In the picture the bookcase doesn't look wide enough for the TV - is it, or am I not understanding what you're trying to do? In any case, you should be attaching the mount to a wall stud.

These are the best wall anchors to use, they come in different sizes for different weights. I would think that anchoring behind wood would be much stronger than thru sheetrock. We’ve hung tvs and a wall mounted squat rack (anchored to cement) using these. of course it would be nice to hit a stud but enough of these anchors would certainly hold a tv. Get a second opinion tho

The mount would go in the bookcase but the arm of the mount would hold the tv outside of the bookcase, I will clarify that in my post.

There may be a better option. Putting the TV in front of that bookcase will look odd IMO. Why not the wall with all the photos?

If you insist on mounting it there, get a stud finder and see if there are studs in the bookcase. If there aren't or there aren't 2 of them in good locations, you might be out of luck.

@M Riz Thank you, that is what I was thinking, or adding an extra layer of wood with anchors going through both. I have tried to find info online but nothing addresses my issue closely enough for me to feel confident about it. I think there is 1 stud behind the bookcase. I tried using a stud-finder but it was wonky, maybe because I was already using it on wood? I'm not very knowledgeable about this stuff and didn't expect this project to become difficult.

@anj_p The wall in the photos is the only actual wall in the room and the first thing you see when you walk in the house. I don't want to see the side of the tv right when you walk in the door. I also like the placement of our sectional with the longer side of the couch visible from that angle. The other "sides" of the room are the fireplace wall, a large built-in bar, and open space to the entryway and dining area. I do have a plan to make the placement of the tv look less odd, I think once I'm done it won't be something that anyone would immediately think is odd.

I tried a stud-finder but it didn't seem to work there, maybe because the bookcase is already wood? I knocked and think I found one stud behind it but so close to the mantle side that the mount doesn't really fit without hitting the end of the bookcase.

I would find a new location for the tv. It doesnt look good where it is right now, and it will look even worse, in front of that narrow cabinet, and sticking outside against the fireplace. Thats not a good set up at all. You are worried about how it looks coming in the door, but, it would look better coming in the door, on the wall with photos, than it does now, or will look if you succeed in mounting it.

TVs are so ubiquitous and so thin today that I don't think seeing it from the side as one enters would be an issue for most people. I think I'd rather guests see the side of it than face it head on in a wonky location like straddling the bookcase.

Look at a samsung frame TV. You could keep your wall of photos and use a frame as one of them. Maybe more than you want to spend but you can get custom frames for them and no one would even know it's a TV. We have one and it fools everyone who doesn't know it's a TV.

Could you draw a the layout for the room? I have a frame tv, and I agree that it would blend into that wall. Id like to see what the general layout is tho.

@decoenthusiaste @anj_p Honestly, I'm more concerned about the rest of the furniture placement than the tv and just trying to find something to make it work. I really like the current look I have with the layout of the rest of the furniture and a slightly sunken living room and a big sectional right in front of the step so it gives some conversation pit vibes. We also use the sofa placement to create a somewhat enclosed area for my toddler. On top of that, I have to consider the fact that my husband is very particular about where the tv is from the couch and he likes to watch tv. I will post some pictures in another comment and am open to suggestions. I do understand and see that the placement of the tv is weird but I have a plan to make it work and worst-case scenario, I take down the mount and move everything around.

@M Riz @anj_p @decoenthusiaste @cat_ky

Here are two pics to show the layout. The one without furniture is from when we bought the house but the only picture I can find from that angle (right next to the front door) and the one with furniture is mostly current. The gallery wall (and the whole house) is a bit hodge podge right now but I'm mostly trying things out and seeing how they look then working on a plan to change things around. The picture in the original post looks alot darker because it was taken at night. The drawers behind the couch were only there because we were waiting for a consignment shop to pick them up (it was a loft bunk bed). As I mentioned, I have a toddler, so even though we have been in the house for almost 2 years, the amount of time I have to do anything other than work, childcare, and chores is minimal.

I wish I had a current picture from the door to show why I like the couch with the back facing the door.

Also, if I put the tv on the wall with the current couch placement my husband would lay on the sofa facing it and no one else would have a corner of the sofa to lay in (lol).

I don't have any advice on your TV, but just wanted to say that I normally do not like gallery walls -- but I like yours!!

Thank you! At first, I was trying to curate it then I decided to put up what I wanted and edit later lol

If you continue trying to locate it where you first said, bear in mind that most cabinet backs are constructed of 1/4' thick material, which might not be enough to hold a bracket and tv, even with moly bolt anchors. If you want something secure, I would recommend screwing a 3/4" thick piece of wood (maybe 10"X10" or so) to each side of the bookcase at mounting height, and screwing and gluing a 3/4" thick board the width of the bookcase to these side pieces. That way you will have a strong mounting surface at the front edge of the bookcase. It wouldn't be elegant, but it would be practical and hidden.

And since you sound like you don't have much skill with things like this, hire a handyman or carpenter to do it if you don't have the tools or ability.

I’d like to see the TV on the gallery wall, but if you go ahead with the bookcase idea, these anchors are recommended by my electrician for mounting TVs without a stud. They require a large drill bit but you should drill a pilot hole through the bookcase first to see if you might hit a stud. If you do, great. If you don’t, then you’d use the anchors.

@emilyam819 Thank you! I'm pretty handy but not knowledgable about this type of thing and don't want the tv falling on my kid. I am considering buying a new corner piece for the couch to make the seating arrangement work for the gallery wall since everyone is so against the bookcase. I am going to try the bookcase first to try to save money. I think with some books on the top row and some rattan cabinet doors on the bottom it won't look as weird as everyone thinks it will. People are hanging art on their bookshelves now and it looks great, not the same thing but I think I can make it work.

Here is a pic from the door. I think once it is more centered on the bookshelf and the tv console is gone it will blend in enough. Right now it is pushed to the left so the tv console doesn't block a vent. It's hot as hell where I live and we need that vent lol

Your style of mount only needs 1 vertical stud to mount to. If the back face is wood, look for nail holes that were not at all or 1 that was not filled in well prior to paint. A good assumption is there is a stud on each side, then if the width is around 32", there would be a stud in the middle. If the stud finder isn't working you can also knock on the wall, listening for changes in pitch, then use a small brad nail to puncture til you find it (as long as the surface can be filled/painted again). Also with your style of mount, the stud bracket does not have to be centered on the tv, as the tv frame looks to slide back and forth. There should also be lag bolts provided in the kit, which is all you need going into a stud.

Out of curiosity you said you have a plan for the cabinet once you mount the tv, mind sharing?

@3onthetree Thank you so much, these are the types of replies I need! I did knock on it and think I only found one stud and it is so far to the side of the bookcase that I couldn't fit the mount there. I will try using some brad nails.

I am planning to put books or other decor on the top shelf and build two cane cabinet doors to cover the bottom shelves and any cords or gaming systems. Then I'm going to put a large fake bird of paradise (no natural light there) on the floor in the corner and a blanket basket or something on the hearth.

If it looks bad, I'll move it, at some point, to the gallery wall but will need a new thinner tv and an additional corner piece for the sectional which will be much more expensive. I like the living room layout as-is because it functions well for us.

If you removed the mantle, you could mount the TV over the fireplace low enough that it would be comfortable. It would look way better, and be a win-win for your particular layout.

@UserI think that would look good and have considered lowering and replacing the mantle with one that isn't so bulky. Just not sure what I would do with all of the cords. The only plugs near there are on the other side of the fireplace wall near the windows and one in the bookcase. I am also unsure if there will be a color difference on the stone since that mantle has probably been there since the house was built 50yrs ago. I am planning on doing something with the mantle. I used citristrip and sanded it down and it made such a mess that I decided it would be too much work to do on the bookcase and painted it the color it is to make it mesh with the stone and grout.

A few slightly visible cords would look better than hanging the TV in front of that tiny bookcase.

No mantle at all, if you hang the TV there. Having both would look weird. As for discoloration: any stone that's peeking out from behind the TV could be stained to blend in.

There are ways to conceal the cable a little bit. This blogger tucked hers into the grout seams. For your FP, you could run the cord around to the left, down, and to the nearest outlet. (Or run it over to the bookcase.) The black cable might fade into the brick, or you can paint it to match the grout.

Here's the thing: you will need to stop burning wood in that FP if the TV is there. The heat and smoke are bad for electronics. The cable could be ran inside the FP to partly conceal it, and then back out again, across the hearth. Then place a few decorative objects there. For the part of the cable that has reached floor level, conceal them in baseboard cord covers.

How it could look when you're done:

if it's concealed fairly well tucked into the groutlines, you would probably stop noticing it after a while.

I know it's kind of an oddball idea, but I honestly think it could work if you did it right, and it would look WAY better than hanging it in front of the bookcase.

Or even more ideal (but you will probably want to hire someone for it) --- cut a hole and feed the wires through. A pro could help you figure that out. Again, can't burn wood anymore if you do this, but you could get a gas insert if you want to continue having fires.

@User Thank you for all the info and ideas! I am going to consider removing the mantle (and lowering it) and replacing it with something like floating console that opens so the rarely used switch and other electronics can still be connected. I'll have to look at the mantle tonight and see how hard I think it will be. I currently REALLY want to get the floor tv console out of there, it bugs me every time I see it but I've had a hard time coming up with a plan to make everything work. If my other half didn't need to watch sports all the time I wouldn't have to worry so much about the tv (and would install a pull-down projector screen or just put the tv somewhere else) but we all have our priorities and prime tv location is one of his.

One thing you can do right now: put the TV right on the hearth in front of the FP, then you can get rid of the console. That's what we did when we moved into our house. Just temporarily until you can get things figured out. You could paint a slab of wood black (or dark brown) and prop it against -- or just inside-- the FP insert to cover it up. (if you don't have tools, go to a hardware store and have it cut to size for you.)

With our TV on the hearth, you could barely notice the cables running off to the left because the speaker and vase were in front of them.

What about if you hide the bookcase - build out a panel with shiplap or something like that? Mount the TV to the right of the fireplace. Forgive my crude sketch…(not a pro)

Adding to Kudzu's caution about the back of the bookcase probably being thin material (quarter inch or even less), you need to know for certain how the bookcase assembly is secured in the opening.

It could be lightly fastened to studs on either side aided by a friction fit. Likely there is no stud behind it (in the center; the recess could have been framed to the size of the bookcase, possibly with a header if this is a supporting wall.

Rare earth magnets can help locate fasteners when a lot of stud finders fail.

If you are determined to put the TV there, the smart thing to do would be to pull the bookcase out of the opening so you absolutely know for sure what you are working with.

One other approach would be to look for fasteners on the other side of the wall if the fireplace is situated on an interior wall.

I agree. I'm not sure why people think that there are studs behind the bookshelves? The structure is probably all on the sides. I think you need to disassemble the bookshelf and install a heavy plywood panel to the front, secured to the studs on the sides. And then rebuild the bookcase above that and mount the TV to the new plywood panel.

^^ I'm not sure why people think that there are not studs behind the bookshelves?

That's the key, no one knows, and the OP is trying to locate some. There are many methods of varying degree to determine that as has been covered.

The idea about moving the mantel is to me a lot of unnecessary work that may also result in unexpected fixes to repair the wall. If you put the tv above the mantel you can just use a dropdown tv mount that lowers the tv quite a bit as you pull it away from the wall. They're more expensive than a standard mount, but would save a lot of work and time, and won't look jerryrigged like somehow mounting it in front of the bookcase. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MS1MHET?pd_rd_i=B01MS1MHET&pf_rd_p=7e505763-fc2b-4771-871e-c8789cf7e144&pf_rd_r=46N3DSR4YWYZJ4KR3ES2&pd_rd_wg=DIy1y&pd_rd_w=YrHhu&pd_rd_r=732b28bf-a1ab-4190-a2a2-10aea8f07ad7

@Susan L Thank you for the suggestion! 'm not great at mock-ups either unless it includes removing my ex from photos (lol). So, I actually love the stone fireplace wall, it's very similar to my grandparents house that they had built (moved in on Halloween of 1979) so I don't want to cover it in any way. It's so nostalgic for me and one reason I want the couch facing it, because I like to look at it. They sold the house in 2002 and have passed since then (no condolences needed, it's a natural part of life and I've adjusted). I am still friends with a neighbor who knows to let me know if the current owner is selling it and regularly look it up on Zillow, just in case.

@ci_lantro Thanks for the info! I removed the outlet cover that is in the bookcase and it is 1/4 inch thick. I didn't realize that it could be positioned in there and not held up by studs or anything, that's good to know. I will probably figure something else out for safety issues plus everyone is so against the tv being there. We are planning some renovations in a year or two but hadn't planned on this room being part of them (kitchen and bathrooms are the only part of the house we don't like, other than one neighbor who is very nosy and while also being a jerk).

@3onthetree That is correct, I had no idea that there are commonly not studs behind bookcases, although I am pretty sure there are some behind this bookcase. I think sometimes professionals think anyone who likes to do things themselves is somehow disrespecting the craft and can be condescending because of that. I just like doing things with my hands, don't like having strangers in my house, and thought it would be a simply answered question. I also get quite a bit of joy and pride from doing simple and safe things myself.