Should I Hang Art Behind My TV?

 Photo by Lachlan Ross
 Photo by Lachlan Ross
 Photo by Lachlan Ross

In this day and age, who doesn’t have a TV sitting in their living room? Most of us have at least one in our houses. Yet, decorating around the TV is something most of us have a limited knowledge of. What should we do with the wall around a TV? Can you put artwork behind your TV console? It’s such a trivial problem but also one of the most frequently asked interior design questions.

There is no exact right or wrong answer to this. If you love browsing the internet for interior design ideas, you’ll surely find plenty of options on what to do with your TV wall. It does not necessarily need to be a blank wall, you can spice things up and decorate it! We have listed out a few tips for you.

 

Decorate It With a Mixed Media Wall

One great TV wall decor idea is to fill that blank wall with mixed media decor. It could be wall art, framed art, maybe some ceramics, or even vases and plants. Put your TV on a media console and decorate around it! This makes the TV look like a part of the wall decor and prevents it from being a focal point or an eyesore. This is especially great for those who have long and large walls in the living room.

Set Up a Gallery Wall Around Your TV

It’s one of the simplest, yet I would say also one of the most stylish ways to handle your TV wall space. Just like we’ve mentioned earlier, this will also take attention away from your TV and make it seem like a part of the big picture. Make sure you know what kind of art you want to see in there and how to properly choose artwork that will fit best in your living room.

You can opt for a clean and polished gallery wall, in which you’d want everything perfectly lined up and looking clean. Or, you may want it to look effortless with different colors and sizes of art but with the same spacing. Once you’ve figured things out, you can check out UGallery’s curated collections of a huge variety of art pieces.

Use Shelves to Display Some Small-sized Framed Art Pieces

Shelves around TV can add visual interest (Photo credit: Max Vakhtbovych)If you’re not a fan of huge paintings or artworks, you can also try installing some shelves on the wall behind your TV or even all around your TV wall. This will be a good way to showcase your small-sized framed art pieces. You can even display some ceramic decorations, or whatever you prefer as decor.

Keep Things Symmetrical

Symmetry helps keep everything balanced (Photo credit: Max Vakhtbovych)

In line with having the clean and polished style of the gallery wall around your TV, is ensuring that you keep everything balanced. Keep things symmetrical. For instance, having the TV on a console that is in the center, located exactly between the two sections of your decorative moldings is an awesome idea.

Symmetry in interior design is very important and something that you should always consider if you want a clean and neat look in your room. It would also be better to buy paintings from the same artist to ensure that they are in a similar size and style. Don’t forget to choose paintings that are in the same color palette, too.

Choosing Oversized Pieces of Art

Many of us might think that putting art behind the TV is a big no-no. However, in some cases, it actually works perfectly. Your art would definitely not go to waste if you choose to decorate this way. Having an oversized artwork actually helps in creating a focal point for the room, which makes it practical as an entertainment center and beautiful, too.

 

Mount Your Tv Above the Fireplace and Surround It With Art

UGallery art by Patricia Oblack in an actual client home
Mounting your TV on the fireplace creates a visual focal point, and will prevent those two elements from competing and clashing for attention in your space. You can also use floating shelves to display smaller framed pieces. This will help you add color and will spice things up on your fireplace wall compared to the traditional TV stand-focused ones.

Having a Custom Built-in Unit

You may also try having a special custom built-in unit for your room. Not only will it help everything look right in your space, but you can also incorporate having a cabinet or a shelf with it which can act as storage space. Remember to leave a few spaces for some modern art pieces or whatever style you want to go for! Another awesome idea is having a custom hidden panel to cover your television with art when not in use. This exact setup was used by UGallery client, Andy. Check out his story here.

Frame Your TV to Help It Fit Into Your Gallery Wall

Some people also prefer to have a customized or DIY frame for their TV. This is specific to flat screen TVs that are wall-mounted. It helps it blend well with whatever kind of artwork you wish to put on your TV wall. When you have a visitor coming over, you can even display an art piece or photo slide show through your TV!

Bonus: Things You Should Avoid

When decorating your entertainment space, we sometimes get overwhelmed and make some mistakes. Lucky you, we have listed those things so you can avoid them. Here are some of the things you should not do when decorating your TV wall:

  • Hanging your TV too high. It’s so obvious, yet not all of us pay much attention to it. Your TV shouldn’t be hanging too high up on your wall. If you have a TV console, hang your artwork a few inches on top of it–around 6 to 12 inches–depending on its size.
  • Buying a TV stand or console that is too small. Another common mistake is buying your stand without considering the size of TV or art pieces that you’ll put on top of it or on the wall behind it. Make sure it’s wider than your TV so that the television doesn’t look top heavy.
  • Putting too much art around it. Yes, it’s nice to put a few pieces or even set up a gallery wall. However, see to it that you aren’t making the space overcrowded. A few dramatic pieces to disguise your TV will do.

Final Words

If it isn’t obvious yet, the answer to your question is YES, you can definitely hang art behind your television! We hope this article has helped you figure out what to do with the walls around a TV in your house. Be that a family photo, frames, a shelf, or paintings, we hope you enjoy it. Happy decorating!

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