Q - Hi Unplggd,
I really love my Netflix, but don't have enough room for a dedicated living room. Instead, I tend to watch TV from the kitchen, but I think it looks extremely tacky. Is there any way to avoid this feeling of technology being forced into a place it shouldn't be?
A - Hi Amy!
Thanks for writing. We've seen this issue come up time and time again - so believe us, it's not just you who feels this way!
Unfortunately, the problem with TVs are well... they look like TVs! There's really no way around this, other than suggesting you purchase one that's not oversized (for example, 32-inches would be excessive in a dining room area).
As for solutions for placement, we suggest wall-mounting and investing in some clutter control solutions (you can see some solutions under $10 over here).
As for the wall-mount itself, try to reduce conspicuousness of the TV as much as possible by making sure you purchase one that's not only thin, but can fold up and sit against the wall when not in use. If there's a built in tilt mechanism, even better! This lets you pull it out when watching from the kitchen while cooking and move it around while you munch on your delicious food.
Got a suggestion for Amy? Do share!
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My parents have a tv in their kitchen and it looks great! Their kitchen table is a booth, with full-height walls on 3 sides. The tv is a small flat screen, wall-mounted in the booth (flat against the wall). It works great! Reminds me of those nifty diners with tvs in the booths.
Just thought to add... another idea would be an in-wall mounted tv, with the plug inside the in-wall box. Just like how some kitchens have the microwave in-wall.
You could paint the wall behind the TV black and try to camouflage it....
a little drastic, I know, but it worked very well in our last livingroom...
I've never understood why people on this site seem so preoccupied with hiding their TVs.
Sure, they're utilitarian and not that interesting to look at, but how is that all that different from your fridge or your computer? Sure, some of those can look pretty snazzy, but they're mainly utilitarian, functional devices.
I know I've never judged someone because they've left their TV/fridge/coffeemaker/electric toothbrush/wireless router out in plain sight. You put them where you put them so that they can be used, and as long as there's no crazy mess of wires, why is that a problem?
A small bookshelf surrounding the tv would make it a litle more pleasing to the eye. Right now it just looks stuck on the wall. This timely post may help:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/boston/projects/the-look-for-much-less-diy-open-shelving-139525
There are a few ways you can hide it.
Easiest and cheapest is to use white contact paper to make the frame of the tv white to blend in it's cheap and looks good (I recommend you cut the contact paper on the corner so it sticks together like a picture frame it makes a more polished look)
You can also use artwork to hide it.
You could have art work hanging from the roof infront of it and when the tv turns on it slides up (The reason it hangs is you use the roof as a pulley so it slides up and down over the tv)
You can also use an actuator to slide the work up and down as well.
I've done these a few times and they have worked out well