You spent thousands of dollars on a beautiful new living room set complete with end tables. You worked hard to match it with the drapes and your hardwood floors. You, however, neglected something important. Your television still sits on a table or shelf, surrounded by video game systems, DVDs, and other clutter. The mess ruins the entire look of the room.
When designing a room, consumers usually do not put much thought into the TV stand. Couches, End tables, even wall hangings and window treatments get substantial attention. Then the poor television set ends up sitting on a table or hanging blankly on the wall.
This should never be the case. The TV stand ends up as the focal point of the room anyway so it needs to look right. When watching television, you cannot help but notice the stand, especially if it is jury-rigged or sitting on a random piece of furniture not designed to hold a television. Even worse, if you have game systems or other entertainment technology, wires and consoles spill over into the room’s environment. The resulting mess undermines all of the care invested into the rest of the room.
Of course, choosing the right stand for your needs can be tricky, so we have put together a buyers’ guide to help wade through all of the options.
Analyze Your Needs to Figure Out What You’re Looking For
The first step in selecting the proper TV stand lies in analyzing what you need in a TV stand. This includes asking yourself some questions to figure out what will work best. These questions include:
How big is your television set?
How big is the room where you will place the stand?
For what purpose do you use the television set?
What are your tastes in design and special features?
Taking full stock on your TV stand needs will help to ensure that you pick the right stand at the right price.
First Things First: Measure Your Television
Be careful. Television set width does not get measured in the same fashion as other objects. The industry determines the width of a television set by measuring from one corner diagonally to the opposite corner. TV stand, however, refers to traditional height and width measurements that run along the frame. You will need to break out the tape measure and figure out how much space your television needs to select the right stand.
Even stands that do not frame the television could look ridiculously large or small in relation to the television set, so always measure the set regardless of the type of stand.
Consider How You Use Your Television Set
Different people use their televisions for different reasons. Some of us lounge on the couch watching old movies while others bring the gang to the house to watch the big game. Others rarely use their sets for anything, while video game aficionados may sit in front of the screen for hours at a time.
How you and your household use a television set should directly influence your choice of TV stand. Do you play video games? Do you still have a massive collection of DVD movies? You may want to choose a TV stand that has enough room to encompass your collections neatly and with room to spare.
Others only use smart television sets that utilize WIFI and have only the power cord to consider. You need not worry about holes in the rear of this stand, except to run a power cord through.
Also, do not fail to take into account related devices that use wiring, such as video game systems or DVD players. Make sure that the stand has ample space for them and also enough holes in the back for the wiring.
The Right Fit for the Right Room
Of course, choosing a TV stand requires knowledge about the size of the television. You also need to consider the size of the room. Most TV stands will fit into most rooms, but not every piece of this type of furniture will look great in every room.
Obviously many people will have a different idea of what kind of stand fits best in different rooms. Most, for example, prefer a smaller stand for their bedroom than they might use in the living or family room. Other households will want televisions in almost every room, some even the bathroom! It’s important to evaluate the space and the surroundings to get the right stand.
Getting the right fit is an art instead of a science and in many cases boils down to a person’s subjective tastes. That being said, a large and ornate stand may look ridiculous in a very small room. A very small stand in an extremely large room will look unnatural as well.
Keep in mind also how much space the stand will take up. Will the configuration of other furniture in the room leave space to move around comfortably? No one wants to climb over furniture to maneuver around a room.
Take measurements of your space and make sure that you purchase a stand that can handle your television but also fit well into the room.
Why TV Stand Size Matters?
Once you have your measurements and you know what size fits best in your chosen room, now think about the size of your stand. You need to make sure and get a stand that fits the size of your television set for both aesthetics and also safety. Today’s flat screens are more top heavy than the old box style models and need better support.
Television stands come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For those who make the television the center of their daily leisure time, a full-fledged entertainment center may work best. People who love their televisions for watching movies or playing video games will need some storage or display space in which to place all the movies, gadgets, and doodads that you typically will need.
For others who need the storage space but do not want the TV stand to dominate the room, a hutch style piece should be sufficient. These usually rise only about 40 or so inches off of the floor and generally extend twice as long in width as height.
Some households, however, rarely use the television and prefer that it not take up much room. For these homes, a small corner stand would likely work best.
Here are some suggested minimum widths for TV stand based on the size of the set:
Under 32 inch sets – 28 inches in width for stand
32-39 inch – 30-45 inches
50-54 inch – 46-49 inches
55-59 inch – 50-53 inches
60-64 inch – 54-57 inches
65-69 inch – 58-62 inches
70 inches or more – Over 63 inches
A stand should always exceed the width of the television set by between two and five inches at the very least. This will ensure not only that the stand is in proper proportion to the television set, but also that it is less likely the television will tip over or fall off.
Matching the Style of the Stand with the Room
A room with a specific style requires a stand with a certain look. Obviously, an ornately designed stand will fit poorly in a modern and minimalist setting. Conversely, a stark-looking piece will not complement a room full of period antiques.
A stand composed of durable, varnished hardwood should complement almost any traditional room design. Traditional looks usually come in cherry, oak, mahogany, or maple. Sleek stands of dark wood, metal, or a combination of both will perfectly set off a room with a modern style. Most television stands come in some shade of brown, gray, or black. These represent the safest color choices because they match nearly any room design.
JIAHE offers many different color selections, including many that go beyond brown and black. With so many options from which to choose, you should find something that goes perfectly with your style.
You will also want to think practically about the style of stand you select. For instance, you may love a stand with beautiful glass doors or shelves, but that style may not suit a home with rambunctious children. A sturdy hardwood stand would probably work best in an environment where children could be running around and playing.
Consider how the stand will look in its environment, how it fits your lifestyle, and what meets your budget.
Consider What Features Will Match Your Needs Best
Different stands come with a variety of features. More features could mean a higher price, so think carefully about those that you want or need.
The most common features include shelves, glass doors, and drawers. In many cases, you can adjust the spacing of the drawers to accommodate whatever you need to store. You will want to overestimate how much space you need to fit items for storage or display. A little too much space works much better than not enough.
Some stands come with additional features that can add to the functionality, beauty, and cost. Entertainment center style stands could come with a wide selection of lighting options from regular light bulbs to fancy LED lines of light. An even more luxurious model places the TV stand above an artificial fireplace.
Other common features include:
Foot stabilizers to keep your stand level even if your floor is not
Infrared friendly glass which does not block signals from your remote control
Solid wood versus veneer. Solid wood is more durable yet more costly, while veneer is a thin strip of hardwood covering particle board or some other manufactured wood product. Veneer costs much less.