Is your television in plain view or hidden out of site?
Many times I have clients ask not only where should they place their tv in a room, but how it should be treated within it.
Not to show my age, but who remembers the bulky TVs with the rabbit ears? There was no hiding those big ‘ole things. Thankfully, televisions have become much more discreet.
Don’t get me wrong….. I do not mind a tv in plain sight, but I do try to tuck them away when possible or make sure they are not a big focal point. If they are placed as a major focal point wall, it usually calls for me to hide or dramatically soften it.
The picture below is from a client’s living room. Yes, I said living room, and that is a tv near the piano. They had this large room with incredible light that was- get this- pretty much a walk-through room. They have a large family with a revolving door to family and friends, so it made sense that when we redesigned this room to incorporate a tv in here.
I can’t show you too much of the room right now, but I can say it’s pretty incredible. We reworked the furniture layout to add more seating. The room is casual enough to feel comfortable lounging on the sofa, with your feet propped up with a bowl of popcorn, or it can stand formal enough to serve as a living room when having a dinner party. Either way, it works, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, the space is used by their family.
Notice how the tv is tucked away into a side wall but is on a bracket to make it easy for viewing?
The picture below shows how I will sometimes try and soften the space around a television. Make no doubt about it, sometimes a TV needs to stand proudly in a room, ready to serve its purpose, but a little softness never hurts.
Put careful consideration into whether or not putting the TV about the fireplace is the best option. Most of the time, the TV ends up above eye level, and it is too high for comfortable viewing.
What are your thoughts concerning the tv? Are you a “let it hang on out there” and serve its purpose or do you like to tuck it away? I am interested in your thoughts.
Hi Everyone, I thought it might be nice over the next several weeks to show a few pictures of my work from the past. Here is one taken of my own home a few years ago. I love that while my living room is the most formal room in my home, it is still used on a regular basis by my family.
What you can’t see from the picture is a niche to the left of the chairs. Believe it or not, this is actually my girls’ favorite spot to read and watch a show on the computer. From the number of food wrappers I find tucked away where they aren’t suppose to be eating, they enjoy the space A LOT.
The picture above is not the best as it was taken with my phone by me, but it helps give you a visual. So yes, you can have a formal living space your family can enjoy on a regular basis.
Have a good one!
Dana
Photo Credits: (1) Southern Living At Home (2) My Phone