In the past, a fireplace would often be a focal point of a room like a family or living room – and sometimes master bedrooms too. Over time, TVs also introduced themselves as the prime focus in rooms of many homes.

Often the TVs conflicted with fireplaces, creating two focal points, with the TV often being placed in a suboptimal location.  The advent of flat panel TVs ameliorated this problem somewhat; the TV could be hung over a fireplace.  Problem solved, right?

Well, not really. The space above a fireplace is often the area where you might want to display a great piece of artwork.  Would you rather look at a black flat panel TV or a piece of art? 

Fear not, there are solutions for this problem.  And there are clever solutions for putting TVs in rooms like kitchens and bathrooms, where you want to use them but not feature them.

Let’s look at some ways hidden TVs can solve these problems for your clients in Austin - and enhance your great design too. 

SEE ALSO: 5 Home Theater Design Trends for the Modern Homeowner in 2018

Hide It on the Wall

One method of hiding a wall-mounted TV is behind the artwork.  There are elaborate ways to do this with motorized means, and some clever manual ways too.  A roll-down piece of art from the ceiling, similar to a drop-down projector screen, could accomplish the task of hiding that 75-inch screen behind a conversation piece.  Another interesting approach is using a sliding barn door track, where an artwork slides on a track to the left or right uncovering the TV. 

Depending on the interior design, a TV could be hidden behind fake cabinet doors, which could look interesting over a fireplace.  In a rustic design, reclaimed wood doors could complement the décor.  Or perhaps the doors covering the TV could be fashioned out of some salvaged stained glass from another era. 

Hide it in Plain Sight

A little technology comes into play here to make the TV look a little less like a TV.  Samsung’s “the Frame” TV simply looks like a framed piece of art when turned off.  You can change the artwork, of course, since it’s a 4K TV screen after all. 

Perhaps you like mirrors in your décor.  Another option a custom framed mirror over the TV.  When the TV is turned on, the mirror magically turns into a TV. It’s all done with clever use of two-way glass in the mirror. Our partner Seura is a leader in this mirror magic. 

Speaking of mirrors, the same approach is popular to integrate a TV into a bath area.  Perhaps your clients might like to turn on the morning news as they get ready in the morning, but hanging a TV in a bathroom just isn’t going to fit in.  A smaller TV (like a 32-43-inch model) can be integrated behind a mirror.  The sound could be piped through stereo speakers in the ceiling. Using a little home automation, we could also have your clients’ favorite channel going, the lights and motorized shades up, and the coffee brewing as they start their morning routine. 

Hide it in a Cabinet

Of course, cabinets are a tried and true way of hiding TVs.  Today’s thin and light flat panel models are much easier to hide than the bulky sets of the past.  In a bedroom, for example, a flat panel can rise out of a cabinet base whose shelves display treasured family pictures and objects when the TV is not in use. Or it can rise out of a cabinet that doubles as a bench at the foot of the bed.

In a kitchen, an upper cabinet could hide a smaller TV set – perhaps with doors that slide into the cabinet. It could be used for news or keeping up on a favorite show.  If the TV has a Roku or Apple TV attached, it would also be a convenient to cast a video from a smartphone or tablet – perhaps a recipe from a Facebook feed – onto a larger screen to make it easier to follow along. 

Let us work with you to fit technology seamlessly into your designs.  Give us a call or fill out this quick contact form for a no-obligation consultation with our team.