6 ways to seamlessly integrate a TV or ‘Watching’ experience into your home

TV’s can be such ugly, bulky things. When you’ve spent time designing a room in a thoughtful, considered way, you don’t want a big black box to ruin the whole look and be the focus of attention. Whether you’re placing your TV above a mantlepiece or in an alcove, you can use joinery to help conceal it so you don’t have to be greeted by its presence everyday. This might be in the form of a sliding panel that glides smoothly across to cover the TV. You might think about placing an artwork on the plain panel to add visual interest, or using a contrasting material such as wood panelling or a perforated screen. Alternatively, a TV can also be concealed in a bespoke cabinet or cupboard, with two doors that you can close off when not in use. These doors could be much larger than you think, concealing behind them both the TV and much-needed storage for cables, books and other equipment.

When a TV isn’t switched on, it can be pretty uninspiring bare surface. A gallery wall can help reduce a TV’s visual dominance in a room and soften its impact with more attractive features that the eye can focus on. Arrange a combination of different sized prints and artwork around the TV to create a completely unique display. Samsung’s Frame TV, for example, is designed to seamlessly blend into your interior and look like a picture frame. When the TV isn’t being used to watch programmes or films, it’s essentially a simple, blank canvas to display artwork or photos. From some angles, you might not even know it’s a TV at all.

If you don’t like the visual impact a TV can have on a room, or perhaps you’re lacking the space for a huge, wide screen, consider a neat projector instead. These can be easily secured to the ceiling or hidden within built-in joinery, completely out of view. Projectors have come a long way from bulky boxes, they’re often now lightweight, compact, portable and enable short throw distances between the projector and surface being projected onto. This frees up a space completely, allowing you to watch a film from almost anywhere in the house. As long as you have a plain wall or pull-down screen, you can even take them out into the garden for alfresco movie nights under the stars. Take the Sony LSPX-P1, which I have myself. The simple, stylish projector is only about the size of your hand, at 8cm wide, and can project an image from a mantlepiece, coffee table or any surface really, proving that you don’t need a huge, expansive space to enjoy a cinema-like experience at home.

Fabric can help soften an architectural space, adding warmth and cosiness to an interior. Contemporary, floor to ceiling curtains can be used to conceal wardrobes and open storage, but they can also hide large TV units too. When drawn across, the fabric will help give a sense of space and intrigue, suggesting there’s something beyond the curtain. When drawn back, the TV will almost appear like an extra window in the room, rather than a technical piece of equipment. Match your curtain to the colour of your wall for the most seamless look.

Just like an extractor fan can be concealed in a kitchen island and ‘pop up’ when needed, so can a TV with the right mechanism. A TV can be hidden away in a bespoke cabinet at the end of the bed, opposite a sofa or even between two connecting rooms. A lifting mechanism then pushes the TV up out of the joinery to be used and enjoyed in full view. This type of solution is perfect for open-plan spaces where you don’t want big pieces of furniture to get in the way or block views through rooms. It’s also useful if you don’t have enough wall space for a substantial, widescreen TV, whether because of windows, openings or doors.

TV’s don’t have to be eyesores, there’s plenty on the market that are well designed and visually appealing for those that value aesthetics as well as experience. These TV’s are designed to take centre stage, adding a unique talking point to a space. First there’s the Samsung’s Serif TV by the Bouroullec brothers, which can be mounted on a sideboard or displayed on top of its own sleek, v-shaped, black metal legs. The TV’s iconic, I-shaped profile was inspired by typefaces, giving an almost vintage feel to the design whilst providing a shelf-like surface to style and display small objects. Bang & Olufsen’s Beovision Harmony is based on mid-century entertainment cabinets and features a new motorised floor stand. Just like an art installation, the luxurious golden speaker covers fold out in one smooth motion to allow the TV screen to rise up into view. LG meanwhile has released a super sleek, rollable TV that rolls out an impossibly thin display to three different heights. Think of them like jewellery for the home.