Hiding the Television to Accentuate Your Design
Flat panel televisions allow for a number of different installation possibilities. Most often people will either stand inside a media center or armoire, mount over the fireplace, or hang directly to the wall. However, if you would rather not make the TV a focal point in your design, look into ways to hiding the television from view when not in use. Not only will a hidden television enhance the design aesthetics of your room, but it can also increase social interaction. Hiding the television removes that distraction from the room allowing people to focus on more social interaction and enjoying conversation.
From a design perspective, there may be many reasons to hide your television when not in use. Televisions generally become the focal point of the room making them the center of attention. Concealing the television from the room keeps a clean look and maintains the home’s design. It allows the room to go from a casual appearance to a more sophisticated one. Besides pure aesthetic reasons, there may be an instance where the space doesn’t allow a furniture piece or even a TV mount. To satisfy those conditions, as well as design aesthetics, we will give several creative recommendations below to incorporate the television into the space:
Behind a piece of artwork that can slide to the side or on a hinge to reveal the television
Behind a two-way mirror
Flip down from the ceiling
Build a decorative showpiece box (whether in metal, cabinetry, or wallpaper) that lowers a TV with a mechanical lift at the bottom of the box
Install a reclaimed wood mini barn door that slides on a track to disguise the TV
Inside a media center where doors can be closed, such as an armoire
Install a built-in cabinet above the fireplace with doors that open
Mount the television on a swivel mechanism with one side that blends with the wall
Behind a pull-down map
Inside a non-working fireplace
Inside a lift mount console at the foot of the bed
Mount onto a dark wall to blend into the background
Recently, we had an opportunity to work with a designer to create a hidden television feature above the fireplace. For this project, we added a beautiful architectural element above the fireplace. We installed a metal shroud near the top of the wall that protruded about eighteen inches off of the wall. The television was mounted on a mechanism that lowered down for use, but was disguised behind the shroud when not in use. To completely enhance this detail, we added a matching metal shroud underneath the mount and TV so when the television was raised into place, the television and cables are hidden from view as you look up.
