Ah, that ubiquitous – to some, unsightly – big black box in your living or family room. Guys love them. Women want to hide them – or at least make them less obvious.
How do you decorate around the TV? It comes down to whether you want it to be the focal point in the room or not.
Most popular since the advent of the flat panel style, many homeowners choose to mount the TV on the wall or above a fireplace.
There are lots of decorating tricks should you choose the wall-mount option. To keep the scale in check, place a large credenza underneath the television and accessorize it as you would with any other table with side lamps, picture frames, a plant or floral arrangement. Or flank it with bookcases, open shelves, or layer a gallery wall of art around it to help divert the eye. With the latter, soften the large rectangular shape with some round, oval or curved pieces and use medium to large pieces of art or photography so they are not dwarfed by the TV’s size. Another idea is to add a wooden frame approximately 10-20 percent larger than the TV around it. Unless you have DIY skills, custom frames can run you upwards of $700 for a 65” television.
If the TV is left in plain sight, pepper the color black throughout your room to balance a large black TV. Even a few black picture frames or flowerpots will do the trick.
To help camouflage the expansive black color, paint the wall behind it a dark color, like charcoal, navy or winter green or install a dark stained shiplap or paneling. Or hide the TV behind wooden or mirrored shutters, a painting, sliding barn door, or a roll-up map.
Another idea is to give the television secondary importance by drawing attention to something else in the room like a floor-to-ceiling painting, mural, large hanging quilt, even a beautiful view to the outdoors through extra tall or wide windows or doors.
If you haven’t bought that supersized television yet, check out Samsung’s ingenious Frame TV with a built-in motion sensor to display a favorite photo or a painting on the screen when someone is in the room.
Do you have a decorating problem needing a professional solution? Send your blog topic suggestions to barbara@sec-interior.com.
Barbara Graceffa owns and operates Secretary of the Interior, an interior decorating company in Quincy, MA offering creative solutions at reasonable rates. Learn more at www.sec-interior.com and follow her on Instagram @secretaryinteriordecorating. New clients can reach her at 617.921.6033.
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