How to place a flat-screen TV on the wall

TV above the dresser

A New York apartment classic. If you rent with roommates and your room has enough space, you've definitely got a dresser — and free wall above it. Most of the time, that's exactly where the TV goes.

First, center your future TV horizontally. You have three options: center it on the bed, on the dresser or on the wall. There's no single rule here — go with what you like and what your room allows. Once you've found the perfect spot, make a small mark on the wall.

Now let's figure out where the bottom edge of the TV goes. Decide what you'll keep on top of the dresser: picture frames, decor, books, a record player, game consoles, smart speakers, jewelry or manicure boxes.

Measure the tallest item and add 1–2 inches to be safe. That's your ideal height for the bottom of the TV. Nothing will block the screen, and you'll still have plenty of room for your stuff.

A standard 6-drawer double dresser is about 30–32 inches tall (measure yours to be exact). Add the gap you measured between the dresser and the TV — and that's your ideal height from the floor to the bottom of the TV!

If your bed is on the high side, check that this height works for you when you're lying in bed. Measure the height of the TV itself and mark the top by measuring up from your bottom mark. Adjust if needed.

TV across from the bed, with no dresser or TV stand

If there's only a narrow walkway between the bed and the wall, you can't put any furniture there. What matters most here is the size of your TV and the height of your bed. With a standard-height bed and a regular 55–65" TV, the standard 45 inches off the floor will feel comfortable. If your TV is 43" or smaller, hang it a little higher; if it's bigger than 65", hang it a little lower.

To find the perfect position, outline the TV on the wall with painter's tape. Sit on the bed and check the height. If needed, move the tape and check again.

The center of the TV should be slightly above your eye level when you're sitting on the bed.

Idea: you can also add a narrow shelf or a soundbar under the TV. You'll have enough room for it.

TV on a soffit in the living room

A soffit is a boxed-out drywall section high on the wall. This option works for small shared spaces with lots of doorways and almost no long walls. Your TV ends up well above eye level, but in return you get a more usable room.

The maximum TV size depends on how tall the soffit is. The sweet spot is 43–55 inches: the TV won't hang below the bottom edge of the soffit, and the screen is still big enough.

You can use a flat, tilting or full-motion mount here. What matters most is finding the one position that works for you, because you won't be adjusting it all the time.

Soffits are usually drywall, so the mounting itself won't give you trouble. The one limitation: there's usually no electrical wiring inside that part of the wall, so there's nowhere to hide the power cord.

Long-arm TV mount

This works for a spacious living room where your mount has two positions: folded and extended. You use the first one day to day, and the second when, say, you have guests over and set up a big table in the middle of the room.

Pick a height where the TV is easy to see in both positions — but when in doubt, favor the one you'll use every day. General rule: picture frames, game consoles and smart speakers shouldn't block the view.

What matters most here is how much load the wall can take. Learn more about wall types in NYC apartments. Plaster walls are the worst fit for this, and so are gypsum block and hollow tile. Brick and drywall handle it best.

A long arm can reach out 40–45 inches, which calls for extra-strong fasteners: thick lag bolts, extra washers, and special anchors for brick and for drywall with metal studs.

The TV size is limited too. Check the instructions for the maximum weight your mount is rated for. Important: in practice, your TV should weigh no more than 55–60% of that maximum. Otherwise some walls may not hold up, even though the mount itself would. Don't forget about the TV's size either: a TV that's too big can hit the wall when you swing it out.

Pay special attention to the cables. You'll need extra-long power and HDMI cables — especially if you want to hide them in the wall (drywall only, and the power cord only with an in-wall power kit — see our guide).

TV above the TV console

The most common setup for a living room. TV consoles are usually lower than dressers — about 18–22 inches instead of 30–32 — which gives you more options for placing the TV.

With a 75" TV or bigger, it can be hard to tell where eye level actually is. Leave 10–15 inches between the TV and the console. You'll get maximum immersion and still have enough room on the console for a soundbar, other electronics and decor.

Make sure the height feels comfortable when you're sitting on the couch, and that nothing blocks the view. The farther away you sit, the higher the TV should be. It's better not to put big items like vases, plants or statues under a TV like this: they push the TV above a comfortable height, and with a big TV that means running into the ceiling.

With a common 55–65" TV, you can safely add another 5–10 inches. That way the TV won't sit too low, and it won't be too high either.

TV in front of a window

In newer buildings with panoramic views, some rooms are surrounded by glass on two or three sides. Here you can hang your TV on a column with a strap-on pillar mount, use a free-standing TV stand, or mount it on a long arm.

A free-standing TV stand is the most flexible option. Depending on the model, it can hold TVs up to 85 inches. It's also quick to put together and take apart, which is great when you move. If you go this way, think about stability: stands that rest on the floor are usually steadier than ones that sit on top of a TV console.

A pillar TV mount wraps around a column with heavy-duty straps instead of bolts and anchors. No drilling, and it can hold TVs up to about 70 inches. The straps are visible on the column, but they're usually hidden behind the TV. Pick this option and you can be sure your landlord will love it. The downside: every now and then you'll need to tighten the straps so the TV doesn't slide down the column.

We covered long-arm mounts above. One more thing: models with a narrow wall plate can go in the corner between two windows. That gives you two positions, compact and extended. This works for 55–65" TVs, but check the TV's weight too.