George Clarke has shared his biggest pet peeve and if you own a TV, you may want to listen up. The presenter has revealed he is not a fan of massive TVs in the living room. Fortunately, there is an easy way to work out if your TV is the right size for your home.
George Clarke is an architect, best known for presenting Channel 4's The Restoration Man and George Clarke's Amazing Spaces. His shows offer endless interior inspiration, and he has just given us another reason to work out how to hide a TV and battle back when your partner insists on going for the TV size up.
Speaking to Ideal Home about his work as an ambassador for Sofology and their How We Live Now Report, George Clarke explained: ‘I’m not a fan of ridiculously sized TVs. I think we’ve got this fad now where I’ve gone into a living room and the TV is ridiculously big.’
‘For it to look right in the room, the room would’ve had to have been four times bigger. You walk in and it’s dominated by this enormous TV.
‘Obviously, I’m on TV so there is a bit of irony there and I have nothing against people having TVs as it’s my job but just get the right size one and don’t go crazy.’
How to choose the right size TV
But what exactly is the right size TV for your living room? There is a simple rule for how big your TV should be based on how far away your sofa is from it. Nick Bunce, TV expert at AO.com, explains: 'As a rule of thumb, it is advisable to sit about 1.5 times the screen’s diagonal measurement away. For 4K TVs that figure is reduced by half.'
‘Space within the room is one of the most important things to consider,' Nick adds. 'Depending on the screen size of the TV it is best to leave a good amount of distance between your sofa and TV. Not only does this help you see the full effect of the picture, but it’ll also prevent you from getting eyestrain. For a 30” TV you should leave 3 – 5ft distance.
‘If you’re looking to buy a 50” TV and above, we’d recommend considering leaving a minimum of 6ft between your sofa and television.'
In short, if you want a 50” TV and don’t have space to leave 6ft between your sofa and television you need a smaller TV.
If you're stuck on what size to go for in a small living room, there are plenty of clever small living room TV ideas for squeezing in a screen without it dominating the space.
George Clarke also points out that large TVs can take away from your living room being a family space.
‘Your living room becoming a big entertainment room with a massive, oversized TV feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. You want your living room to be a bit more of a sociable space, a family space, a space where you might read and not be dominated by this big screen,’ he says.
Another smart option is to hide your TV in plain sight by investing in something like a Samsung frame, which can display family pictures or your favourite artwork when not in use.
Instead of a huge TV, George recommends filling the space with family photos, beautiful books and statement wallpaper - things that are bespoke to you and your family.
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