Funkification of Wall-mounted TV

Lori Jackson
by Lori Jackson
We recently turned a bedroom into a den, but my husband’s addiction to political news left me admitting we needed (I needed) a second tv. We spent lots of time remodeling our living room and wanted the focus of the room to remain on conversation and reading. The living room, as lovely as it is, is small and a wall-mounted tv was really our only option. However, I sure hated the idea of it feeling like a hospital room or a cheap hotel. My husband worked hard to make sure that is hardly the case. This project was neither quick nor easy. Not counting the tv or the $50 mount, it cost us about $120. The antique elements ran $30, but wiring (new outlet, rerouted wiring for Directv and internet--all done ourselves) and the wood to marry old to new did not come cheap. Enjoy the funkification process!
The mount itself, our internet airport and all the wiring is nicely concealed in what will be the area behind the television. The piece itself is primed and ready for topcoat. That odd bar is the mount for the sound bar on the tv.
Just getting to this point was more work than my husband had bargained for. Boxed into a recessed area is new wiring (outlet, along with wiring for Directv and internet). Luckily, there is a closet behind the area and we accessed it by ripping out a plaster and lath wall. (And our next project is closet overhaul--old houses are like dominoes when it comes to remodeling.)
We started with a full day search of antique stores about 80 miles away from home--heaven for me and hell on earth for my husband. We were looking for a piece to inspire the process. We knew we wanted a frame/shadow box sort of installation, as the placement would not allow for a cabinet-style installation with doors of any sort. The shining star of the project started with a box of 'junk' that had been the topper to an antique mahogany organ. The bottom had be re-purposed to a very funky desk.
After marrying the topper to new wood, and using a wide variety of trims and mouldings, the priming was ready to begin.
Although I had not yet cleaned up the wall behind the tv, here is the finished product. I am thrilled with way it turned out. It eliminates the need for an additional piece of furniture, keeping a nice clear walkway to the kitchen and suits our 100 year old-house so much better than just a mount on the wall.
This our living room, including the 'new' wall between our old dining room and remodeled living room. The wall, though we changed the opening, is the restoration of a wall poorly removed in a 60's remodeling project. The sixties were not kind to old houses. The only other option for tv placement was in front of a big, beautiful old window that looks out towards the street. I hate putting tv's in front of windows.
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