With the TVs getting thinner and smarter every day it’s now easier than ever to integrate them seamlessly into our living rooms. Even if they definitely stand out, there’s a whole range of possibilities one can explore regarding the way in which the TV interacts with its immediate surroundings. So let’s talk about the TV wall design and some of the options here.

Build a frame around the TV

Framing the TV can look really nice, especially if you also manage to hide all the cables and wires so the TV looks more like a decoration than a piece of electronic equipment. This loft designed by Studio Verve has this beautiful wood treatment applied to the wall which leaves an empty section around the TV, showing off the concrete wall behind it.

Surround it with storage

Remember those big, old-school TVs hidden inside cabinets? Well, this is basically the modern version of that. The TV isn’t actually hidden here but rather framed by a custom unit with lots of shelves and storage cubbies hidden behind closed doors. This is a design created by studio Sigmar for an apartment in London.

Add open shelves around it

Another idea is to have open shelves placed around the TV, sort of like a frame. You can also add some closed storage modules for contrast. This way you get to maximize storage and fill the TV wall in a way that’s both practical and aesthetically pleasing. The design suits this tiny apartment designed by Allen + Killcoyne Architects perfectly.

Place the TV above the fireplace

You can take advantage of the living room fireplace, assuming you have one, and place the TV above it. Most often that not it would fit perfectly. This leaves more room on the wall surrounding the fireplace for storage or decorations. A nice example is this setup by studio Julie Williams Design.

In line with the fireplace

If having the TV placed above the fireplace isn’t an option for various reasons, another option is to have it placed next to or in line with the fireplace. You could still link the two elements visually if you want to.

Hide it

Not a fan of having the TV in plain sight all the time? You can choose to hide when you’re not using it. It can be a cool way of avoiding distractions when you want to focus on something else and also a way of creating a clean and cozy decor. This apartment designed byAPA is a wonderful example.

Use it as a space divider

There are lots of different ways to install a TV, not necessarily on the wall. A particularly interesting idea is to have the TV integrated into a sort of room divider which can either be a partial wall or, in the case of this residence designed by Demetriou Architects, it can hang from the ceiling.

A pop-up TV

A fairly common problem for bedrooms is that the bed is too far away from the TV wall. This cool solution from Electronic Home Environments gives the option of a pop-up TV which fit into the bed frame. This also solves the problem of not having a solid wall to place the TV on in the first place.

Corner TV

Sometimes the best place for a TV can turn out to be a room corner but that’s ok because you can easily do that with a TV wall mount. This can work nicely if you want to create a cozy sitting area in a corner or if you want to add a small TV to your kitchen or your office.

Part of a wall unit

One of the most common options is to have the TV integrated into a wall unit, whether you use a wall mount or you place on one of the modules. This creates a wholesome and familiar design and is also more easy to achieve given all the different furniture options out there.

Treat it as wall art

In some ways a TV really is a form of wall art, especially those most recent models that have screensavers which actually make the TV look like a painting or turn it into a giant digital picture frame.