Styling: Smart Ways to Blend Your TV into Your Scheme
Whether you’re highlighting or hiding it, don’t let your TV dominate your space
It’s the elephant in the room – the less-than-lovely black box that somehow needs to be incorporated into your scheme. The TV is an integral part of most living rooms, so how do you prevent it taking over your interior? Browse these inspiring schemes, which manage to make the TV part of the room, rather than the main event.
Fit a bifold door
Consider commissioning a purpose-built cupboard in which to hide the TV. This unit’s bifold door makes it easy to access, and also means the door won’t obstruct sightlines to the TV if people are viewing from the side of the room.
If a fitted unit isn’t an option, look out for freestanding TV cabinets with doors or shutters across the front (or a cupboard you could customise for this purpose), to blend into the space and look like a standard cupboard when closed.
Consider commissioning a purpose-built cupboard in which to hide the TV. This unit’s bifold door makes it easy to access, and also means the door won’t obstruct sightlines to the TV if people are viewing from the side of the room.
If a fitted unit isn’t an option, look out for freestanding TV cabinets with doors or shutters across the front (or a cupboard you could customise for this purpose), to blend into the space and look like a standard cupboard when closed.
Create a vignette
If you’re placing your TV on a freestanding cabinet, don’t make it the star of the show – incorporate ornaments and other props alongside it to shift the visual focus.
If you’re placing your TV on a freestanding cabinet, don’t make it the star of the show – incorporate ornaments and other props alongside it to shift the visual focus.
Go offside
Mounting your TV on a side wall ensures it doesn’t dominate the space in the same way it would in a more central spot. Fitting a shelf underneath it provides a place to put decorative objects to distract the eye, helping minimise its impact even more.
Mounting your TV on a side wall ensures it doesn’t dominate the space in the same way it would in a more central spot. Fitting a shelf underneath it provides a place to put decorative objects to distract the eye, helping minimise its impact even more.
Frame it
Fitting slim shelving around the TV helps it to blend into the wall, while books and ornaments on the shelves serve to distract the eye around the space. A similar effect could be achieved by surrounding the TV with multiple framed artworks.
Fitting slim shelving around the TV helps it to blend into the wall, while books and ornaments on the shelves serve to distract the eye around the space. A similar effect could be achieved by surrounding the TV with multiple framed artworks.
Nestle it among books
Allow your fireplace to remain central to your room scheme by tucking your TV into an alcove bookcase and choosing an eye-catching artwork for the chimney breast. Barely noticeable among a sea of books, the TV is further hidden by the dark hue of the bookcase.
Allow your fireplace to remain central to your room scheme by tucking your TV into an alcove bookcase and choosing an eye-catching artwork for the chimney breast. Barely noticeable among a sea of books, the TV is further hidden by the dark hue of the bookcase.
Contemplate white
If your look is light and bright and you’re in the market for a new television, consider one with a white frame rather than standard black. It’s a small yet noticeable detail within an all-white room.
If your look is light and bright and you’re in the market for a new television, consider one with a white frame rather than standard black. It’s a small yet noticeable detail within an all-white room.
Create a feature
If your room is featureless and the TV is undeniably the star of the show, go with it and use a dark baseboard to visually frame the TV, turning it into a feature in its own right. As well as a physical mount like this, you could achieve a similar look by simply painting a darker rectangle on the wall.
See more tips for positioning your TV
If your room is featureless and the TV is undeniably the star of the show, go with it and use a dark baseboard to visually frame the TV, turning it into a feature in its own right. As well as a physical mount like this, you could achieve a similar look by simply painting a darker rectangle on the wall.
See more tips for positioning your TV
Turn to vintage
Eschew traditional TV cabinets for something a little more interesting. Vintage furniture pieces, such as sideboards or drawer units, can make brilliant TV stands, often providing space for DVD players underneath. If the unit is on wheels, this can work especially well in an open-plan space, enabling the unit to be moved or angled as required for optimum viewing.
TELL US…
How have you incorporated your TV? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Eschew traditional TV cabinets for something a little more interesting. Vintage furniture pieces, such as sideboards or drawer units, can make brilliant TV stands, often providing space for DVD players underneath. If the unit is on wheels, this can work especially well in an open-plan space, enabling the unit to be moved or angled as required for optimum viewing.
TELL US…
How have you incorporated your TV? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Do you need a big TV? If not (especially if it’s for a secondary room such as a dining space), a small model can be far less intrusive and easy to work into a scheme. At first glance, you could be forgiven for not actually noticing there’s a TV on this bookcase at all!