Hide the TV without spending a fortune
Four solutions depending on budget, from £0 to £800
A switched-off TV is a black hole in the living room. Four solutions to make it disappear, from free to bespoke.
Switched on, the TV is useful. Switched off, it is a black rectangle that dominates the living room, crushes the fireplace, draws the eye. Four solutions to make it disappear.
Solution 1, Art mode (£0, if compatible)
Recent TVs (Samsung The Frame, certain LG OLEDs) have a "gallery" mode that displays an artwork when they are switched off. If your TV offers it, switch it on. No cost.
If you do not have this TV but it is time for a new one, Samsung The Frame Amazon has become the benchmark. Interchangeable bezel, ultra-realistic gallery mode.
Solution 2, integrate it into a bookcase (£200-500)
Build a niche-style bookcase around the TV that visually "drowns" it. The TV is no longer an object, it is one element among others. Works very well with books and objects around it.
What you'll need. IKEA Kallax system IKEA or Vitsoe 606 for a more professional integration. Budget £200-500 depending on dimensions.
Solution 3, the sliding panel or cabinet door (£300-500)
A cabinet door or sliding panel that closes over the TV when it is not in use. A "writing-bureau" effect, very smart.
The simplest solution, buy a TV cabinet with closing doors (sideboard-style with hinged wooden doors). Brands like La Redoute Intérieurs or thrift finds at Selency Selency.
A more sophisticated solution, a sliding system on rails like Hafele, fitted by a joiner (budget £500-1,000 with installation).
Solution 4, the mirror TV (£400-800)
TV built behind a two-way mirror. When switched off, it is a normal wall mirror. When switched on, the image shows through the mirror. Professional effect but pricey.
Brands. Mirror TV France, Hidden TV Amazon. Budget £400-800 depending on dimensions.
The bonus, paint the wall behind in a dark shade
Whatever your choice, painting the wall behind the TV in a dark shade (anthracite grey, midnight blue, forest green) visually absorbs the black rectangle when switched off. Immediate effect, minimal cost.
Paint. Hague Blue from Farrow & Ball Farrow & Ball, or Vert Pic-Vert from Tollens Tollens.
## Key takeaways
The Frame if you are changing TV; a dark wall behind in every case. If budget allows more, integration into a bookcase or sliding panel. The rule, the switched-off TV must never be the focal point of the living room (see rule 08.1).