Innovative Ways to Hide the TV
It's easy to be discreet when you've got cabinets, panels and high-tech TV hiders like these
Becky Harris
7 August 2017
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
TV placement has become a lot more discreet since the days of the bulky set with rabbit ears. Now-a-days people are hiding their flat-panel screens in walls, ceilings or consoles. And while antennaes have largely been consigned to history, we now have Blu-ray players and cable boxes to contend with. Those need to be stashed out of sight as well.
Where is the line between hooking things up yourself and calling in the professionals? “If a project involves concealed wiring, electrical, wall bracing or a customised remote, it’s best to have a pro do it,” advises Bob Gullo of The Electronics Design Group. Architectural designer Leigha Heydt adds that there are simpler ways to hide the cable box or DVD player without an extensive smart home program, because some cable boxes are now wireless, and components like DVD players have infrared remotes that can go right through walls.
Here are some of the latest methods for integrating the TV and media components into the room or hiding them completely.
Where is the line between hooking things up yourself and calling in the professionals? “If a project involves concealed wiring, electrical, wall bracing or a customised remote, it’s best to have a pro do it,” advises Bob Gullo of The Electronics Design Group. Architectural designer Leigha Heydt adds that there are simpler ways to hide the cable box or DVD player without an extensive smart home program, because some cable boxes are now wireless, and components like DVD players have infrared remotes that can go right through walls.
Here are some of the latest methods for integrating the TV and media components into the room or hiding them completely.
The clients wanted a good spot to place “Megatron,” their flat-panel TV, in this room. The clever designers over at Jessica Helgerson Interior Design found a great way to keep it from overwhelming the wall, while hiding the components. They designed a custom floating console with antique doors. The console stands up to the scale of the white wall and keeps the unsightly cable box, DVD player and other components out of sight.
Browse through these images of hidden TV units
Browse through these images of hidden TV units
This room can go from formal living room to casual TV room with the push of a button. The experts at The Electronics Design Group set it up so when the TV power button is pushed, the art panel slides up to reveal the TV or down to conceal it.
When it’s time for movie night, the TV simply slides out and covers the window.
The TV-over-the-fireplace debate was settled here with a compromise: The mirrored doors simply open on hinges to reveal the screen.
The homeowner runs an upscale audiovisual company, so the TV is connected to centralised equipment stored in a closet under the living room stairs. Signals are piped through a high-end smart-home system, called Crestron, to TVs and speakers throughout the house.
The homeowner runs an upscale audiovisual company, so the TV is connected to centralised equipment stored in a closet under the living room stairs. Signals are piped through a high-end smart-home system, called Crestron, to TVs and speakers throughout the house.
The mirror over this fireplace doesn’t conceal the TV – it becomes the TV when the power is turned on.
Mirrors that transform into TVs are also a great option when you want to relax and watch Nashville in the tub.
This beautiful set of built-ins extends beyond the TV area to become an overall design element in the room. The area to the right features a cabinet for components and a spot for stacking logs.
The doors fold open to reveal the TV.
Similarly, sliding doors can conceal this TV in an instant. Covering the TV really changes the entire vibe of a room, taking it from casual to more sophisticated.
Take a look at these 5 reasons to get internal sliding doors at home
Take a look at these 5 reasons to get internal sliding doors at home
These recessed built-in bookshelves have a seamless look that not only conceals all of the media equipment but also toys, books, china, board games, linens and whatever else needs stashing. Zebrawood accents on the drawers create interesting lines and texture. If you’re installing built-ins like these, have your cabinetmaker coordinate with your electrician or media specialist during the planning stages.
The TV can be tucked away in this custom cabinet with no one the wiser. There is plenty of storage here for the DVD collection as well.
Perforated doors provide the required ventilation for components.
Speaking of ventilation for components, it’s important for safety and worth consulting a professional about that. “We typically calculate a BTU rating of the equipment, and depending on the circumstances, either have exhaust fans, vented doors or an otherwise conditioned space,” Gullo says.
This perforated door not only hides the components for the wall-mounted TV; it assures proper ventilation and adds an interesting architectural detail.
The TV is hidden right in the wall in this room.
The paneling swivels around to reveal the TV. This approach requires a niche deep enough for the board to rotate all the way around.
Another issue that stirs up a lot of debate here on Houzz is whether or not to have a TV in the bedroom. The approach in this room offers a compromise.
The TV is housed in a cabinet when not in use and also swivels 180 degrees, so it can be viewed from different spots in the room. You can have cabinets made to coordinate with the architecture and style of your home.
Another way to conceal the TV in the bedroom is in the ceiling. This set flips up and out of sight when not in use.
A similar system is in place in this home. The window seat on the left side of the room contains a TV and all of its components. The push of a button brings the TV up on an automated lift.
At first glance this set of built-ins looks like it's just for books and family photos.
But the screened door panels are hiding some big surround sound.
With the push of a button, a large screen comes down and transforms the space into a screening room.
I want to congratulate this photo stylist for making me have to squint to find the TV on this wall. I always enjoy seeing which images people choose to put on the TV when photographing a room.
As for universal remotes, there are a lot of options out there. “Some are Wi-Fi, some are RF, some IR, some are ZigBee. … It runs the gamut depending on manufacturer,” Gullo says. Sounds like something this Luddite will definitely need to consult the pros about.
Of course, like Elvis at Graceland, some of us just embrace the TV and feel no need to hide it. When it looks as sleek as this, the TV actually become a design element in the room.
Read more:
Where to Position Your Living Room TV
Tell us:
How important is it for you to hide a TV? How many TVs do you have in your house, and which rooms are they in? If you do conceal any of them, how do you do it? Tell us in the Comments below.
Read more:
Where to Position Your Living Room TV
Tell us:
How important is it for you to hide a TV? How many TVs do you have in your house, and which rooms are they in? If you do conceal any of them, how do you do it? Tell us in the Comments below.
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I don't understand why people who neither watch nor own a tv would comment on this type off article. We are all aware of the things that can be accomplished without a tv in the home. Also I read three books a week as well as take online classes for personal growth with TV's all over my house. I only enjoy the outdoors in the Spring and the Fall. I can't stand the extreme seasons (Summer and Winter). I also play softball in late Spring thru mid summer as well as volleyball in the Fall. I don't see much difference between being online and watching television. You can get caught up in either. Not having a tv does not keep the media away.
I'm sorry for the long gripe but the constant comments from people who can't relate to certain articles is infuriating sometimes.
We have since the late 1950's had one living room tv in our homes, turned on solely from the evening news and into the evening. Options to what's on the big screen are readily available on smaller personal screens with or without ear-jacks: ebook readers, personal computers, game boys, cell phones are at hand. Or one or more of us de-screen entirely to shift to a paper and print book, drawing materials, or relocate to another room or the outdoors for a board game, cards, puzzles, listen to music, play an instrument, or chat. I like the hidden tv. Too often I find that with both visiting family and guests what used to be after dinner conversation is lost these days to the ease of the television.