The television is considered by many to be a staple of the living room, but some may want it stowed when it is not in use, or reduce its visual prominence simply because those screens can sometimes overwhelm design schemes by being too large for a certain space. We extracted the following tips from our resident decorators to help make your television blend seamlessly with the décor, or to completely hide it from view and make it a space-saving pop-up entertainment feature of your home.
1. A Dark Background
Mount your television on a wall painted (or wallpapered) in a dark colour to make the edges of the screen blend in with the background.
When mounted on a black wall, a television will disappear when turned off. Image Credit: GDY Design & Construction
2. Horizontal Lines and Shelving
Incorporate a series of horizontal lines on the wall around where your television is mounted. The horizontal lines of accents can limit the size of your television, making the screen seem smaller.
The horizontal lines of the shelves on the wall seem to shrink the television, incorporating the screen as though it was just another object on display. Image Credit: X Two Concept
3. The Rule of Three / Thirds
The rule of three / thirds is a guiding principle of arrangement used to compose everything from literary works to visual images. In the context of obscuring your television, this guideline can be used to diminish the visual impact of the black screen by arranging it near two other points of interest, such as speakers or decorations.
Mount the television on a dark wall, then add decorations or speakers on either side of the screen to reduce its perceived width, make it less visually conspicuous, and widen the space. Image Source
4. Matching Accents
The rule of three / thirds can be extended beyond decorations to include accents on the wall around the television. An accent paired and matched with a television can also help to balance out the visual focus and direct the eye away from the screen.
The addition of two decorative features (niches in this instance) alongside the television draws visual attention away from the screen. Image Credit: Mode Interior
The positioning of this television next to the matching wall-mounted shelf and console unit reduces the visual prominence of the screen. Image Credit: Jashen Interior Design
5. Reflective Surfaces
Surround your television with mirrors or other reflective accents to reduce the weight of the screen’s own reflections. Or go all out for a specialty artisanal television mirror to fully disguise a screen as a decorative looking glass.
This television is bordered by large mirrors which reduce the visual impact of the screen’s reflections. Image Credit: Jashen Interior Design
6. Cabinets and Doors
Mount your television in a cabinet or niche and fix some sliding or folding covers in the form of curtains or doors. When not in use, the television can be covered up and hidden completely. While the effect requires the skilled hands of a carpenter, the result is an effective and aesthetically pleasing form of coverage for the screen.
This television can be hidden by closing the sliding doors on either side of the media unit. Image Credits: Homlux Interior Furnishing
7. Artful Camouflage
Choose a television that can double as a piece of art, then surround it by other decorative pieces to create an artsy mural to hide the screen. With something like Samsung’s The Frame, complete camouflage among framed artworks can be maintained with the television on Art Mode.
Complete camouflage of your television as a piece of framed art can be achieved with Samsung’s The Frame, pictured hiding here while sporting the optional walnut bezel. Image Credit: Samsung Electronics
