Dramatic presence

You may not consider your TV set to be a work of art, but surround it with a collection of dramatic black-and-white photos and you might think again. Thanks to this telly’s thinness (just 10cm) and simple black frame, it blends into the room’s décor. (It looks especially good when there’s a black-and-white movie on!)

How? Choose favourite B&W family snaps, graphic prints or old-fashioned postcards. Place them in black frames with a large, white mount.

Decorator’s trick Don’t leave too much space between the TV and the frames.

A part of a scene

A bouquet of flowers; tall, funky vases. When there are eye-catching objects on display, your eye doesn’t go straight to the TV. Even when it does, it’s drawn back to one of the many other pieces nearby. Note that the telly is not in the living room, which has been kept as a separate area to rest, relax and socialise with guests.

How? Mount the TV on the wall, according to the manufacturer’s instructions (you will have to purchase a special bracket). Here, we’ve placed it high enough above the display objects so they won’t block your view. It’s been placed in a spot similar to where you might hang a painting. Install a swivel-mount bracket and you can angle your TV out from the wall.

Decorator’s trick The screen hasn’t been placed on a bare wall. Imagine the difference if the wall was white. Here, the patterned wallpaper subtly blends the TV into the rest of the scene.

Trick the eye

When surrounded by books, vases and other collectables, a TV looks as if it’s part of the home rather than a tacked-on addition. Several companies have products that incorporate a TV into bookshelves and other storage systems, such as Ikea’s Expedit TV storage unit.

How? We attached shelves asymmetrically onto the wall and displayed the television on the lowest shelf (note: you will need to add extra brackets underneath for added support). To create further visual interest, we chose blue shelves. This also distracts the eye from focusing solely on the TV.

Decorator’s trick Notice the use of black and white, which helps blend the colours of the screen into the rest of the décor. Not every item needs to be black or white, but at least one item on each shelf should do the trick.

For more great ideas and practical solutions for your home see http://www.reallivingmag.com.au/