How to Fit Your TV Into Your Room’s Design
Back when television sets were enormous pieces of furniture, taking up several square feet in your small apartments for rent living room, you had no choice but to design your entire space around the tech. Thankfully, these days TVs are slim and sleek flat screens that that inconspicuously fit into any existing design aesthetic. If you are wondering how to design your room around your TV, the truth is you should be wondering the opposite: How should you fit your TV into the interior design of your dreams?
Always Mount Your TV
There are virtually no exceptions for this tried-and-true rule of room design: Always, always mount your television set to the wall. There are several reasons for this:
- Optimal viewing. For neck comfort and health, your TV should sit slightly above your line of sight when seated, which is a difficult height to achieve when you are perching your set on furniture.
- Tidiness. When you use a professional TV mounting service, they will tuck your cords and wires into the wall to give your room a neat-and-tidy look.
- Safety and security. Kids and pets can easily clamber onto furniture and tip over your valuable TV. By mounting it, you can keep it up and out of their way.
It might seem more convenient to use a TV stand or entertainment unit to hold up your TV, but the truth is then you are designing your room around your television. If you want your TV to blend into the background, you should get it hanging on its own, so you can arrange the rest of the room as you’d like.
You can’t mount your TV on just any section of wall; you need a sturdy stud, so the TV doesn’t fall down and take your wall with it. I hired a trustworthy Baltimore TV mounting service to do the work; it took no time and little money, so I found hiring experts to be worthwhile.
If you have an older-model TV that is thick, heavy or otherwise impossible to mount, it’s time you upgrade to a flat screen; you can find good-sized sets for relatively cheap, especially if you look for used options in thrift stores and online.
Blend the TV With the Décor
Modern TVs look sleek and — well — modern. They have sharp edges and are made of shiny, futuristic materials like chrome and plastic. Unfortunately, few living rooms have such a modern style. If your set doesn’t exactly mesh with its surroundings, there are a few things you can do to alter its look and help it blend.
First, you can give your television a frame. It’s possible to affix any properly sized frame to the outside of your TV using Velcro or Command strips, which will not damage your device. Because your TV is mounted, the frame will make it look like a piece of artwork on your wall.
Alternatively, you can place shelves around your television, which will serve many purposes. They can hold any devices you need connected to your TV, like cable boxes or gaming consoles, and they can also hold décor that will obscure the edges of your set, like plant containers or knick-knacks. By doing this, you can control the decorative elements of your room, and your TV won’t dominate the design.
Consider Covering up
Conversely, if you want to hide your TV completely when it isn’t in use, you have a couple more design opportunities. The easiest solution is mounting your television inside a large armoire or entertainment unit with doors, so you can close the cabinet when you don’t want to see the screen. However, this does require a bulky piece of furniture, which you might not want to add to your room.
A slightly more workable option is using a two-way mirror to hide your TV. This glass looks like a mirror when the television is off, but when the screen lights up, you can see your shows and movies as usual. You can make your own two-way mirror TV box, or you can purchase one premade from sellers like Overmantels.
Use Lights for Drama
Lights are an oft forgotten but incredibly important element of design, and you can use them to both hide and emphasize your TV. The best use of lights in a room with a television is biased lighting, which works to counteract the bright TV screen with softer, ambient backlighting. By placing a strip of lights behind your TV set, you can give it a comforting glow that keeps your eyes healthier when you view the illuminated screen in an otherwise darkened room.
You should also try to avoid placing your television anywhere that could cause a glare, such as directly across from windows or at an angle from lamps. Placing lamps on either side of your TV is better for your eyes and helps obscure the television for a more balanced, attractive room design.
Your TV doesn’t have to rule your room design. Using the above techniques, you should be able to create a functional and attractive space that serves many purposes — including a cozy spot for watching TV.
