Your television set may well be a big black eyesore in an otherwise well-designed living room, but getting rid of it is simply out of the question unless you’re happy to forgo binge watching your favorite shows from the comfort of the sofa.
So, what are you supposed to do?
It turns out there are a multitude of ways to dress up the wall space surrounding your TV and instantly transforming it into the focal point of the living room.
For your convenience, we’ve shortlisted 15 of the very best ideas for decorating this tricky space.
1. Throw up some shelves
A turned-off TV is also a turn off from an aesthetic perspective. The key is to have something else to rest your gaze on so that the TV screen doesn’t even register in your mind.
A great way to make use of empty wall space around the TV and distract your attention away from the ugly black screen is by putting up some shelves.
Styling shelves is an art in itself, but as long as each item is display-worthy and you don’t overfill it, you’re golden.
2. Put together a gallery wall
When setting out to disguise your TV, there’s a very popular decorating technique that will do exactly that.
Gallery walls involve grouping together a number of framed paintings, photographs and canvas prints to create a feast for the eyes, and they’re often deployed to wide applause above the bed and above the sofa.
If you manage to get at least one or two pieces to match the dimensions of your TV, it will help that eyesore of a black screen to perform a disappearing act.
3. Take over the fireplace
What if we told you that your TV decorating woes can be washed away by taking advantage of any architectural features in the living room?
Indeed, placing a flat screen TV over the fireplace is a surefire way to establish a focal point even when the TV is off.
Just keep in mind that due to the excess heat produced by fireplaces, you should check with the manufacturer that it’s safe to place your set there.
4. Add decorative wall molding
Just like how frames are used to add decorative edging to a picture, there’s nothing in the rule book that forbids you from doing the same for your TV.
In fact, molding is absolutely brimming with decorative potential, so you’re sure to find something that achieves the look and style you have long envisioned.
Maybe you want to mess with vertical and horizontal lines, in which case a wall that features diagonal molding will fit the bill perfectly.
5. Decorate around the TV with plants
Televisions are only getting bigger and bigger, so introducing some greenery to soften the look wouldn’t go amiss.
Nothing comes close to competing with plants when it comes to that soft touch, and there are plenty of ways to display them to fill the space around your TV.
Put them in pots, baskets, vases or suspend them from the ceiling – whatever you choose to do with plants, rest assured that a black TV screen will immediate fade into obscurity.
6. Let nature do the talking
When a dominating TV set encounters mother nature, mother nature wins out every time.
This is precisely why you should go with a striking rustic accent piece if you’re worried about your TV screen rearing its ugly head.
Think along the lines of a chunky branch with its warm wood tones and organic shape, and you’ll probably forget that you ever had a TV!
7. Throw a macrame hanging into the mix
They say opposites attract, so why not team up your solidly-designed TV with some soft fabric?
To be more specific, macrame hangings are type of knotted art with heavily textured patterns and they offer heaps of vintage appeal.
You can be certain that even a TV that’s showing your favorite film or show will have to fight hard for your attention when up against a skillfully crafted macrame wall hanging!
8. Go with a dark backdrop
The trend of having neutral walls in the living room plays a huge role in the rise of the dreaded black screen.
With this in mind, consider that a black screen is barely perceivable to the naked eye when it’s set against a dark backdrop.
What’s more, by opting for darkness behind the TV, you will help colorful, decorative items that you want to stick out like a sore thumb to do exactly that.
9. Lean some art
Homeowners often reach for art when they want to introduce large-scale pieces to a space and there’s no reason why you can’t rely on beautiful artwork to offset a TV’s back screen.
There’s a science to the placement of art, so think twice before hanging a piece on the wall like everyone else – leaning art is much more likely to leave a lasting impression as it gives off a vibe that’s casual and elegant in equal quantity.
10. Shelve your books backward
The world has taught us to shelve a book so that its spine is visible, but rules are made to be broken, especially when it comes to decorating your home.
If you have enough books to fill a bookcase and you don’t mind doing away with organization, consider displaying books backward as the blocks of creamy white pages in varying tones will steal the limelight from a turned off television with complete ease.
11. Use a dark console below the TV
Seasoned interior designers will tell you that placing a console below the TV anchors it to the space and this lends a sense of permanence.
While this may be true, it doesn’t really prevent a TV from dominating the room – the only way to be sure of it is by going with an eye-catching console.
For example, a dark-colored console will detract from a black TV screen, tricking the eye into believing that both pieces are working together as part of the room’s color palette.
12. Insert your television set in an alcove
A rather obvious trick for minimizing the impact of a black screen is to keep the TV out of full view in the first place.
You can do this by placing the set in an alcove or recessed section of the room. From a styling perspective, this works really well because you always get extra points for adapting to the architecture of a space when choosing a layout.
13. Give your TV a window backdrop
Placing key pieces of furniture in front of a window never fails to create a fabulous design moment and the TV is no exception.
Doing this puts symmetry at work as your curtains and drapes can flank the TV for a truly pleasing sense of visual balance that quickly and easily reduces the ‘big black box effect’.
14. Enjoy your mirror reflection
If you love the concept of gallery walls, it turns out mirrors also look the absolute business when presented in a gallery-like fashion.
Just remember that diversity is key to pulling off a perfectly styled gallery wall, which means playing around with size and using an assortment of mirror frames, and the space around your TV will look and feel properly decorated as a result.
15. Create a TV wall niche
Maybe your tastes run more clean, minimal and contemporary – we’ve got you covered. There’s no better way to seamlessly integrate a TV into the wall and achieving a low-profile finish than placing it in a wall niche.
Perfectionists can rejoice as visible cables and brackets are a thing of the past when you go ahead with recessing a TV into the wall, and you’re well placed for hiding the screen out of sight altogether by adding shutter doors or something similar.