Materials and the sequence of the job sit together on this page.
Ready to get rid of the cord clutter? We’ve got ways to hide cables, cords, and electronics, plus ways to decorate around the TV and electronics so they are part of your home decor instead of an eyesore.
You’ll also appreciate these tips to hide outdoor eyesores and options for form-meets-function pretty wall organizers.
How to Decorate Around The TV and Electronics
When it comes to interior decorating, every household has at least one obstacle in common: electronics.
More and more the television, media players, and game consoles are an integral part of most family rooms. But they aren’t really very attractive.
So, how do you strike the balance between having the technology available without having it stick out like a design-sore thumb?
We have almost 100 options to get you inspired! (and be sure to look at our other Deck The Walls decorating options and tutorials, too!)
In this post:
page 1: how to decorate around the TV
page 2: TV gallery wall options
page 3: creative ways to hide your television
page 4: tricks for hiding electronics and cords
Incorporate and Decorate Around the Television
The old saying, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” often rings true in functional family decorating.
Some things just need to be in your house, and some habits (shoe dropping, anyone?) are more easily accommodated by adjusting the system rather than trying to overthrow it completely.
The television decor situation is the same — sometimes, it’s just more effective to embrace it and let it be than to try to hide it! (Although we do have options for that on page 3, of course
If you’re really dedicated amd ready to invest in having a TV seamlessly blend in to your decor, especially in a main living area, consider splurging on a Samsung Frame TV. They’re designed to look more like wall art and be able to display striking art when you’re not watching, without damaging the screen, and you can purchase additional pretty frames as well.
My friend Lindsey over at Makely introduced me to the phrase “techoration” — it’s the option that, rather than fighting it, you incorporate technology into decorating and design choices.
Lindsey shared how she does it by incorporating art and other decor right around the TV:
And by using her very fun, bold style to almost completely engulf the television!
A Handmade sliding platform also helps the TV to be out when you need it, but not in the way when you don’t (by Home Coming).
and if you’ve still got a “relic” entertainment center around, make it work for your flat screen by converting it into a TV console! (walkthrough from The Moon and Me on Bekob)
Framing in a wall-mounted television helps it to blend with the decor and look more like art, less like a TV — we made ours from reclaimed wood, and we also hid our cords in our faux mantel!
My friend Brooke at All Things Thrifty used crown molding and gave hers a fun color.
You can also put a frame around the outside edge of the TV, and then layer the decor around it, like this from Better Homes and Gardens.
The rough wood shelving and stacked frames become the focal point, not the television.
As an alternative to framing your TV, you can update the TV frame itself! Tasha at Kaleidoscope Living used Rub N Buff to make her TV match her gallery wall frames (and see her trick for displaying art on any TV.)
Get yourself a show-stopping TV console, like this old workbench from Brooklyn Limestone, and add some stylish accessories, and your eyes won’t even mind the big black box tv. 
Same story here — this Handmade farmhouse TV console is big bold and striking, and the gallery wall behind makes the TV blend right in.
Adding a reclaimed wood “backdrop” fits great with a rustic style (via Design Sponge)
and if you think a littl big bigger, it can easily be used to hide cords as well! (by Remove and Replace)
Think a little bigger and add a pallet-style wall behind the TV — hang the TV/speakers and the cords can go behind. (via Minha Casa)
Cape 27 made a full pallet wood wall, and the deep wood tones camouflage the TV, while the white canvases on either side draw attention and complete the symmetry for a great look!
This family room from BHG features painted foam core tucked behind the TV, in bright colors that match the rest of the room to make it a cohesive design. 
or a vintage pull-down map can have the same effect, too! (from Eclectically Vintage)
Just the wall behind the TV can make a big difference, too — try painting it black (via Apartment Therapy)
or another dark color (West Elm via Refinery 29) to hide the television.
or create a little TV niche to embrace it and make a focal point (via HGTV)
A dramatic grouping of geometric shelves looks great on the wall above the TV (from Monogram Decor) and PS: you can get plans to build your own hexagon shelves here.
A large art easel holding a flatscreen looks great in this apartment (House striking via Bekob).
And of course, add some storage with shelves! Open floating media shelves right under the TV (Shanty 2 Chic)
or “hanging” shelves surround the screen can hold electronics as well as decor (Life Thru a Linds).
A large shelving unit can provide a great “home” to the television (via BHG)
(from Habitually Chic)
These tapered shelves provide storage and anchor the wall, without the large footprint of typical built-ins (via Apartment Therapy)
And these built-ins at The Yellow Cape Cod are strong!
Of course, it’s great to incorporate a wall-mounted television just like you would art: Lolly Jane installed it above board and batten and flanked it with a couple of pieces of Handmade art.
And the large pieces of artwork here are the stars — not the television (via Apartment Therapy).
And if you add a few more pieces, you can easily create a full gallery wall for your television!
See TV gallery wall options on the next page –>
TV Gallery Wall options
Gallery walls are really popular right now, and they can fit with any style decorating!
See our quick and straightforward way to hang a gallery wall FAST, plus striking straightforward gallery wall options.
In this post:
page 1: how to decorate around the TV
page 2: TV gallery wall options
page 3: creative ways to hide your television
page 4: tricks for hiding electronics and cords
The folks at Sanus sent us this great infographic about using standard-size frames to create a gallery wall around a wall-mount tv, and we found it really informative! (Plus, even though wall mounts are becoming more affordable, you can also Handmade your own wall-mount TV hanging solution for around $15, walkthrough here.)
But of course… there’s more than one way to make a gallery wall! You can frame the TV as part of the gallery style (via Nine MSN)
Or use just a few direct frames, like Little Victorian.
Who says frames have to have photos or art in them? Use them empty! (from Two Oh Two Seven)
This gallery wall from striking Matters is beautifully balanced and modern with a variety of colors! (Read tips for creating one like this here.)
Black and white is always classic (via Decoholic)
and with that wood, and it’s perfectly industrial! (Tidbits and Twine)
The large chalkboards in this arrangement ground the design so that the other elements don’t feel busy (from First Home Love Life)
And this gallery wall at Room for Tuesday matches the room style perfectly!
Don’t let the TV restrict you either — this gallery wall doesn’t even leave a space for the TV, but the overlap helps the art to stand out and minimize the TV (from Cup of Jo).
Another beautifully balanced gallery wall (Material Girls).
And the striped wall on this one looks great, too! (from Domestic Fashionista)
Use a dark wall and light frames to help the art stand out, while the TV recedes (via Design Mom)
Keep things in line with this direct modern gallery wall layout above the TV (via Style at Home)
If your television is large, or you just really really *only* want to see it when you are watching a show, there are also plenty of ways to completely hide that big black box —
See ways to hide your TV on the next page –>
Ways to Hide The Television
If you don’t watch much TV, or just find it very important that your TV be out of sight, we’ve got plenty of options for that! (Remember to always make sure that the TV area has adequate ventilation to allow heat to escape.)
In this post:
page 1: how to decorate around the TV
page 2: TV gallery wall options
page 3: creative ways to hide your television
page 4: tricks for hiding electronics and cords
Sweet and direct: attach brackets to an art canvas and hang it over the TV (Tulip and Turnip).
Almost as direct: a pull-down map. And I imagine you could use an inexpensive roller blind with fabric or paint on it, too (from House striking)
A collection of frames, plus some hinges, makes for high-impact art, high-camouflage for your TV! (Blue Egg Brown Nest)
This desk is well fitted for hiding the TV and media! (Betsy Morgan via My Domaine)
This designer solution is brilliant! A built-in TV cupboard, with the TV on a swivel mount and media storage behind! (James Wagman)
Just Laine rigged her storage coffee table to hold her small TV.
We stuck our TV in our non-functioning fireplace (and then used a fire channel for ambiance
but if your fireplace works (gasp!) or you don’t have a fireplace, you can get the same type of ninja-style TV hiding by building your own faux mantel to hide your TV (Apartment Therapy)
Build a basic box frame to fit your TV (remember ventilation!) and attach hinged artwork to cover the screen (Dixie Delights).
or hinge it to open up (Houzz)
or out (Kristen Duke Photography)
Our Home Notebook planned their front room around a built-in unit to help hide their TV! (via Bekob)
And of course… barn doors are a hot item here, too! (See here for lots of Handmade options and tutorials for both the doors and the hardware.)
Yes. There is a TV behind that! (Houzz)
A small tv can easily be hid on shelf, with a photo on a sliding rail in front of it. This one is recessed, which makes it even more hidden. (Mary Romney via Color Issue)
Liz Marie used inexpensive pipe for an industrial look, on a modest-cost.
Or hang the pipe from the ceiling if you have a mantel or uneven walls (Southern Living)
Install the pipe on a shelving unit for extra solid sliding door points (Ikea Hackers)
Use drawer slides for an straightforward sliding TV camouflage (Simply Salvage)
and barn door will always be in style! (Kristen Duke Photography)
Lovely over a mantel, too! (Crisp Architects via Centsational Girl)
A built-in nook above fireplace is well fitted! (Country Living)
Today’s Creative Life installed a set of shutters (decorated!) on a rail to quickly and easily slide out of the way.
And you can use an inexpensive closet track to make it modest-cost-friendly. (Lowe’s Creative options)
With this floating shelf setup, no one would ever even guess there’s a TV behind those two frames! (HGTV)
In a built-in unit, a full size panel makes for a chic disguise for the TV (House to Home)
If your style is a little more modern, full height sliding panels could fit right in! (Domino)
And what book-lover wouldn’t love this double-duty sliding bookshelf to hide the TV (for watching shows adapted from books, which are never as good as the books!) (via Donna Moderna)
Make a big statement with full height barn doors or a tv niche (via Cote de Texas)
Or a single barn door as part of a gallery arrangement does the trick! (Bachman’s Spring House 2012 via Hirshfields)
Now that the TV is covered (so punny, I am) — let’s talk about ways to hide those pesky but necessary electronics and all the accompanied cords!
See how to hide electronics and cords on the next page –>
Tricks for Hiding Electronics and Cords
The television isn’t the biggest eyesore to my view — it’s the cords and then all the boxes and other wires that come along with the entertainment setup! Try some of these creative ways to get those cords and technology out of sight.
In this post:
page 1: how to decorate around the TV
page 2: TV gallery wall options
page 3: creative ways to hide your television
page 4: tricks for hiding electronics and cords
Bigger Than The Three of Us kept it direct: a new multi-outlet plug (rather than a full power strip) and some zip ties pulled all the cords up behind the TV console instead of on the floor.
In a similar low-cost and straightforward solution, Like a Saturday used hot glue and clips to keep the cords off the floor.
direct camouflage: strategically stacked books. And the cable box blends right in! (Love Coming Home)
Burlap and Babies used a couple of wall plates and some flexible tubing to send their cords through the wall, over to the shelving unit on the side. (Remember, any time you’re putting thing in the wall, check your local building code and consult a professional if needed.)
And since they were doing some work on the wall anyway, While I Linger added a PVC pipe channel for their TV and electronic cords.
Uncookie Cutter modified the industrial style PVC pipe shelves that Sawdust 2 Stitches shared — by using a wider pipe to conceal cords! An entertainment center and a cord-hider in one.
Kruse’s Workshop built a great media table and notched out one of the legs to give the cords a place to hide (tutorials shared at Tatertots and Jello).
House Tweaking built a TV wall to house the television and cords.
A vertically planked section of the wall can hide the cords while adding a nice style element. (Karen Day Photography via)
Sawdust 2 Stitches built this Pottery Barn knockoff hidden compartment for firearms, but with a little modification, it could hide your TV instead! (walkthrough here)
Keep the TV out, but mount it on a hinged board to hide the boxes and wires in an in-wall cubby! (via Apartment Therapy)
With a little planning ahead, wires and cords can be tucked into trim work around the TV, a well fitted fit for above a mantel or on a feature wall. (from Seriously a Homemakeover on Sawdust Girl)
Julie Blanner use a similar technique, but she used premade (hollow) floating shelves to make her cord-hiding mantel.
Bless’er House build an entire faux mantel, with a hinged door on the bottom box part to allow for access to the electrical outlet and also for potential storage for electronics or media. (shared here on Bekob) And the books stacked under the TV provide coverage for the short length of cord before it goes into the mantel!
fabric panel inset https://mavenfresh.blogspot.com/2012/03/pfms-do-it-better-handmade-wall-arthow-to.html
tall fabric panel https://thefrontpoarch.com/how-to-hide-your-tv-cables-the-hard-way/
A hinged dresser drawer front provides a hideaway for electronics (Whimsical Perspective)
You could also method a dresser drawer like PBJ Stories (since a dresser makes a great media console!) to hide a printer or other electronic device.
The Pleated Poppy installed a direct pop-out panel to cover the framed-in TV when not in use.
Make those cords blend in by hanging your gallery wall art right over the top (Table and Hearth)
or by using a wall-mounted cord-hider (No 29 Design)
or, of all things: a shower rod cover! (Fresh Crush)
A cute decorative box is always in style, and with some modification, it can put those cords out of sight! (via Simplette)
And if you’re wondering how all of those hidden cable boxes and blu-ray players work — technology is the answer! You can use a little gadget called an IR (infrared) remote, which puts a small remote receiver out in the open to receive the signal from the remote control and talk to your (hidden) devices.
The Honeycomb Home used an IR remote to allow her to hide her electronics in a compartment in the wall to the left of the TV.
Decor and the Dog used the same option and put her electronics boxes in her built-in cabinet, with the smart remote receiver hidden right on the mantel.
Phew. That’s a lot of options! Which one are you going to try first?
In this post:
page 1: how to decorate around the TV
page 2: TV gallery wall options
page 3: creative ways to hide your television
page 4: tricks for hiding electronics and cords
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