Advice on Creating a Good-Looking Wall Surround for Your TV

Created by Erin Williamson

Interior designer Erin Williamson says she enjoys incorporating wall-mounted TVs into the rest of the room by surrounding them with art so that the TV becomes a part of a larger gallery wall. When you place a shelf, credenza, or console table beneath a television, it gives the set a sense of permanence and helps it blend into its surroundings. ”

Said: Maite Granda

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida-based interior designer Maite Granda, of Cuban descent, opted for a frame TV set up in a built-in wall unit. When not in use, the beach scene looks like a photograph, which works well with the decor.

The LA Fashion Show

Flat screens have replaced antique mirrors and oil paintings over fireplaces, for better or worse. When the television is turned off, the attention is drawn to the bright and bold wallpaper in this LA Designer Affair-created design.

An Artful Disarray

Blogger Emma Chapman of A Beautiful Mess says, "I don't really have a big desire to 100% hide my TV in my house because I don't mind seeing them in spaces." On the other hand, "I don't really love when they feel like the most prominent thing in the room," That makes the TV seem like it's part of the wall, which is nice unless we're actually watching something on it. On the other hand, the artwork we hung above the television is brought to life by the contrast between the white walls and the black accent stripe. "

The Los Angeles Fashion Show

The TV wall in this living room by LA Designer Affair is a focal point without being the main event because of a deep blue adjacent wall with custom paneling and bold artwork. And the hanging baskets of ornaments above the television serve to direct the viewer's attention upward.

Pizzale Design, by Mike Chajecki

Pizzale Design, owned by Canadian interior designer Gabriele Pizzale, opted for a wall of sleek black marble behind the fireplace insert and the wall-mounted television.

Photograph of Margaret Austin by Cathie Hong Interiors

Cathie Hong Interiors' Japan-inspired living room features a TV nook with a pared-down aesthetic that is warmed up with plants, objects, and art.

Design by Sara Tramp & Emily Henderson

To prevent a flat-screen television from taking over the living room, Velinda Hellen of Emily Henderson Design created this comfy media nook. The walls are painted in deep, rich hues so that the television is almost invisible when it's not in use (if you squint, you can make it out on the right).

An Artful Disarray

Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess turned an awkward corner of her living room into a nice-looking home for her flat screen with a custom table that hides cables and equipment as well as a cute mini gallery wall that gives you something to look at other than the TV screen when it's not active

The Forbes 500

Forbes Masters, an interior design firm, concealed the television by installing a textured black wall. Putting a pair of lamps with identical black shades on either side of the TV creates a visual distraction when the screen is off.

Pizzale Design, by Mike Chajecki

Canadian interior designer Gabriele Pizzale of Pizzale Design uses a deep blue wood slat wall to conceal a wall-mounted flat screen.

Winner of the Forbes Masters Award

The lacquered walls, mirrored ceilings, imposing chandeliers, and general maximalist bling of this karaoke room from Forbes Masters takes the focus off the TV screen, which is not given pride of place over the fireplace but built into the custom millwork where it takes a back seat when not in use

All in Lovely Disarray

In order to conceal her television, A Beautiful Mess blogger Emma Chapman recommends hanging empty thrift store picture frames and painting the entire thing black as an accent wall. She gushes, "I love how the TV kind of disappears into the space," adding that when it's on and in use, the darker background makes it stand out even more. "

Burns Household Furnishings

Desiree Burns Interiors suggests using a black credenza to anchor a large black flatscreen TV in a bright and airy room.

Lori Dennis

LA-based interior designer Lori Dennis created this sleek man cave with dark blue walls and a moody black ceiling; the TV is hidden on the back wall when it's not in use.

To the Masters of Forbes

A white credenza and white wall make for a minimalistic yet stylish setup in this living room from Forbes Masters. Subtly incorporating black accents throughout an otherwise white and light neutral room helped the structure blend in with its surroundings rather than standing out as an eyesore, as was the intention of the designers.

Pizzale Design, by Mike Chajecki

Gabriele Pizzale, of Pizzale Design, hid the television in this open-concept living and dining area by installing a taupe wall unit with plenty of drawers and shelving that she filled with objects and art.

Inner Workings of the Gray Area

This living room by Gray Space Interiors features a modern black-framed fireplace that acts as a counterpoint to the wall-mounted flat-screen television.

Photography by Talitha / Design by Cathie Hong

Cathie Hong Interiors hung a large flat screen above a credenza, but the placement of the TV, along with the large windows on the adjacent walls and the addition of two framed prints, keeps the room from feeling too heavy on the electronics.

Emily Henderson / Sara Ligorria-Tramp Graphic Design

The flat-screen television is anchored by a credenza from the mid-century that Arlyn Hernandez selected for Emily Henderson Design.

Studio KT

Studio KT's white and bright living room features a TV set in a recessed box above a chunky wooden mantel that echoes the window's profile. The abundance of warm woods and sleek black fireplace make for a relaxing atmosphere.

PizzAle Design / Mike Chajecki

Pizzale Design's framed artwork on either side of the TV in this living room strikes a nice balance and softens the screen.

Studio KT

Even though the screen is the focal point of a home theater, the design team at Studio KT decided to pay homage to classic Hollywood by hanging black and white photos in frames around the room.

Design by Sara Tramp & Emily Henderson

Emily Henderson Design's vase of vibrant, leafy branches is a great example of how greenery can be used to draw the eye away from a TV mounted on the wall.

By Ellie Lillstrom & Emily Henderson

The best way to decorate around a television wall is to use a projector in place of a flat screen and ignore the wall entirely when the TV is not in use. here in this Albie K. Compton-designed space Emily Henderson's Design Team's Buabeng