21 Designers on Their Favorite Way to Conceal a TV

A TV that blends into the wall — Alan Gastelum

We love our TVs, but we don’t love the way they can mess with our room’s design. “A black rectangle box on the wall doesn’t make a room more beautiful, in fact it’s often a distraction,” says Jason Bell, the Director of Design at Blackberry Farm Design in Walland, Tennessee. “I’m always attempting to craft ways to hide screens, for example covering TVs with art and using pulley systems to lift that art when the TV is in use. While disguising a TV, you can actually use it as another opportunity to purposefully add art or a thoughtful design moment in the room.”

Ahead, top designers share the stylish ways they conceal their TVs.

01 of 26

Hide It Behind a Painting

“I think of a TV as an appliance, something to be put away when not in use. In this room, I hid the TV behind a painting. With a touch of a switch, the painting slides up, revealing the TV.”— Goil Amornvivat, Partner, AMMOR Architecture, New York, New York

02 of 26

Install a Motorized Lift

“To hide the TV in this living room, I installed a motorized lift over the fireplace and covered the flat screen with a beautiful Milton Avery painting. With the press of a button, the painting lifts to reveal the TV hidden behind.” — Michael Cox, Principal, foley&cox, New York, New York

03 of 26

Camouflage It

A warmly decorated living room with disguised TV — Halkin Mason Photography

“One way to hide a television is by camouflaging it with a piece of soothing art, operated by a lift to make it accessible. This Japanese screen creates a calming presence within the room.” — Marguerite Rodgers, President, Creative Director, Marguerite Rodgers Interior Design, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

04 of 26

Use a Grouping of Prints

Group of prints hiding a TV — Courtesy of Blackberry Farm Design

“I love how these eight framed antique portraits of birds in various positions over the TV create a piece of art on top of this fireplace.” — Jason Bell, Director of Design for Blackberry Farm Design, Walland, Tennessee

05 of 26

Use Art to Make It Formal

An open plan living room with painting over a TV — Halkin Mason Photography

“Using art to conceal the TV allows this space to be a formal living room for entertaining when closed and when open, a movie theatre for family night.” —Marguerite Rodgers, President, Creative Director, Marguerite Rodgers Interior Design, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

06 of 26

Choose Something Soothing

Soothing work of art over a TV — Laurey Glenn

“This beautiful art filled with clouds is on a motorized frame, concealing the TV when it’s not in use.”— Mel Bean, Founder and Designer, Mel Bean Interiors, Tulsa, Oklahoma

07 of 26

Cover It in Fabric

A TV in a living room covered with fabric — Kristin Guy

“This concept allows for yet another opportunity to incorporate art, pattern and texture in a room - the tapestry is actually a flat-weave rug suspended on a wooden dowel set on brass hooks. When it’s time to watch TV, the homeowners simply lift the dowel and set the fabric aside.”— Marie Cloud, Owner and Principal Designer, Indigo Pruitt Design Studio, Charlotte, North Carolina

08 of 26

Make It a Mirror

A TV disguised behind a mirror — John Merkl

“To hide the TV in this room, I custom designed this wall unit which contains a sliding mirror and oak shelving. The mirror slides manually and not only helps maintain the sophistication of the room’s design, but also reflects natural light.” —Jennifer Robin, Owner and Principal, Jennifer Robin Interiors, San Anselmo, CA

09 of 26

Make Your Mirror Customizable

A formal living room with concealed TV — Kyle J Caldwell Photography and Jacob Snavely Photography

“I work with companies such as Reflectel to create TVs that look like mirrors when turned off. They’re pricy, but great if you have the budget, and the frame options are pretty much endless and fully customizable. In this room, we covered the walls around the mirrored TV in a navy blue grass cloth with applied metal rivets.”—Lina Galvao, Principal Interior Designer, Curated Nest, Cos Cob, Connecticut

10 of 26

Fade Away

A TV that blends into a wall — Alan Gastelum

“I wanted to make a feature TV wall without making a feature of the TV itself. The homeowner didn’t need or want cabinetry or storage, so I painted the wall black which allows the TV to recede and included simple shelving for minimal display. I then chose brass as a contrasting color, which helps guide the eye toward the design elements rather than the TV.”— Fanny Abbes, Creative Director, The New Design Project, New York, New York

11 of 26

Make It Blend Into the Wall

“My design strategy for hiding a TV is to blend and distract, essentially hiding it in plain sight. Here, I used a black wall to disguise the TV, however, to make it more of a design feature rather than just a mere black wall, I added millwork and decorative shelving.” —Fanny Abbes, Creative Director, The New Design Project, New York, New York

12 of 26

Invest in an Art TV

An art TV in a white living room — Bryan Wetzel

“I’ve been incorporating Samsung’s Frame TV into a lot of my designs, which displays artwork and photos when not in use, making it a great way to hide an ugly black TV screen.”—Brittany Hakimfar, Lead Designer, Far Studio, Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania

13 of 26

Make It Functional and Beautiful

An art TV in a bright white living room — Alison Woomer

“My favorite way to hide a TV is with the Samsung Frame TV, which blends in well with most décors and has art options to make it functional and beautiful at the same time.” — Heather Fujikawa, Principal Designer, House Sprucing, Dallas, Texas

14 of 26

Build It With Bifolds

A TV hidden in a cabinet — Hulya Kolabas

"You’d never expect to find a 60” TV and a Sonos sound bar behind these bi-fold doors over this fireplace, which open with a push magnet.”— Malka Helft, Founder, Think Chic Interiors, Think Chic Interiors, White Plains, New York

15 of 26

Use Pocket Doors

A TV hidden behind pocket doors — Deborah Scannell Photography

“Concealing a TV with bifold pocket doors allows it to blend seamlessly within a wall. In this case, adding grass cloth wallpaper and creating an illusion of panels adds movement and texture to the space.”— Maureen Hodor, Owner, Kitchens by Design, St. Simons Island, Georgia

16 of 26

Use Folding Screens

A TV hidden behind cabinet doors — Halkin Mason Photography

“Folding screens or panels provide an artistic feel while concealing a television, offering easy access when needed and quick coverage when the TV is not in use. This one is made of custom silk panels and includes a bar underneath containing a fridge and storage for bar supplies.” — Marguerite Rodgers, President and Creative Director, Marguerite Rodgers Interior Design, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

17 of 26

Make It Elegant

Folding screens hiding a TV — Suzanne Kasler

“I love using a multi-frame bifold door to conceal a TV. It’s an elegant way to make your space look beautiful but it’s also very easy to maneuver on a day-to-day basis.” — Christine Vroom, Founder and CEO, Christine Vroom Interiors, Palos Verdes Estates, California

18 of 26

Pull on a Pulley

A TV hidden behind a pulley system — Courtesy of Blackberry Farm Design

“This pulley system lifts the artwork to reveal the TV, using a rock that matches the fireplace surround as its anchor.” —Jason Bell, Director of Design for Blackberry Farm Design, Walland, Tennessee

19 of 26

Sneak in a Projector

A living room with a projector — Seth Caplan

“My client came up with the brilliant idea to hide a projector roller screen underneath this roman shade, which I love because it doesn’t compromise on storage or aesthetics.” — Emma Kemper, Principal Designer & Owner, Emma Beryl Interiors, Emma Beryl Interiors. Brooklyn New York

20 of 26

Hide It Behind Sliders

A TV hidden behind sliding doors — Derek Swalwell

“I love the idea of integrating sliding doors into a built-in that are designed to look seamless whether open or closed, a discreet way to hide a TV. This wall unit has the added benefit of a fireplace and storage.” —Amy Elbaum, Owner, AE Designs, Los Angeles, California

21 of 26

Hide It Behind Barn Doors

A TV hidden behind sliding barn doors — Erin Coren

"Adding custom shelving on the sides of a TV concealed by sliders takes the focus off the TV while creating a spot for accessories." —Erin Coren Principal Interior Designer, Curated Nest, Cos Cob, Connecticut

22 of 26

Pop It Up

a TV hidden at the foot of a bed — John Merkl

“I designed a remote-controlled TV lift in a box at the bottom of the bed to conceal the TV when not in use. This is a great solution when there’s no perfect spot on a wall for a TV, plus a pop-up makes for a cozy way to watch your favorite shows.” Jennifer Robin, Owner and Principal, Jennifer Robin Interiors, San Anselmo, CA

23 of 26

Use a Cabinet at the End of the Bed

A TV hidden in a cabinet at the end of the bed — Garrett Rowland

“I love to disguise a TV using a cabinet at the end of a bed that employs a lift mechanism to raise and lower the TV for ease of viewing, customizing the size and paint color to work with a room’s design. — Susan Sutter, Principal Designer/Owner, Susan Sutter Interiors, Arlington, Virginia

24 of 26

Hide It in a Sideboard

A TV hidden in a sideboard — Haylei Smith

“I love a console or sideboard with a built-in lift mechanism to hide a TV. In this room, the TV is hidden within a table behind a couch, freeing up wall space.” — Lance Thomas, Principal Designer, Thomas Guy Interiors, Lake Charles, Louisiana

25 of 26

Place It Behind Panels

A TV hidden behind barn doors — Colleen Sullivan

“Boxing out my TV in white fiberboard and covering it with wooden barn doors was a simple and easy way to conceal the TV in my farmhouse kitchen while adding some artistic design to the wall.”—Colleen Sullivan, MyDomaine Writer

26 of 26

Put It in a Cabinet

“I designed a cabinet over a fireplace made out of rift sawn vertical oak slats to disguise this TV – hinges allow it to open and fold out at 180 degrees.” — Becky Shea, Founder and Creative Director, Becky Shea Design, New York, New York

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