The TV plays a big role in how you orient your living room decor, but it can be difficult to incorporate into your interior design. They often end up standing out and looking like they do not really fit in with the rest of the room. Where you put your TV, what height it needs to be at, and how to set up your room around it are common design conundrums that people encounter when working on their living room. In this article, we will look at how to incorporate your TV into your interior design.
What to Consider Before You Start
Before we look at some ways to incorporate your TV into your design, there are a few things to consider about the room itself. Let’s take a look.
What is the main role of the room?
The first thing to determine is what the space will mostly function as. Will you be mostly watching TV there, or is this also going to be a place where you gather and socialize with guests? If you are primarily watching TV in the room, then you can make it the front and center feature of the room. However, if you spend a lot of time entertaining in that room, the TV placement may not be as important, and you do not need to make sure every seat is facing it in one way or another.
Are you mounting the TV or putting it on something?
You want the TV to be about four feet off the ground, so it is at eye level and you will not strain your neck when watching TV. The bigger your TV is, the farther away from the TV you should place the furniture.
The profile of your furniture should also be taken into account. If you have low-sitting furniture, you should place your TV lower so that you can see it more comfortably. Whereas, if you have bigger furniture that is a little taller than normal, you might want your TV to sit a little bit higher up.
Other Considerations:
Be careful to look for glare from windows and lighting, as well as ensure that any windows near the TV will not blind you when the sun is in the right position.
You also want to make sure that you have a power source near where the TV is going.
If you have any accessories, like game consoles and speakers, make sure you have the space to place them too.
Conceal it Behind a Fake Wall
If the primary purpose of the room is not TV watching, or you just want to be able to hide the TV when you are not using it, you can create a fake wall to conceal it behind. You can create a unique accent wall using faux stone or brick, which will make the wall stand out and draw the eye. Make sure that you measure enough space to fit your TV in the accent wall, then put that wall panel on a hinge so it opens and closes. This will give your home a unique look and let you hide the TV when you are not using it.
Camouflage the TV
If you want to hide the TV a little bit without creating a hidden panel for it, you can paint the wall behind it black or dark blue to help the TV blend in seamlessly with the rest of the wall when it is off.
Mount it Above the Fireplace
If you have a fireplace or an electric linear fireplace, you can hang the TV on the wall above it, drawing the eye to both. It is common to make the TV or the fireplace the centerpiece of your living room, and doing this will help make it stand out as that centerpiece. You can mount it to the wall, place the TV on the mantel — just make sure the mantel is sturdy enough to hold the TV — or create a little inset in your fireplace surround to put the TV into so it is completely part of the wall.
Create a Gallery Wall
If you love art, you can create a gallery wall behind as part of the wall your TV is on to make your TV part of your little art gallery. This is a great way to incorporate your TV into your interior design, especially if you have one of the picture TVs that can display art on it. By hanging the TV among the artwork instead of behind everything, you are giving the wall a seamless look. You can even put a picture frame around the TV to make it fit in even more.
Create an Art “Curtain”
Another unique way that art lovers can incorporate their TVs into their interior design is by creating an art “curtain” to hide the TV behind. You can hang up a curtain rod above the TV and put art on the rod to slide in front of the TV when it is not in use. You can use one big piece of artwork, a pair of paintings that complement each other, or divide up a piece into two frames instead. The idea here is to part the photos like you would a curtain when you want to watch TV. This is great for a minimalist since you need to keep the parts of the wall where your art curtain will be going clear.
Built-in Shelving Entertainment Center
Frame the TV with some shelving where you can fill the space with books, knick-knacks, plants, and other unique items that are distinctly you. You can add some drawers to it to keep your remotes, game controllers, and other essential items, too, allowing you to keep everything in one place.
About the Author
Auz Burger is a freelance writer and an expert in faux stone and brick veneer and home DIY projects. She has a BA from Washington State University and has been writing and editing professionally for over a decade.
