How to Decorate Around a TV on a Wall

Some people seem to enjoy the look of a black TV screen dominating the wall. Others simply regard a wall-mounted TV as necessary equipment and treat it like an afterthought rather than part of a room's décor. But interior designers and home decorators who consider a wall-mounted TV nothing short of an eyesore are always looking for creative ways to decorate around this common design dilemma.

There are many ways to help camouflage a wall-mounted TV so it doesn't spoil your décor, from choosing a picture frame design (like Samsung's "The Frame" TV) that turns into a work of art when not in use, to choosing a mirror with an integrated TV, to all manner of cover-ups such as sliding cabinet doors or curtains. But if you are looking for ways to integrate a visible flat screen more seamlessly into your space without compromising your carefully considered interior design scheme, here are some designer ideas that might do the trick.

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In the Mix

Erin Williamson Design

“I like to integrate wall-mounted TVs into the rest of the room by surrounding them with art, so that the TV becomes a part of a larger gallery wall,” says interior designer Erin Williamson. “Adding a shelf, credenza, or console table below the TV anchors it to the space and lends a sense of permanence.”

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Part of the Scenery

Maite Granda

Cuban-born, Florida-based interior designer Maite Granda chose a frame-style TV mounted in a custom built-in wall unit. The beachy scene looks like a photograph when not in use that complements the setting and overall design.

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The Art of Distraction

LA Designer Affair

For better or worse, placing a flat screen above the fireplace has become the modern equivalent of hanging an antique mirror or oil painting over the hearth. In this design from LA Designer Affair, bold and colorful wallpaper distracts the eye and steals the show when the TV is off.

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Black Out

A Beautiful Mess

"I don’t really have a big desire to 100% hide my TV in my house because I don’t mind seeing them in spaces," A Beautiful Mess blogger Emma Chapman writes. "But I don’t really love when they feel like the most prominent thing in the room. So I like how this helps to blend the TV into the wall, unless it’s turned on and we’re watching something. But the second thing this black accent stripe does is it really showcases the artwork that we hung just above the TV."

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Above and Beyond

LA Designer Affair

In this living room design from LA Designer Affair, the TV wall is a focal point but not the main event thanks to a deep blue adjacent wall with custom paneling and bold artwork keeps the TV from dominating the room. In addition, hanging decorative baskets above the TV draws the eye up.

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Black Marble

Mike Chajecki / Pizzale Design

Canadian interior designer Gabriele Pizzale of Pizzale Design chose black marble for the wall behind the fireplace insert and wall-mounted TV that looks seamless and sophisticated.

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TV Nook

Margaret Austin Photo / Cathie Hong Interiors

The TV nook in this Japandi-style living room from Cathie Hong Interiors has a minimal feel that is softened by a pair of hanging industrial wall lights and plants, objects, and art.

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Saturated Color

Sara Tramp / Emily Henderson Design

This cozy TV room was designed by Velinda Hellen for Emily Henderson Design in order to keep a flat screen from dominating the living room. The whole room is painted in dark saturated tones to make the TV screen virtually disappear when not in use (squint and you can just make it out on the right).

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Mini Gallery Wall

A Beautiful Mess

Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess turned an awkward corner of her living room into a nice-looking home for her flat screen with a custom table that hides cables and equipment as well as a cute mini gallery wall that gives you something to look at other than the TV screen when it's not turned on.

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Black Light

Forbes + Masters

Interior design firm Forbes + Masters used a textured black wall to erase the TV screen, adding an extra layer of visual trickery in the form of a pair of matching lamps with black shades on either side of the TV that give the eye something else to look at when the screen is dark.

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Blue Rail

Mike Chajecki / Pizzale Design

This deep blue wood slat wall helps tone down the look of a wall-mounted flat screen in a design from Canadian interior designer Gabriele Pizzale of Pizzale Design.

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Maxed Out

Forbes + Masters

The lacquered walls, mirrored ceilings, imposing chandeliers, and general maximalist bling of this karaoke room from Forbes + Masters takes the focus off the TV screen, which is not given pride of place over the fireplace but built into the custom millwork where it takes a back seat when not in use.

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Monochromatic

A Beautiful Mess

Blogger Emma Chapman from A Beautiful Mess writes that her favorite accent wall décor to hide a TV involves hanging empty thrifted picture frames and painting the whole thing black. "I love how the TV kind of disappears into the space," she writes, "but when it’s on and in use it’s actually even more visible with the darker background."

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Use a Dark Credenza

DBurns Interiors

For a low-effort way to help integrate a big black flatscreen into a light and airy room, take a hint from Desiree Burns Interiors and anchor it with a black credenza that helps it to blend into the room.

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Black and Blue

Lori Dennis

LA-based interior designer Lori Dennis used dark blue walls and a moody black ceiling in this sophisticated man cave, where the TV virtually disappears on a back wall when not in use.

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Black and White

Forbes + Masters

In this sleek living room from Forbes + Masters, the TV is simply hung on a white wall above a white credenza. The designers subtly balanced out its black box effect by using touches of black scattered throughout the otherwise white and light neutral room, giving it an overall balance and making it feel like part of the scenery rather than an unsightly interloper.

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Wall Unit

Mike Chajecki / Pizzale Design

Interior designer Gabriele Pizzale of Pizzale Design housed the TV in this open plan living and dining room in a taupe-colored wall unit with plenty of drawers and shelving filled with objects and art that allows the TV to recede from view when the screen is dark.

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Concrete

Gray Space Interiors

A contemporary black-framed fireplace helps balance the wall-mounted flat screen in this design from Gray Space Interiors, while a concrete effect wall finish creates a polished feel.

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Sidelined

Talitha Photos / Cathie Hong Interiors

A large flat screen hung above a credenza in this design from Cathie Hong Interiors doesn't overpower the space due to its position on a side wall, and thanks to the large windows on adjacent walls, and the addition of a pair of framed prints.

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Midcentury Mix

Sara Ligorria-Tramp / Emily Henderson Design

In this living room designed by Arlyn Hernandez for Emily Henderson Design, a midcentury credenza anchors the flat screen mounted above it, adding earthy warm wood tones and balance.

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Just Another Box

Studio KT

In this white and bright living room from Studio KT, the TV is hung in a custom recessed box above the chunky wooden mantel that mimics the architecture of the surrounding windows. A black fireplace that is the same width as the TV and plenty of warm woods throughout create a harmonious feel.

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Balance It Out

Mike Chajecki / Pizzale Design

In this living room from Pizzale Design, a pair of framed prints on either side of the TV helps to create balance and tone down the TV.

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Hollywood Glam

Studio KT

The whole point of a home theater is the screen, but in this design from Studio KT, framed black and white photos on the surrounding walls give a nod to old-fashioned Hollywood glamour and create a gallery effect whether or not there is a movie playing on the silver screen.

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Green Screen

Sara Tramp / Emily Henderson Design

A simple way to distract from a dark wall-mounted TV is by using greenery, like this vase filled with vibrant leafy branches in a room from Emily Henderson Design.

26 Clever Ideas for Decorating With Greenery

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Virtual TV Wall

Ellie Lillstrom / Emily Henderson Design

For those who love a giant screen but don't want to look at it when there's nothing playing on it, the ultimate way to decorate around a TV wall is to swap a flat screen for a projector and treat the wall as a blank canvas, as seen in this room designed by Albie K. Buabeng for Emily Henderson Design.