How do we hide a seldom-used flat screen TV on a budget?
June 22, 2010 5:27 PM
How can we hide a wall-mounted flat screen TV on the cheap with maximum discretion?
We are about to buy a 32" flat screen TV and put it on a flat wall, not in some recessed area. Over the mantle above a non-functioning fireplace. We're only planning to use it about 5-8 hours per week (movies on the weekend, plus the odd hour here and there) and would like to hide it away the rest of the time with something that doesn't scream "There is a TV behind here," stick out from the wall much more than the TV, or cost more than the TV itself.
At first-google it seems like the options are
a) tack up a hippy-tapestry or a curtain-rod with short curtains
b) something rather expensive involving hydraulics and remote controls, sliding bookcases, or a cabinet that is more obtrusive than the TV itself
What we're looking for is something like a deep-hollow picture frame (sort of a reverse shadow-box) that will take whatever art-poster we put in it, and can be easily removed and re-hung by one (possibly clumsy) person. Or something similar, but permanently mounted to the wall with some kind of locking hinge. But we're open to ideas that fall between a & b: any solution that isn't terribly expensive, looks discreet, and doesn't intrude into the room much more than a big black rectangle would.
Something ready-to-go is ideal, but DIY-blueprints are also acceptable. We are in the UK.
We are about to buy a 32" flat screen TV and put it on a flat wall, not in some recessed area. Over the mantle above a non-functioning fireplace. We're only planning to use it about 5-8 hours per week (movies on the weekend, plus the odd hour here and there) and would like to hide it away the rest of the time with something that doesn't scream "There is a TV behind here," stick out from the wall much more than the TV, or cost more than the TV itself.
At first-google it seems like the options are
a) tack up a hippy-tapestry or a curtain-rod with short curtains
b) something rather expensive involving hydraulics and remote controls, sliding bookcases, or a cabinet that is more obtrusive than the TV itself
What we're looking for is something like a deep-hollow picture frame (sort of a reverse shadow-box) that will take whatever art-poster we put in it, and can be easily removed and re-hung by one (possibly clumsy) person. Or something similar, but permanently mounted to the wall with some kind of locking hinge. But we're open to ideas that fall between a & b: any solution that isn't terribly expensive, looks discreet, and doesn't intrude into the room much more than a big black rectangle would.
Something ready-to-go is ideal, but DIY-blueprints are also acceptable. We are in the UK.
So, I don't know if this is viewable in the UK (it's also on Hulu, but I think that's definitely not viewable, right?), but on this show called Design Star, one of the contestants hid a TV behind mirrors. It's a sliding contraption thing that looks like it might be kind of difficult to execute, but you could combine it with nadawi's much easier suggestion of having a cabinet-style opening. To me, though, the cabinet doors would scream "I'm hiding a TV!" The mirror solution is less common, and I think would disguise the TV better.
The episode in question can be found here at about 29 minutes in.
posted by phunniemee at 5:42 PM on June 22, 2010
The episode in question can be found here at about 29 minutes in.
posted by phunniemee at 5:42 PM on June 22, 2010
One step ahead of the hippie tapestry is the sort of stretched fabric wall hangings that were popular back when I was a kid [think seventies] the good news is, they come in a lot of different sizes and you could always mount it to a few taller blocks of wood so while you might have something jutting out a few inches, a few inches more to hide the TV wouldn't be terrible. Something like this or this, depending on your style. Alternately, a nice looking quilt or tapestry [not hippie, think old woven thing] hanging on a nice rod that could be rotated out of the way would be nice.
posted by jessamyn at 5:48 PM on June 22, 2010
posted by jessamyn at 5:48 PM on June 22, 2010
I came in here to suggest what nadawi suggested. Make a faux cabinet around it with doors that slide out to the side.
posted by InsanePenguin at 5:58 PM on June 22, 2010
posted by InsanePenguin at 5:58 PM on June 22, 2010
32" isn't very big - you could easily find a painting or canvas print to fit over it.
posted by wongcorgi at 6:27 PM on June 22, 2010
posted by wongcorgi at 6:27 PM on June 22, 2010
Hanging something like a painting over it repeatedly could easily be done by one person with the use of a French Cleat.
posted by Daddy-O at 6:52 PM on June 22, 2010
posted by Daddy-O at 6:52 PM on June 22, 2010
deep-hollow picture frame (sort of a reverse shadow-box) that will take whatever art-poster we put in it
Depending on what kind of TV you buy some will display photos from a memory card in a rotating slideshow. All you'd need is the frame and the TV supplies the art.
posted by GuyZero at 8:37 PM on June 22, 2010
Depending on what kind of TV you buy some will display photos from a memory card in a rotating slideshow. All you'd need is the frame and the TV supplies the art.
posted by GuyZero at 8:37 PM on June 22, 2010
I once saw a vintage frame put round a wall-mounted flatscreen TV. It didn't hide it exactly, but it made it look quite cool.
There's also a more hi tech solution like this or behind a two-way mirror or in a custom frame with mirror.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:59 AM on June 23, 2010
There's also a more hi tech solution like this or behind a two-way mirror or in a custom frame with mirror.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:59 AM on June 23, 2010
You could put it in front of the fireplace, possibly on a pediment, and avail yourself of the world of radiator covers.
posted by rhizome at 1:51 AM on June 23, 2010
posted by rhizome at 1:51 AM on June 23, 2010
To me, though, the cabinet doors would scream "I'm hiding a TV!"
Yes, that's the sort of thing I'm wanting to stay away from.
I like the stretched-fabric-70's-hanging and the photo-on-canvas. It seems so obvious now. For some reason all I could imagine was things with frames. We'll probably go with that.
posted by K.P. at 6:52 AM on June 23, 2010
Yes, that's the sort of thing I'm wanting to stay away from.
I like the stretched-fabric-70's-hanging and the photo-on-canvas. It seems so obvious now. For some reason all I could imagine was things with frames. We'll probably go with that.
posted by K.P. at 6:52 AM on June 23, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by nadawi at 5:33 PM on June 22, 2010