homes & design

4 Clever Ways to Downplay (or Completely Hide!) Your Television

Yeah... there's a TV in this dining room.

By Kaitlyn Funk /

Whether you made a New Year’s resolution to reduce your screen time or you just really dislike how a television looks in your space, we’ve got the inspo you need! Keep scrolling to discover how some of the West’s best designers have disguised unsightly TVs in bedrooms, dining rooms and more.

Camouflage it with wallpaper

When a television is turned off, it becomes a big black box that demands attention, but that’s not the case in this primary bedroom. Designer Andrea Rodman used grasscloth paper in a warm charcoal colour to mitigate contrast between the wall and the screen, creating a quiet respite. Check out the rest of this black, white and neutral North Vancouver home.

Mount it behind custom panelling

Designer Kelly Deck used a lot of space-saving tricks when renovating this 600-square-foot Mount Pleasant home, but this one takes the cake. Rather than dividing the living and dining areas, she seamlessly combined the two by facing the sofa towards the table… where a 60-inch television is secretly mounted on a wall behind custom panelling. “The whole idea is that the spaces could work together or separately,” she says. Tour this compact condo.

Photo: Janis Nicolay

Display it like a work of art

Samsung’s Frame TV can display photos and artwork, but that doesn’t mean you should just mount it on the wall and forget about it. Here, designer Jenalee Tsimara really leaned into the turn-your-home-into-a-museum concept by hanging the screen between sconces from Articolo—simultaneously highlighting the art and disguising the technology behind it. Step inside this contemporary penthouse.

Photo: Provoke Studios

Put it on a swivel

Despite being in a prominent position in the living room, this TV doesn’t steal the show. Aleem Kassam, principal of Kalu Interiors, opted for custom millwork and put the television on a swivel so that it can be tucked away amongst a collection of personal items. “Sometimes the best place to put the TV is really front and centre, and it becomes the showpiece—that’s really what we wanted to move away from,” explains the designer. Get more tips from this Vancouver condo.

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn is a design-obsessed writer, editor and content manager based in Vancouver. When she's not busy swooning over gorgeous homes, you can find her reading, hiking and befriending as many dogs as possible.