Taking the Focus Off Your TV

What?! Have we lost our minds? How could an electronics retailer promote the hiding of your gorgeous TV?

Listen, we get it. We love a beautiful TV like no other, but that doesn’t mean that you want to see it all the time.

96% of American households own at least one TV according to the latest stats from The Nielsen Company. That’s a very large number, but probably not all that surprising.

Thanks to today’s flat-panel televisions, TV placements can be much more sleek and out-of-the-way. What once required a huge piece of furniture now only requires some blank wall space, or a slim media cabinet.

However, despite the more streamlined nature of today’s TVs there may still be times – like when you’re entertaining – that you’d rather not have the TV as a focal point in your room. In the past you could just close the doors of your media cabinet, but you likely don’t have that option today.

Thankfully there are several ways to make your TV blend in with the background. Some are simple solutions, and some are a little more involved. All will let you enjoy your television when you want to, and hide it when you need to.

1. Optical Illusion

A simple fix is to place your TV on a dark background. This could mean a dark-colored wall, or a wall with a dark decorative treatment. The dark screen will blend in and be less noticeable.

2. James Bond Disguise

There are several ways to disguise your TV that would make 007 jealous. One way would be to use a specially created mirror television, like those produced by Séura. When your television is on you can watch as normal, but when it’s off it looks like an elegantly-framed mirror hanging on your wall or over your fireplace.

 

Another option is to disguise it with artwork. Vutec makes great Artscreen panels. What appears to be an elegant, framed piece of art rolls up to reveal your television hidden behind.

3. As a Piece of Art

If #2 is a bit too involved, try an easier option. When entertaining, simply display a work of art on your television screen. Use its size and position to add to your décor by displaying your favorite photograph or painting.

4. Distract with Knickknacks

Incorporating your TV into a built-in shelving wall can be a great way to help it blend in with the background. The variety of knickknacks and decorations on the shelves can draw visual interest away from the big screen, making it less obvious and more a part of the décor.

5. Decorate That Mantle

If your television is mounted above your fireplace mantle, it’s likely in a prominent spot in your room. One way to help the TV blend into your décor is to decorate the mantle. Leaving the mantle bare will draw more attention to the presence of the TV, but by decorating the mantle around the TV you can break up the stark lines that make it stand out. The result is a TV that’s much less noticeable.

6. Disappearing Act

Don’t want to see your TV? Make it do a disappearing act by using a TV lift. TVs can rise out of cabinets, lower from the ceiling, and extend sideways from cabinets or walls. While this might be the biggest project of the options listed, it’s the way to go if you’re really serious about hiding your TV when not in use.

What’s more, you can combine several of these tactics to multiply the power of disguise, as the homeowners did in these examples:

For most of us, the entertainment a television provides is part of our everyday life. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we want a television to be the focus of our room. Satisfy your design aesthetic and still watch your favorite shows by using one of these clever methods to disguise your TV.

Some of these options can easily be handled by you or your contractor. Others (like the lifts, Artscreen and mirror television) require the assistance of an experienced home electronics integrator like Suess Electronics. Not only can we order and install these elements for you, we can work with your contractor if they need to be incorporated into the structure of your home, as is the case with some lifts and recessed televisions.