It is very convenient to place wall shelves in the interior of any apartment. They do not take up much space, while being a highly functional part. Wall shelves are especially common as stands for TVs or other equipment. Such a shelf will help to install equipment without additional wall cutting and wiring to a specific place, and will provide the most convenient connection.
Features of wall structures
A wall shelf for equipment is a console-shaped structure, which, due to its appearance and mounting method, allows you to save free space in the house. Almost every shelf model of this type comes with a cable duct, which allows you to visually hide all the wires going to the devices.
A wall shelf is an excellent solution for placing various types of equipment; it allows you to place other interior details in the saved space without compromising functionality.
Now manufacturers are ready to offer a lot of different wall shelves, both in design and material. They are made from wood, glass, plastic and even metal. For example, glass shelves are produced on a chrome-plated metal frame, while the surfaces themselves are made of tempered glass. Such products look incredibly stylish in the interior.
Some products are equipped with brackets that provide remote-type consoles and clamps so that the equipment is protected from falling. You can choose a shelf of this type to hang equipment of any size on the wall.
What type of shelf is better to choose?
TV wall mounts vary. Everyone is guided by their own preferences and financial capabilities. When choosing, you need to consider the following factors.
- Material. It's better to make a shelf out of wood. This is an environmentally friendly, durable material that looks stylish and attractive. The interior contains wooden furniture (or elements), so a wooden shelf will fit most harmoniously.
- Type of construction. Furniture for a TV on the wall can be different, but it is easier to build a wall-mounted version.
- Size. The size of the TV plays a key role. Measure the dimensions, and then make calculations regarding the shelf.
- Accommodation. Decide in advance where the structure will be located. Good places are opposite the sofa, armchairs.
This option in the wall can be internal or external.
For modern technology, a wall design is suitable.
Once you have decided on the details, start making a TV shelf in the living room.
This TV shelf is rarely used, although it looks quite attractive.
Types of wall shelves
The designs under consideration are distinguished by their original appearance, convenience and ergonomics. They occupy a minimal amount of usable space and are very popular among buyers. Due to the variety of appearance, a wall shelf for TV and equipment becomes not only a functional piece of furniture, but also a stylish part of the interior.
The shelves are suitable for any room; they will be the best choice for those who do not want to clutter up the free space with cabinets and tables. Such shelves are made only from high-quality materials, with a thickness of at least 15 mm, which allows you to install things on top with a total weight of about 15 kg.
To install the TV, wide and narrow shelves are offered, which are equipped with brackets and specialized plugs to ensure that the TV screen is in the correct position. The shelf width in each case is selected individually in accordance with the width of the TV. So, deep shelves are suitable for older models, and products with a width of about 15 cm are suitable for modern plasma ones.
There are currently two types of wall shelves. These are: simple and rotary. The first option is performed only to support the device; such a shelf can be made with your own hands. The second type is more functional, as it not only supports the TV, but also allows you to direct the image in the required direction. Most often, such shelves are installed in the kitchen so that the housewife can watch programs from anywhere in the room.
Top ideas for a TV shelf
Before you make a shelf for a TV, you need to think about creating a unique design for the wall against which this shelf will be located. Such a wall may differ in color and texture, for example, imitate brick. You can also add accent lighting to add interest and texture to the design. However, care must be taken to ensure that the design solution is not taxing on the eyes. Colorful, geometric patterns and bright colors on interior walls can impair vision and interfere with watching TV.
- You can create an additional wide shelf to complement your wall-mounted TV. This is an interesting alternative to traditional bedside tables.
- The design, reminiscent of a fireplace in shape, will become a symbol of the hearth. This block elegantly separates the TV area from the rest of the house. Two simple shelves provide ample space for CDs and design elements.
- You can frame the TV with a wall box made of stainless steel or wood. This homemade furniture is great for storing books, DVDs and other things you might need for a home theater in your living room.
- Wall-mounted TVs look great paired with open shelves to create contrasts. Therefore, you can create an interesting design by combining open shelves of different sizes. Speakers are installed around the TV, and there may also be a music center there.
- A TV combined with furniture can become a “wall of art.” The shelf is complemented with frames with photographs of different sizes, which are hung asymmetrically at different heights.
- Don't want to install your TV on any of your existing walls? You can place it right in the center of the room. The structure connecting the floor and ceiling can be a very simple design: wooden slats and shelves are attached to vertical steel pipes. The TV can be easily mounted there.
Advice. Always start any project with a drawing, this will make it easy to determine the contours of the furniture and the amount of material needed to create it. Believe me, this is the beginning that makes the further process of work easier.
You can easily create a modern and stylish TV shelf with your own hands in any style: rural, vintage or high-tech.
Shelf material
Nowadays, equipment is usually made with small dimensions, so it can easily be placed on the wall using a shelf. There will be no need to strain your eyes or turn your neck; the shelf can be installed in a place convenient for viewing and using the equipment.
Manufacturers, as already mentioned, make such products from different materials. For a better understanding and ease of choice, we will consider everything.
Wooden wall shelves
Nowadays, companies are increasingly moving away from the trend of creating furniture walls with niches for TV, as modern people try not to clutter up the space with unnecessary furniture, freeing it up. A large amount of furniture in the room constricts the space, which causes psychological discomfort for those living in the apartment. Therefore, a small shelf on the wall will look much more advantageous.
Wood has many advantages, thanks to which it is constantly used for furniture production. This material is easy to process, so you can create any shape, and is also affordable. In addition, to save your budget, you can try to make a shelf for a TV or other equipment yourself.
Glass shelves
Modern interiors are decorated with practical furniture pieces that include glass and metal. All wall shelves are made of tempered glass, which, due to its properties, perfectly withstands technology and is not as fragile as ordinary glass. The most popular glass shelves are wall-mounted straight or corner models.
Against the general background, such structures look airy and weightless, in some cases they can simply not be noticed. The glass surface can be transparent, tinted or colored, which allows you to choose the design to suit any interior.
Wall shelves made of plasterboard
Such products have more advantages than conventional wooden or glass structures. The creation of a shelf depends on the wishes of the owner and the dimensions that need to be given to it. Also, during the installation process, the owner can think about ways to hide wiring and other communications.
Important! Shelves made of plasterboard look especially decorative in combination with LED lighting.
It is also convenient that such a shelf can be given any shade so that it fits perfectly into the room or can be completely hidden by simulating the same external finish as in the main interior. The cost of such shelves is low, if, of course, only the price of materials is taken into account, since any home craftsman can design and install such a shelf at home.
A plasterboard shelf will become a reliable place to place the TV. Shelves for accessories and related equipment can be placed around the main surface. Thus, you can get an original, custom-made product that will delight you with its functionality.
Places in the house for mounting shelves
The shelf can be mounted anywhere in the house where there is a TV or other equipment. For example, to place it in the bedroom, you can use designer shelves, which with their appearance will attract attention to the wall with the TV. To maintain and create greater aesthetics, they can be supplemented with small shelves with various little things. You can also go the other way and use wall shelves as a wall frame, and hang the TV itself on a bracket. In this case, you get the feeling that a separate niche has been allocated for the technology.
Where can I mount my TV on the wall?
You can mount a TV on the wall using a shelf in any room. This method is quite suitable not only for the living room, but also for the bedroom, kitchen and large hallways, if the location of the TV in them is appropriate.
Installation locations:
- in the living room in the center of the wall;
- in a special niche located in the furniture wall;
- in the hall above the fireplace;
- in the kitchen or in a large hallway in the center of the wall, sometimes in the corner of the room;
- in the bedroom opposite the bed.
Installing a TV in the hall in the center of the wall places slightly different requirements on its design than usual. The first place in this design is occupied by minimalism, when all attention is focused on the TV, and the surrounding shelves and additional decorative elements act as an unobtrusive addition.
In large houses with a fireplace, installing a TV above it will be one of the most original solutions. Evenings with your family near the fireplace will be more comfortable and interesting if you complement them with watching good films.
Housewives spend most of their time in the kitchen preparing lunches and breakfasts, afternoon snacks and dinners. Watching programs and favorite TV series on the big screen in the living room is not always convenient for them, so installing a small TV receiver on the wall in the kitchen is an ideal option. Considering that most kitchens have a relatively limited area, it is best to mount a TV shelf in the corner of the room just below human height.
The nuances of placing a wall shelf
The correct placement of a wall shelf should take into account the physiological characteristics of a person so that watching TV is as comfortable as possible. So, the distance to the screen should be equal to 4 diagonals of the screen. This is the only way to achieve the absence of tension in the eyes. If a plasma is installed in the apartment, then this nuance becomes extremely important.
A person should be positioned at an angle of 30 degrees from the TV, so it is worth maintaining this figure when placing a shelf. The height of the TV is also important. The correct value would be a height of 1 m from the floor or equal to the height of a person. All of the listed placement features are calculated taking into account the height and location of the seating areas from which a person will watch TV shows.
Important! Only a TV that is used in rare cases can be placed too high and the style of the interior implies this.
In order to correctly determine the level of placement of a shelf on the wall, you should perform a few simple steps:
- Sit on the sofa, keeping your eyes closed.
- When you open your eyes, immediately look at the intended location of the TV.
- Mark the area where your gaze first fell. This will be the top point of the screen location.
In the case of planning the location of the TV in the bedroom, all the same actions are repeated only in a lying position.
Determining shelf placement level
If you decide to install the TV on a wall with shelves, you need to correctly determine the level of their placement.
The placement of the TV should be based not only on the aesthetic component. You must do some simple manipulations to determine the location for the TV
- Sit on the sofa and keep your eyes closed.
- Open your eyes and look at the place where the TV is supposed to be placed.
- Mark the area that your gaze touched: this will be the top of the screen.
The height of the TV directly depends on the position of the person’s eyes when sitting on the sofa
If the TV is planned to be placed in the bedroom, you need to do the same manipulations, only at this time you need to lie on the bed.
Places where it is prohibited to place a shelf under equipment
There are places in the apartment where placing a TV is strictly prohibited. This is, for example, the place above the stove in the kitchen, the area above the fireplace in the living room. It is also not recommended to place any equipment in niches in such a way that air cannot flow to the rear of them. This can ruin any device. In particular, this arrangement is prohibited for plasma panels, which tend to heat up quickly.
When planning a place to install a shelf, you should not rely only on aesthetics, especially if it contradicts safety rules. If you need to place the TV in a niche, then you should ensure that it is large and the distance between the wall and the equipment is approximately 20 cm.
You should not hang shelves, especially if heavy objects will be placed on them in the future, on walls that are not very strong. This primarily applies to drywall. If such a need exists, then the wall surface is first strengthened with plywood.
Where you don't need to install a TV
In addition to places in the apartment where a hanging TV will look ideal, providing the most comfortable viewing, there are places that are extremely undesirable for installing it. These include:
- rooms with a very small area;
- place above a gas or induction stove;
- a place above an open fireplace;
- small niche in the wall;
When choosing a place to install a TV on the wall, you first need to pay attention to a few simple rules:
- Do not place household appliances over open fire or any other sources of increased heat. A modern TV can become very hot during operation, and additional heat from extraneous sources can completely damage it.
- Due to possible overheating of the equipment, installing a TV in a niche of a furniture wall, where there is not enough ventilation and little free space, can lead to breakdowns and even fires.
- Even if the screen is small, installing it in small rooms will not make sense. In such rooms you will have to install the shelf very high to save space and watching programs will be uncomfortable.
Making your own wall shelf
If you have the desire and free time, then a wall shelf for equipment can be made with your own hands. You don't need any specialized tools for this. You will need: a saw, a drill, a construction level, fasteners, a ruler, a marker, a tape measure and the manufacturing material itself. Most often, shelves are made from MDF, so we will consider this option. It is very convenient to use leftover material after repairs that have no use.
To begin with, it is worth creating a drawing of the future structure on paper indicating all the joints and dimensions. In this case, the dimensions of the room and the equipment that is planned to be installed must be taken into account.
Next comes the main installation in accordance with the previously completed project. To obtain a high-quality design, the elements are connected in stages, resulting in a finished product. If there are unprocessed sections left, they can always be decorated with decorative ribbons using an iron.
