How to Hide a TV with Wall Art
Use wall art to disguise a TV set and create a beautiful focal point in any room.
Photo: Jackie Hernandez
No doubt televisions have come a long way in the looks department, but they're still considered an eyesore in decorating. For a while we tried to hide them—often in bulky furniture—but the new trend is to help the TV blend in with its surroundings. The best way to do that is with a gallery wall.
To downplay the big black hole of a TV in my bedroom, I created a gallery wall up and over the TV (above).
Now we have a fabulous wall to look at while laying in bed, whether the TV is on or not. What I love most about our gallery wall is how it solved the TV eyesore problem, unified mismatched furniture, and created a focal wall.
Photo: Jackie Hernandez
The trick is to make the gallery wall more visually interesting than the shiny black eyesore. A bunch of frames hung on the wall behind the TV can fall a bit flat, literally. But, there are lots of tricks you can use to add depth and interest to your gallery wall.
Tips for a Dynamic Gallery Wall
- Mix different frame sizes, finishes, and depths.
- Keep spacing between frames no more than 2 to 3 inches apart, so it reads as a grouping.
- Stagger the frames for a more free-flowing, collected look.
- Don't be afraid to let the TV or a lamp layer in front of the frames.
- Treat the TV as if it were another frame in the gallery, whether it's mounted on the wall or not, and build around it.
- Repeat the black frame of the TV with other black frames in the gallery.
- Add other objects or wall decor to make the gallery interesting, like a monogram plaque or figurine.
- Instead of filling all the frames with pictures, fill some with fabric or decorative paper. The large frame leaning on the dresser is actually a framed place mat.
- If there is furniture below the gallery, let the gallery make a connection with the furniture and use it to build depth into the arrangement. In this case, the TV sits on the desk and a few frames are leaning on the dresser top.
Here are some other ideas that work:
Photos (clockwise from top left): Dement Designs, Kenneth Byrd Design, and Wayfair
