Guest Blogger: Creative Interior Ideas to Disguise your Television

Guest Blog #154, Entry #628, August 24, 2011

It is always interesting to see how interior design has to adapt to technology. The television has been one of those electronics that have went from being the highlight of the bed or living room, with gigantic entertainment centers to house them in, to today’s streamlined flat screen panels, that blend seamlessly with your decor.

A sliding panel is a nice option for many homes

Image courtesy of Home Klondike

Today, my Guest Blogger gives tips for creatively disguising your television, in your decor. For some, they’d rather the television only be seen when in use. Here’s some great suggestions for your home.

___________________________

For at least half of the last century, and the entire current one, a challenge facing interior designers (amateur and professional) was just exactly how to hide the TV.  Televisions have never been exactly unobtrusive; the old fashioned varieties were large, boxy and cumbersome.  They weren’t designed to fit into any scheme of decor, mainly because they were cutting edge technology that people were proud to show off.  After that initial craze died down, TVs soon found themselves boxed and crated into an array of designs intended to hide their true function.  The advent of the flat screen TV has made them less bulky – although screen sizes have grown to incredible proportions.  When it comes to ‘hiding’ the TV, there are a number of different approaches in you can take.

Why hide your TV?

Firstly consider why we want to hide our TVs – basically the telly is a functional item, and however well designed, we don’t always want it dominating our living areas.  Modern TVs are large in screen – if not as bulky as their forebears – and whichever way you look at them they dominate a room.  The second point to consider is their position in our living rooms (and kitchens and bedrooms).

There are many solutions to choose from

Image courtesy of Audio High

Certainly in living rooms they are a focal point – but often one that does not fit comfortably with the rest of the room.  Taking these factors into account can help you by making you consider the ‘box’ in a different way.  If it is going to be a focal point – then try designing around the TV as a feature in its own right.

Color coordination

Many TVs stand out in a room, not so much because of their size but because they are black.  As most of don’t use black as a basis for our color scheme this can be a problem.  Goths aside, black doesn’t normally feature top on our list of colors to decorate with.  Not that you need to paint the whole room black – although this would certainly hide the TV.  Highlighting other features with black – woodwork, window frames or bookcases – can actually help to integrate the great black TV screen.  If black is not going to work with the rest of your scheme, consider a darker color to highlight features – in doing this you limit the impact of the TV.  Mounting the TV on a wall that is paneled with dark wood – even in a room that is otherwise light and airy – helps to blend the TV well and again limit the impact.  The starker the contrast between your decor and the TV itself, the more it will stand out, by using colors, tone and texture imaginatively you can create a more subtle effect that blends the TV with other features.

Decorate around your television

Image courtesy of Home Klondike

Camouflage

Bookcases, units and entertainment stands are another option.  These can be bespoke and handmade or off the shelf – and prices vary accordingly.  Framing the TV in one section of a wall sized bookcase/stand works well, if the sections mirror the proportions of the TV.  In this way the TV becomes one of many features of varying sizes and should ‘disappear’ amongst other items.  This option can work well in just about any home – but it can be costly depending on the size of unit you need.  It does also work well in rooms beyond the main living space – bedrooms and studies for example, where combining the TV and audio systems among other features can lessens their impact.

Hidden features

Framing your TV is an excellent solution to hiding it completely.  A screen is a simple version of this – traditional dressing room screens can simply be placed to hide the TV away.  Bespoke frames for modern flat screen TVs are now affordable and easy to source.  The beauty of framing the TV is that you can also get it up on the wall, out of the way of small and destructive hands and de-clutter the space.  Wooden, metallic or painted frames can be designed and created to your own specifications and additional features can include mirror glass finishes can be included.  These can help to completely hide the TV when it’s not in use.  TV frames are one of the most affordable solutions – even handmade varieties can prove affordable.  Any size TV can be disguised in this way and a frame can turn the TV into an attractive feature in a room even when it is not in use!

TV Mirrors are an attractive, functional solution to the age old dilemma of where to hide the TV,  www.frameyourtv.co.uk create hand crafted frames for any size TV and to suit your personal interior design.  

For more living room ideas on Stagetecture, click here.