in her kitchen; none of you will talk her out of it!
Karen
Thanks Pam'a. I'm not sure how my having a television in the kitchen has caused such a revolt, lol. Maybe people are confusing "television with" puppy mill.
I'm a television host, I write for television, I write a website where I often include posts about what the best things to watch on television are AND I cook all the time (meaning I'm constantly in my kitchen). ~ karen!
Korrine Johnson
It seems to me that having the TV on the brick wall doesn't work at all for you, except that it could look cool. It would be nice if it looked cool but you could also use it. I like the easel idea if you have the counter space for it.
leslie
There's a pic of a Calgary kitchen remodel in Lynn's post where they put a black TV on a black chalkboard wall- http://www.pinterest.com/ballardreno/how-to-hide-the-tv/
THIS is brilliant and seems so you! Don't you have just a piece of a wall somewhere that you could apply chalkboard paint to and stick your telly up there?
Karen
Hi Leslie - It is very me! I've also had a chalkboard in my kitchen for 16 years so incorporating the two makes sense. :) But there really isn't anywhere to do this. Not that would be convenient anyway. Looks great though! ~ karen
Feral Turtle
I would love a big ass TV in my kitchen only because it is so warm in there with the floor heat. I would take my table out cuz no one ever sits at it and move my couches in there. Then I wouldn't have far to go for snacks! I say go big or go home!!
~JackieVB
Well I've been wiping down all the muck from the walls and cabinets in my kitchen to prep for painting.
I didn't realize it was that dirty till I started this, and I'm someone who at least wiped down the cabinets
with some frequency. My point being that I don't think you can escape the kitchen muck, no matter
what you do so my vote is a small TV on a stand that you can move around to wherever you want it
to be - which means it can be farther away when you're cooking 'mucky' things. You could also have a
ceiling hook/mount to have it up in a corner somewhere - although I don't have any idea what type of hardware that would take.
Ev
If you put it on a cute little easel in the corner, you can always unplug and move it when you need that corner!
Laura
"When in doubt do without". Do you accomplish more while multi-tasking or focusing? One more thing to clean in a forever being cleaned room.
(Can you tell there is no tv in my kitchen?-No one would ever let me watch in peace, including my 4-legged friends, so hence goes the story.)
Karen
Yes, but I'm not in doubt about having a television. It's where to put it. ~ karen
Rachel Schindler
I think you got lucky with your kitchen designer. I loved her idea. Can't wait to see the reveal...
Susan S
If you have to turn or look up to see a tv don't do it. Too many neck problems will occur. When we put the tv in the kitchen I placed a piece of cardboard the size of the tv all over the place too. We had to be able to se it from the kitchen prep side and where we eat (the tv is on a swivel wall mount). We moved that cardboard up and down while I stood and sat to get it to be the right height. We also bought a 22 inch tv and I wish we had got one bigger. Just saying....
Lisa
You could completely solve your issue by not putting a tv in your kitchen. If you're having that much trouble figuring out where to put it, maybe that's a sign you don't really even want it!
Karen
No, it's more a sign that I don't know where to put it. ~ karen!
jainegayer
My television is tucked away on the kitchen counter corner under the corner cupboard. It's 18 inches from my sink and wherever I am in my kitchen (it's a small kitchen) I can see it. I agree with you, I've had a TV in my kitchen for 20 yrs. and couldn't imagine not having one in there. I would never just sit in my living room and watch the news but when the news is on in the kitchen while I'm puttering around in there, some of that news gets into my brain and I can converse somewhat intelligently with people.
When my old box shaped TV dies, I am going to get a small flat screen TV and put it on an easel on the counter.
Rose
Take into consideration the pot lights spot lighting objects on the wall and casting shadows.
My vote is an undercounter mount on the shelves by the stove. But it depends on how big a tv you have.
Mel
Oh dear! Don't put a television in your kitchen. Cooking is enjoyable, enjoy the process of it instead of distracting yourself from it. I know you said that you have always had a tv in the kitchen, but I promise that you would get used to not having a tv in there pretty quickly. I know this because I debating canceling my cable for years. I didn't know what I would do without it. Well after being cable free for two and a half years, I do not miss it unless the Olympics or Oscars are on. I know wonder how I could have had it droning on in the background for so many years of my life. So much better without it. Turn on some tunes and dance and cook. It's so much fun!
Karen
No thank you. I'm going to stick with my television. ~ karen
Irene
Does it have to be a TV? Can't it be a flat screen monitor wired to a computer that is not necessarily in the kitchen but in the room next door?
The computer is so much more versatile, because you can have a software thingy that picks up TV (yes, I know, I'm a tech wizz), watch stored movies off of your hard-drive or USB port, play music, check out the internet...
With a computer monitor, you can have a screen saver of your choice to avoid the black square of gloom when you aren't watching; changing photos, a fish tank... whatever you choose.
Karen
Nope. I want a television not a computer monitor. I'm don't want to watch Netflix or Amazon. I want to watch the news and flip around to see what Lidia is cooking and what bad Hugh Grant movie is on if I want. Definitely television. ~ karen
Irene
Ah! That's why I said you can get a TV box, that turns your computer into a regular TV.
That way, it being a computer, you get to turn the big black ugly into a pretty picture of your much yearned for SPRING, or a photo of your current drool worthy celebrity, or that amazing pic of your sister getting the fish foot treatment when you aren't watching TV. Hehe!
That actually was my main argument for a monitor, although I guess I didn't make that clear. :-D
Heather
My house is 34 years old, but is brilliantly designed. The family room is adjacent to the kitchen, and there is a galley-style window opening on the shared wall. So I can happily be chopping away on the cutting board in my kitchen, and look through the "window" to watch the TV in the family room. Likewise, I can easily make snacks in the kitchen while watching a movie, without having to hit pause.
I renovated my kitchen last year, and the cabinet maker asked if I'd be closing off that space so I'd have room for another cupboard. I answered "NO!" without hesitation.
Fran
It is difficult to decide. What about the digital box and all the wires? How do you hide that mess?