It’s interesting, but one of the number one questions in all my Design School masterclasses (and biggest source of domestic strife for most people, by the sounds!) is how to disguise a TV. I actually got asked about this again on twitter just yesterday. There seems to be a constant stand-off between getting the biggest flatscreen on earth, and how to make sure it doesn’t take over your beautifully designed room! Because let’s face it, TVs are U-G-L-Y. Making the TV the focal point I have to say is bordering on a criminal offence.
So what to do? Well there are a number of ways to go here. Firstly, never ever ever EVER have the TV on a pale wall. It’s only going to stick out like a sore thumb and highlight the ugliness of said TV. You want the TV to go away, so the quickest trick is to paint the wall behind it dark. That way you immediately take the attention away. I promise I’m not saying this just because I’m biased or trying to seduce you over to the dark side yet again (although I am both). It’s because it really works. Take the contrast away, and the TV is camouflaged. Voila!
If you want to further disguise, accessorise around the TV. A good trick for wall-mounted tellies is to fill that wall with art all around the TV to create a gallery wall. That way it will look just like another installation. Play spot the TV in the pictures above. All these images are taken from my books, so I’ve personally visited them to shoot and can vouch for the fact that you don’t even notice the TV when you first walk in. There’s so much other fab stuff happening that you’re completely distracted, which is what we want. Finally, the other solution is to hide it away altogether. I’ve seen ingenious solutions like artwork mounted over the TV on a sliding track, mirrors, even rotating panels! It’s all a bit James Bond.
In my pad I’ve gone for a combo of all three:
- The wall is painted out dark in my fave Madison Grey
- I’ve put amazing statement mirrors and artwork on the wall and stacked my Dawlish console high with beautiful pieces
- The TV is mounted on a swing bracket, so it simply tucks away flat against the wall when we don’t need it, and then swings out for binge-watching RHONY or Making a Murderer. Simple!
So I wanted to show you guys this pic of my living room complete with TV. Maybe not the most beautiful shot in it’s unretouched state, but I think it’s useful to know because oftentimes in styled shots for books or magazines you’ll never see the TV. It’s either cropped or photoshopped out, but that’s sadly not a real-world option! I hope this helps with the age-old TV dilemma.