Last Updated on September 29, 2021 by Cristina
A nice relaxing living room quickly turns to annoyance when you don’t have where to put cable box for wall mounted tv above fireplace.
Our living room with a fully functional wood fireplace had been the highlight of the winter holiday. Once I had wrapped up all the decorations, my excitement turned to slight annoyance at the sight of the cable box.
Faced with a tangle of cables looping near the tv above the fireplace, I scoured the internet and asked friends for ideas on how best to hide them. In trying to find where to put a cable box for wall mounted tv above the fireplace I stumbled upon some hurdles.
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Place Cable Box On The Mantle
The easiest and maybe even hassle-free option is to simply place the cable box on the mantle. A friend had one such mantle, and it suited the rest of the room, with enough space for their cable box.
It would not work for my own fireplace though. The mantle would have to be wider than what I already had and there was not enough space for it. Plus I wanted to keep the mantle free for different decorations with every passing season.
There was also the alternative of using a cable box stand right under the TV and above the fireplace. I opted against it as it looked too crude overall and I wished to hide the cable box, not make a display of it.
Installing Nearby Shelving Units
As with a mantle, using side shelves for the cable box is another cheaper and easy choice. A sensible alternative on how to hide a cable box next to a fireplace with decorations to make it look as stylish as possible.
Making the shelves out of wood to match the mantle would add geometric interest and symmetry. It would also be very simple to install and offer easy access to the cables and box while keeping everything tidy. Though it may not be the most aesthetic choice, it is a practical one.
I had found a multi-shelf unit resembling a stepladder which would have provided enough storage. As practical as it was, it took up too much space and did not go well with the rest of the room.
Custom-Made Wall Unit
With a protruding fireplace wall, each side of the wall next to the fireplace can be decked out with a custom-made storage unit. All the cables would be hidden through the wall and around the furniture to reach a cable box in a side cupboard.
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This looks like a more costly idea but it would bring the entire room into balance, particularly if it matches the mantle. Having a low table to the side of the fireplace is a more cost-effective alternative. Cables go around the fireplace using a wire raceway, to reach the cable box at the table.
There was also an idea of using a pair of accordion-style folding doors to the sides of the TV. As a way of adding some extra layers to hide the cable box, this seemed like a good easy solution.
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Mount Cable Box On The Wall Behind TV
Simply mounting the cable box behind the TV is a very viable option, especially to hide it completely. The first idea to come to mind was to drill holes in the wall just for the cable box. Assuming there would be enough space for the TV as well.
A second option was to secure the cable box to the TV mount with zip ties. This would limit the amount of drilling I would have had to do. This depended on the size of the cable box and I didn’t feel mine was small or light enough to be held by the TV mount.
Both solutions would not impede the smooth functioning of the cable box, but only if the box fits. With a swivel mount, the cable box would be more easily accessible behind the TV.
With a wall recess build behind the TV, the cable box would have fit nicely. Someone with a gas fireplace implemented this idea, but I needed the chimney space for the wood fireplace.
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Redirect Cables To Another Room
I decided to look into other ideas on where to put a cable box when mounting a tv, ones that would keep the clutter of cables to a minimum. Running cables to a different room was by far the most effective way of hiding a cable box.
A room behind the wall with the fireplace would have been ideal, and many examples showcased that. Lacking a room or closet behind the fireplace, I could also use the room above or a cellar underneath.
Some drilling would in fact be needed for the cables to be diverted through the wall to whichever available space. I found myself wondering, how would the cable box work behind a wall. This lead me to discover another piece of equipment I would need, a wired infrared repeater, to amplify signal range.
Where To Put Cable Box For Wall Mounted Tv Above Fireplace
Now, all these ideas on where to put a cable box for wall-mounted TV above fireplace were creative and well thought out. However, there is no one size fits all, as I myself discovered. With a wood fireplace, I couldn’t run my cables through the back wall, even if I had a room there.
A custom-made unit would have worked great with the protruding fireplace wall, but it was overall too big an investment. Side-shelves simply looked too exposed and while the mantle was wide enough it couldn’t fit the cable box. Thus I used a mix of all the ideas found, to accommodate the cable network I had.
- The cable box I ran to the room above, with a wired infrared repeater. It surprisingly works better than expected and is deftly hidden from view.
- I used a wire tidy wrap cord protector to run two HDMI cables to a side table connecting two consoles.
- Lastly, I neatly secured a firestick onto the TV mount and completely concealed it.