4 Cool Ways to Hide Your TV

Today, flat-screen TVs are ubiquitous—hanging serenely on walls, freeing up space once hogged by bulky traditional boob tubes and the hulking entertainment stands that supported them. Still, a flat-screen TV still looks like … a TV. Not exactly a work of art gracing your wall. Lucky for you, plenty of other homeowners are on the case and have come up with some ingenious ways to keep these screens under wraps. Check out a few of their strategies below.

1. Frame it

Dressing up your flat-screen TV with a beautiful picture frame is easy. All you need is decorative molding to make the frame and a few other materials. To make your TV blend in even more, make the frame the same color or style as the surrounding shelves or furniture, or make it one of many frames on one wall.

2. Use the magic of a one-way mirror

One-way mirrors—which allow viewers on only one side to see through—can be used to hide a flat-screen TV when it’s not being used. All you do is create a niche in the wall for your TV to sit in. Then purchase a two-way mirror and place it in a frame covering the niche. Now here’s the magic part: When your TV’s turned on, the light will shine through the mirror, giving you a crystal-clear image. It will look like a mirror hanging on your wall, but the TV will be visible when turned on. For the non-DIY version, you can also buy a flat-screen TV that’s designed to look like a mirror.

3. Stash it behind artwork

If you prefer that your TV look like a pretty picture when it’s not airing your favorite show, then it’s entirely possible to make that happen, too. There is a good selection online for art and frames or else you can make your own by buying a remotely controlled shade. Just glue a painting canvas to an electric window shade that rolls up and down, then mount it inside a frame with the TV.

4. Hide it behind sliding doors

Another genius way to hide your flat-screen TV is to place it behind sliding doors (barn doors, artwork, or otherwise). Lowe’s features these DIY video instructions on hiding your TV below, and you don’t have to be a master carpenter to pull it off. This project is estimated to take one weekend and be appropriate for beginners.