We all love our TVs, but let’s face it, they are an eyesore. When you step into a living room, you don't want the TV to be the first thing that catches your eye. Instead, it should be made to blend in, hide, or complement existing decor.

Whether you're a film buff with a screen that rivals a movie theatre or only watch your favorite shows once a week, there are plenty of creative design strategies to style your TV in your family room. From clever framing options to strategic color choices, our Chicago interior designers are well-versed in styling TVs so that they actually look good. Here are a few of our recommendations for strategic TV placement.

Camouflage Your TV

Surround it with Built-in Shelves

One of the most popular strategies is to place a TV in between open shelves. Surrounding your TV with books, decorative pieces, and picture frames makes it less noticeable as an eyesore. Instead, the eye focuses on the items around the TV, only paying attention to the screen when it is turned on.

Paint the Walls Dark

The problem with a big black screen is that the color doesn't blend with most walls. Particularly if you have light-neutral or white walls, the dark color of your TV will inevitably stand out. A clever way to combat this is to opt for dark walls in modern living rooms. This will create a striking and sophisticated backdrop, making your TV blend in while elevating the overall ambiance of the room. Dark hues like charcoal, navy, or hunter green lend a sense of drama and intimacy, making the room feel cozy and inviting in a way that offsets the cold appearance of a TV.

Place Your TV Above a Fireplace

Positioning your TV above a horizontal electric fireplace is another way to distract from it. As the fireplace is a focal point of your living room, placing the TV above it will instantly boost its appearance. This arrangement not only optimizes space but also creates a cozy atmosphere, as the fireplace emits warmth and ambient lighting. See how we used this tactic in a recent living room design project.

Hide Your TV

Within an Entertainment Center

Imagine a media room where your TV vanishes when not in use! That's the magic of concealing your screen within a custom-built media console. By tucking the television away in a media unit, our Chicago designers create a space that maintains its aesthetic appeal while still offering all the functionalities of a modern entertainment hub. A well-designed TV unit can be a statement piece in itself, with doors that blend seamlessly with the room's decor when closed. Whether you choose to have a classic wooden cabinet or a sleek minimalist look - when the screen is out of sight, the media center becomes an elegant addition to your living space.

Behind Artwork

Hiding your television behind a large piece of art is not just a clever design move; it's a conversation starter. You can create a feature wall where all you have to do is press a button and your canvas will slide away to reveal your screen. Whether the artwork is a bold abstract piece or a serene landscape, let it serve as both a focal point and a disguise!

Elevate Your TV

Float Your TV

Elevate your viewing experience by giving your television the illusion of floating. By emphasizing clean lines, this modern approach to mounting brings a sense of lightness and sophistication to your living room. To achieve this effect, our Chicago designers will carefully install a TV mount that allows a large TV to hover just off the wall, with no visible TV stand or clunky hardware. Floating your TV saves valuable wall and floor space, while also making the TV as sleek as possible.

Recess Your TV

If you have the design capability, recessing a flat screen TV at eye level is another clever design strategy to give it a more bespoke feel. This design strategy frames your screen within the architecture, elevating it with an artwork-level mounting treatment.

Mount Your TV On Wood Panelled Walls

Finally, consider mounting your TV on wood-paneled walls to create a striking feature wall. Our interior designers often use rich woods to balance the modernity of a screen. Additionally, wood paneling lends a touch of craftsmanship to the setting. Whether you choose sumptuous dark woods for a stately ambiance or light, airy woods for a Scandinavian touch, the panels will bring a sense of serenity and connection to nature.

Use a Projector

If none of these ideas strike your fancy, you can always switch to a projector! Project your favorite movies on the wall, or install a pull-down screen on the wall or ceiling for easy viewing. This is a great option for TV buffs limited to a small space.

Our Chicago interior designers understand that every detail matters, including the appearance of your TV. When you’re designing a beautiful space, there’s nothing worse than having one eyesore to mess up the visual impact. It’s why you never see TVs in design magazines. Get in touch with a Chicago interior designer from our team today -- we'd be happy to help create a stylish space with a TV that functions for movie nights without stealing the show.