8 Square Interiors
26
Jul

What to Do with the Wall Behind Your TV

Create A Faux Built-In

According to our living room checklist, storage is a crucial part of a functional living room. So, we love the idea of mounting the television on the wall, then using low bookcases and floating shelves to create a built-in look! It offers tons of living room storage, giving the illusion of a permanent structure without actually making permanent changes.

With storage space above and below, you have 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! And going for open shelving versus a closed cabinet or TV console gives this whole arrangement a lighter and airier feeling.

Build Out A Mixed Media Wall

Another TV wall decor idea? Using mixed media decor around your television—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 television 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.

Hang Your TV Within A Gallery Wall

In this living room, we’ve “disguised” the television within a gallery wall by hanging framed art around the TV. Of course, the TV isn’t actually disguised. But the way the art is hung “frames” the TV on the cabinet, making it less of an eyesore. This TV wall decor approach takes the focal point away from electronics and gives the TV wall a more decorative look. Opting for a darker wall colour also 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!

Mount Your TV On The Fireplace

If you have a living room with a TV and a fireplace, consider mounting your television 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 centre.

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 colour 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 colour, 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.

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 wall-mounted 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.