Lee Najman Designs Explains How To Keep A Living Room Looking Formal
Question: We want to keep our Living Room formal looking but we also need a TV in it for family time. What can we do to hide it?
I hear this question more as a complaint about the ubiquitous TV looking ugly on the fireplace wall, or just looking like a black dull rectangle stuck in the middle of an otherwise nice wall.
We can accept that in a media room, the TV. is the focal point. In a living room or more formal, multiuse rooms, T.V. sets can be an eyesore. They are usually installed over fireplaces, on walls that also have art, mirrors, and other decorative elements. There is a need at the same time to install the TV at the ‘right’ height. That often puts it in the least desirable location in a living room, and often in bedrooms as well. [expand]
Here are some Ideas. Cover the TV with doors that are finished like the wall, and conceal the TV completely when not in use. The pros are that it is an inexpensive solution and simple, the cons are that you have to deal with open doors when viewing.
The next idea is to cover the TV with a piece of framed art that can be removed, or slid to a side exposing the TV for viewing. The pros in this case are that you are adding art to your space. The cons are that the mechanisms are more costly and complicated, unless you just remove the picture hanging over the TV.
A little tacky.
Another idea is hiding the TV itself and moving it into view with the push of a switch. There are a number of mechanisms for accomplishing this, and the pros are that you don’t even know a TV is there. The cons are costs, need for space to conceal set and its associated mechanism.
My solution combines the pros of having inexpensive art displayed on the TV screen that essentially turns the TV. into a piece of art itself. Take the next step and surround the TV with a picture frame and you have the best of both worlds. No cons.
Furthermore, the ability to change the art displayed also plays a major role in affecting the style and mood of the room.
As you can see in the picture below, the setting is a formal living room with fireplace and a TV. hanging conspicuously over it. Except that in this case the TV is not really an eyesore, but rather a work of classic art. And pushing a button changes the art, with the overall feeling of the room changing as well. Works every time
When friends enter this space, they may not at first even realize that what is hanging on the wall is really a TV. not a piece of art.
LEE NAJMAN DESIGNS, INC. 55 Channel Drive, Port Washington. 516-944-7740. www.leenajman.com