Most of us have a television in our home—and for many of us, it’s located along a central wall in your living room or bedroom. And that always begs the question: what do you do with the wall behind your TV? Previously, we dove into how to incorporate a TV into your layout, but what about how to decorate around a TV?
This may seem like a small problem, but it’s actually one of our most frequently asked interior design questions! Modsy customers are always wondering, “Do I need to hang art around my TV? Leave the TV wall blank? Put plants or a bookcase on either side?”
Well, here’s the good news: there is no one right answer. There are so many interior design ideas and options besides just a blank wall with a TV! Keep reading for our 10 best TV wall ideas!
Create A Faux Built-In
We love the idea of mounting the TV on the wall, then using low bookcases and floating shelves to create a built-in look! It gives the illusion of a permanent structure without actually making permanent changes.
Going for open shelving, versus a closed cabinet or TV console, gives this whole arrangement a lighter and airier feeling. It adds a ton of living room storage space above and below, giving you a way to organize and display books, art, and decor. And using baskets on the lower shelves is the perfect way to hide spare cords, remotes, and other gadgets without making your space feel cluttered! In this set-up, we also opted for symmetrical sconce lighting to further drive home that custom built-in look—but you can approach lighting in many ways and in many different styles!
Build Out A Mixed Media Wall
Another TV wall decor idea? Using mixed media decor around your TV—from framed art to ceramics, decorative objects, vases, and plants. Have your TV sit on the console, then have art and decor sitting around it. In this way, the TV becomes part of the wall decor instead of an eyesore and focal point. Choosing a single color scheme—in this case, blues and whites—will help the space feel eclectic but not chaotic.
And if you have a long stretch of walls, consider putting two identical consoles side-by-side to create an asymmetrical mixed media set-up in your living room. By having the TV on one side and floating shelves on the other, it makes the whole wall appear like one display—creating a streamlined and continuous look instead of feeling blocky. The shelves also offer extra storage and display space. Having this set-up gives you more surface area to create a mixed media wall and helps the TV integrate into the space even more so than using just a single console with mixed media decor.
Hide Your TV Inside A Cabinet
If you don’t like looking at your TV when it’s not in use, consider concealing it in a wall cabinet. By placing your TV inside a cabinet, you don’t see it unless the cabinet doors are opened! The cabinet pictured above looks like a mirror when shut, so it naturally integrates as part of the room decor and goes with the style of the rest of the room.
Cover Your TV With A Curtain
Curtains aren’t just for window coverings! They can also be a clever way to cover your TV. If you have a fireplace in your living room, with an inlet to the side, just place your TV on a console in the inlet—then hang some neutral curtains in front of the inlet! This way, you can pull the curtains across to hide the TV when not inuse, giving the illusion of a large window or neutral wall. So, when the curtain is shut, the fireplace remains the focal point of the room.
We love this option because curtains are so easy to pull back and forth—so you don’t have to physically move anything when you do want to use your TV. It’s also a simple and affordable solution!
Hang Your TV Within A Gallery Wall
In this living room, we’ve “disguised” the TV within a gallery wall. Of course, the TV isn’t actually disguised. But the art “frames” the TV on the cabinet, making it less of an eyesore. This takes the focal point away from electronics and gives the TV wall a more decorative look. And, opting for a darker wall color creates less contrast with the TV, helping it blend in even more.
And this arrangement is easy to personalize. You can use any type of art, in any style—really making a unique look of your own! Above, we opted for a grid layout, using art prints that are all part of the same collection, in similar styles. But you could also go for an eclectic gallery wall with more of a randomized layout. Another option? Family photos!
Set Up A Room Divider
Another way to hide your TV when it’s not in use? Using a room divider or screen. You can set the screen in front of your TV set-up, creating an attractive solution to hiding your TV and any of its additional wires and electronics when it’s not in use. Since they tend to be lightweight, screens and folding room dividers are easy to move and fold up when you do want to watch the TV.
For this arrangement, we like the idea of tucking the TV and the cabinet it sits on in the corner of the room, which will give the room divider a more natural look when it’s set up. And the screen itself is also multipurpose, as it can be used in other areas of your home as well!
Mount Your TV On The Fireplace
Do you have your furniture centered around the fireplace in your living room—but also want your TV to be central to this set-up? Consider mounting your TV onto the fireplace, rather than having a traditional mantle! Having the TV centered on the fireplace creates a visual focal point, so the two aren’t competing for attention in your space. And it also results in a clean, uncluttered look, since you don’t have an added media cabinet or entertainment center.
In the arrangement above, we flanked the fireplace with floating shelves layered with framed art. This helps frame and accentuate the fireplace—and creates a fun take on a gallery wall! It adds color and visual interest to this wall, so the TV doesn’t feel barren or become an eyesore. The collection of artwork, along with the accent wall color, creates a full wall look rather than making this all about the TV. But this does require the TV to be mounted on the fireplace wall—which could require some creativity with hiding cords.
Built A Floating Media Unit
If you prefer a more minimal look, we love the idea of building a floating media unit. In the room above, we mounted the TV on the wall above a large floating storage shelf. And below the shelf, we placed some poufs, which can be used as ottomans when kicking back to watch a movie!
By eliminating the use of an entertainment center or TV console, you’re left with a minimal, streamlined look. And the addition of plants adds an organic touch, contrasting with the sleekness of the floating cabinet. A neutral and monochromatic color palette also makes this space appear less cluttered.
Create A Mixed Media Gallery
Here’s another take on a mixed media TV wall design ideas: incorporating your TV on the wall with other pieces, making it fully part of the mixed media gallery. The use of a mirror and framed art helps the TV mix into the gallery in a more cohesive way, giving your TV a more discreet look. In this case, we used a smaller TV, which seamlessly blends in with the other pieces—but a larger TV would work, too.
In the room above, we centered the gallery wall above a cabinet—but you could also have the gallery be free-floating if you don’t have the floor space for a media cabinet or don’t need the additional storage space.
Utilize Wallpaper As A Backdrop
If you don’t want to think about how to creatively decorate the wall behind your TV, but you also don’t want to settle for a boring blank wall, add some wallpaper on the wall behind the TV! This creates a decorative accent wall so you have no need for additional art or decor.
This simple yet bold approach adds personality to the whole space and saves you the headache of hanging any other art or shelves on the wall. The simple black and white wallpaper above compliments the TV and console, creating a cohesive look.
