Aesthetically speaking, many of us have love-hate relationships with our televisions. Turned on, a TV is the captivating focal point of the living room – especially when the new season of your favourite series is ready for streaming. But when the black box is turned off, you wish it would make like a magician and disappear.
Now that we’re all spending more time at home, to put it mildly, finding ways to create harmony between our space and this entertaining piece of equipment feels like a priority.
I wrote about accent walls several weeks ago (yes, they’re still a thing!) and here I am recommending them again. One inexpensive and easily DIY-able way to hide your TV in plain sight is to paint the wall behind it a shade of black in a matte finish. Soot by Benjamin Moore is a grey-black that’s dramatic without being too dark, and Off-Black by Farrow & Ball has a rich, velvety appearance. Wallpaper with a dark background works equally well, if you’re so inclined.
Next, treat the TV like one piece of art in a gallery wall and hang other pieces around it. Select several large-scale frames to mimic the size of your TV and balance out its scale, and then layer in smaller frames and objects to add personality. In terms of the art and style of frames, you can try one of two tactics: Either stick with a restrained black-and-white palette to make the TV blend in, or shake things up with colourful art in a mix of bold frames to distract the eye and pull focus away from the TV.
Another approach for those who, like me, don’t plan to mount the TV to the wall is to place it atop a piece of furniture, such as a vintage teak cabinet or console table with handsome legs, and dress the table with stacks of art books, candles and flowers. If your TV is on the smaller side, you could also tuck it inside a taller freestanding piece of furniture, like an armoire or secretary. And if built-ins are in your budget, ask your designer or contractor to conceal the TV behind sliding or hinged doors.
Finally, for complete blink-and-you’ll-miss-it camouflage, check out Samsung’s The Frame TV. It has a super-slim picture-style frame and allows you to display your own photography or choose from a selection of museum-quality artwork when the TV is turned off.
Need some advice about interior design and decor? Send your questions to personaldesigner@globeandmail.com.
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