Project example: a 55-inch TV on a full-motion arm that turns between a desk and an armchair — what it looks like and what it costs

The scenario

The office is a spare bedroom on the second floor of a house: a standing desk against one wall, a bookshelf, an armchair by the window and a TV that is currently resting on a low cabinet in a corner. The window looks onto a quiet street and the morning sun comes in sideways.

The goal is one screen that works for calls, for background news during the day and for a quick break in the armchair, without taking up desk space. The cabinet sits too low for the desk and too far for the chair, and the monitor already uses the main wall.

The side wall is free and lies between the desk and the armchair, so a swing arm that folds against it and extends toward either seat answers both. The webcam on the monitor faces the window, which has to be kept in mind when the screen turns toward the desk.

What the job involves

1. The installer locates the studs along the side wall and picks a position that puts the folded screen out of the desk's way.
2. Tape on the wall shows the outline, and the swing is tried by hand with the tape along the desk edge and the chair.
3. The plate is fastened across two studs with lag bolts and a backer board is added because the arm will lever on the wall.
4. The arm and TV are attached and the swing is tested: folded flat, out to the desk and out to the armchair, with the door and the shelf cleared.
5. A loop of cable is left at the arm so the cords move freely, and the power cord is dressed to the nearest existing outlet.
6. The webcam angle and the window light are checked with the screen in each position.

Hardware and materials

• Full-motion mount rated for 55-inch panels with a long arm
• Lag bolts, a backer board and a socket driver
• Cable tray or loop clips, and a short paintable raceway
• Stud finder, laser level and painter's tape

Add-ons often paired with this job

• Hide the wires inside the wall — +$95–$160. In-wall concealment is only suitable behind the folded position and stops where the arm begins.
• Mount a soundbar as well — +$50–$85. A small bar on the desk keeps the wall clear of anything extra.
• I need the mount supplied — +$40–$130. If the household has no arm, one rated for the TV is supplied as a separate line.

Why it is done this way

A swing arm is the one mount that can serve two seats in a small room. It earns its extra cost only where a second direction has to be watched; a fixed mount would be cheaper and closer to the wall but face one seat only.

The wall takes more strain from an arm than from a flat bracket, so the plate spans two studs and a backer board spreads the load. The farther the arm reaches, the harder it levers.

Cables that must move with the arm need slack. A loop at the pivot lets the screen swing without pulling a plug, and the cord always goes to an existing outlet.

Window and webcam are the quiet part of an office install. The screen, the lamp and the window can all mirror one another, and a few degrees of swing and tilt are usually enough to fix it.

What would change the price

• The wall holds a stud only on one side and the backer board has to be extended.
• A longer arm is needed to reach the armchair, which changes the hardware.
• A second monitor arm shares the wall and the layout is redrawn.
• The household wants the power cord hidden and an electrician is called for a new outlet.
• A mount has to be supplied, which adds a line.