apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

can you mount the tv and get rid of the huge stand?
if not, maybe you can get a smaller stand that is a different color (or paint the stand a different color). i think the huge massive black object ---meaning all of that, not just the tv ---is too distracting.

i've seen people just paint a large rectangle or stripes on the wall behind that look cool. you don't really want/need miuch artwork behind the tv anyway since you're usually facing that way just for the tv.

but if you can't do the mounting or getting a new tv stand, i would recommend just changing the paint color behind the tv, or framing it somehow with paint.

Knowing that you have this limited space to work with, I think that you can consider:
1.defining this one little square of wall space that you can use.
2.placing pieces of equipments strategically so that they are visually pleasing.
3.deciding to use either a custom cabinet to place them or a media stand.

The point is that you should probably add a little space b/w those pieces to make them breathable (is it a word?). It's hard to expand horizontally but I think that you can utilize the spare area on the higher portion of the wall.

i can't really tell how much room you have but have you thought about building a built-in around it from floor to ceiling? this way, the whole unit becomes the focal point, not the tv. you could even have doors or a curtain to shut the tv out completely. a nice bright white will keep it from taking up visual space.

Wow - I bet it's great coming in the front door and being greeted with the sight of your own Radio Shack...

I have to disagree w/ Aaron on this one - even with a credenza, you'll still be confronted with a pile of speakers, the side of the TV and a tangle of wires everywhere.

Either replace the monster with a flatscreen that hangs on the wall, purchase/build a cabinet that will enclose everything - or move somewhere else without the person who "banned" you from considering other choices.

I hate to say this but I would get rid of that TV. Donate the TV to some non-profit organization, get a tax write off, and buy a flat screened plasma you can relocate away from the entrance.

Your inspirational photographs are great as far as other ideas go but they work because the TV is somewhat slim, or small. Your current set is massive and cumbersome. Just my two cents.

I agree with Aaron - get a nice piece of furniture, larger than the tv, and make that te focal point. Keep the rest tranquil. A lamp next to the tv, so that it isn't the only source of light that side of the room. Nothing more. Paint the room a neutral shade. You can go wild on all the other walls - just not on the wall you'll be staring at most.

We also have a massive television (and my husband is dedicated to it). I think the key is to get it up on the wall surrounded by either a lot of wall space or other big images (photos, paintings, a big clock) so that it doesn't look so huge.

We built a ceiling-high wall unit of shelves to surround ours, and the effect makes the TV look much smaller. Here's a (very bad) photo of it: http://tinypic.com/r/atozyq/3

Alternately, and more cheaply, you could mount it on something like this from DWR: http://www.dwr.com/product/furniture/living/media storage/muro-media-storage-unfinished.do?sortby=ourPicks

Good luck!

oh yeah honey that is way too big. sell it and buy an HD flat screen, MAX 42", anything bigger is an eyesore for a normal living room

my answer to everything: expedit

Build/purchase/modify a large, floor-to-ceiling (or nearly ceiling height) wall unit of open shelving-keeping it as shallow as possible. The biggest opening would be for the television and smaller rectangular openings for the different components. You will need to secure the unit to the wall or have the base be deep enough to keep the whole thing from falling forward.

I would even suggest stepping the depth of each shelf back from deepest on the bottom to shallowest on top. If there is a backer board, paint it the same color as the wall, so it takes up less visual space. The shelves themselves would either be white to match the wainscoating and trim or the same color/finish as other major furniture in the room that isn't shown.

I would also vary the width and height of the openings and keep them random/asymetric rather than more formal and symetrical. I wouldn't cover any of the shelves but might think about adding a number of darker/black accessories to balance out the black of the television and components, spreading them out so the black is more evenly distributed.

All together now, everyone -- get rid of the boyfriend.

Do your speakers have to sit right beside the screen of the television? My parents had a similar issue - massive TV unit - and they moved the speakers to the opposite corners of the room and partially hid them in behind their sidetables. Yes, you still see them, but it's much less of an eye sore than seeing everything in a massive chunk of electronics.

It needs to move, it can't go there. What's going on in the rest of the room? It looks like it can go on the opposite wall, put your sofa where the coffee table is now with it's back to where the tv is now. This will create an entryway.

First thing to do is declutter the TV area. I don't know why the massive speakers need to be highlighted with framed pictures, or tchotkes, or why the computer hard drive and cat scratcher have to be sitting there on the floor nearby.

So, get rid of the random stuff, move the art (which is not strong enough to balance out the dark electronic equipment) someplace else, and tuck all the little CDs and DVDs away. Then step back and try to figure out what you want to do with the whole room before running out to buy furniture, etc.

hey, i have a gigundo tv like that one! (it looks like dlp which means that no, it cannot be mounted to the wall like lcd or plasma). based on my experience w/ a gigundo tv, here are my thoughts on improving things:
- we ended up getting a white tv stand at ikea which helped "lighten up" that area of the room.
- agree with the comments that you should try to fit everything into a credenza/tv stand if at all possible. also, since you've been banned from getting rid of the tv...is moving/hiding/getting rid of the CPU/similar things negotiable?
- getting a speaker bar that mounts to the top of the tv helped us a lot. no more speakers, no more wire running around the living room. sound is still really good.
- for those concerned w/ walking in the front door and staring at the side of the tv/wires/etc...how about a large floor plant that would hide some of the clutter?

Lighten up the room by getting rid of the dark tv-stand and speakers around the tv or by painting the stand if possible.

Also get rid of all the little clutter around the tv which only make it seem all the bigger. An other option you could try is to hang curtain panels (are available at ikea) from the ceiling and hide the tv behind it.

As someone else has said I would also try to maybe switch the room around and put the tv on the opposite side.

We too have a fairly big tv (not quite that big) and a narrow living room which is why we didn't opt for the larger ones, because I though it would be too big. So maybe next time you can get the one that is one or two sizes smaller but still big enough.

Since you've said you HAVE to work with the TV where it is, here's what you need to do:

Buy a long, shallow table and put all the ancillary electronics (DVD, speakers, etc.) underneath it. Then cover it with a solid-color tablecloth. All of your remotes will work through fabric, and the sound will still be fine for all normal purposes.

Put the TV on top of the table; it should be the only electronic item you see. Balance it with a LARGE artwork on either side. No dinky pictures, no salon-style hangings. Big!

P.S. A tablecloth that goes all the way to the floor.

Wow, dump a possible husband or boyfriend over DECOR? You guys are harsh!

My domestic partner would sneer at the tiny size of this tv -- his is 110 inches. Naturally we moved up to this size, but he has had nothing smaller than the one under discussion for the last 20 years or so... So I have been there.

As others have said, the main problem with the placement of the TV is that you see the side and the cables when coming in the front door, and this is Not Good. I see two ways of dealing with that. Ideally, you would move the set across the room to another wall that isn't where you enter the room.

Alternatively, you can disguise the ends of everything. I'd consider two Billy towers surrounding the set, either black or a brown that matches your credenza.)(I'd go black and paint the credenza to match, personally, including the doors.) (Your tall speakers might even fit within the shelves if you hack properly. Otherwise, they make excellent and less expensive smaller speakers which maybe you can substitute and those, for sure, would fit in the shelves.) Push the shelves up to the wall and they should hide the sides of the tv and the cables.

Put some beautiful colored objects in the empty upper shelves (maybe some colored glass vases with simple shapes: I got an orange, a yellow, and a lime green one for about $3 each at thrift stores recently...) Eliminate ALL other clutter from the area, including the art. (Too much going on.)

Don't dump your significant other (assuming that's the person who loves the TV) just because of Decor conflicts. When REAL relationship issues arise, this will seem like small potatoes! (Been THERE too!)

Decluttering that space is a great first step. Larger pieces around it, rather than small ones will keep things in scale, as well.

Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net

First off I know you may not have much of a choice in where to place this humungus TV but right there inside the room and the stairs is really a bad place to put it, but if it's where it has to be then I'd recommend doing somethign to NOT call attention to it's masize black size.

I like the idea of anchoring it w/ a low credenza or bookcase, a LACK unit which if longer than the TV is a good choice, but I'd go lighter in color, not more black or black/brown, go smaller with the speakers and if you can, get something that can allow you to place other electronics inside to help minimize the clutter when not in use.

Snd finaly shame on the person who banned you from replacing said TV.

There's a staircase there?
(Oh yeah, under the folded blanket...)

That makes the location that much worse -
- How does the OP walk up and down the stairs without tripping over something?

I agree with slowdown's post. Once you declutter all the stuff you have around it, perhaps you can find an alternate place for it without so many distractions.

As a fellow "unmovable giant black TV" owner with a media set up suspiciously similar to yours, I COMPLETELY understand your situation.

The thing is in our instance (and most probably yours looking at your setup) is that the placement of the components is actually very important for sound quality - the distance between speakers, the distance from the speakers to where you sit etc, hence why its important to stay where it is. Its pointless having all that equipment if it doesnt sound right!

I also have exactly those inspiration pictures in my file, and while they look beautiful what they don't account for is large speakers either side of the TV. My approach has been to try and contain the TV in its own area and keep that area very simple, clean and completely free of clutter. I also have the dark expedit shelf in the opposite corner of the room to balance out the dark TV area.

We have a low, long media console, which has open shelves in the middle and small cabinets each side. The shelves hold the centre speaker and the amp, the left cabinet holds all the DVDs, and the right cabinet holds the media centre PC (I noticed yours in on the floor).

On top of the cabinet is the TV, very lowline cable box and dvd player (both tucked in either side underneath the TV), a neat stack of books to hide the DVD player and a nice low vase to hide the cable box without blocking the TV. Nothing on the wall above the TV, minimal items around the TV, and as much space around it as you can fit so that it doesnt feel so huge and ominous.

While replacing the TV might not be in your budget, having a good looking TV does make a big difference - we have the Sony Bravia with glass surround and silver frame, it goes a long way towards making the large TV feel 'lighter' if that makes sense?

Good luck with it!! :)

There's a reason why so many people are ditching perfectly functional CRT TVs for expensive plasmas and LCDs - big CRT TVs are an eyesore. There's no getting around that.

Although it is nowhere as big as this monstrosity, I've de-emphasised my CRT by hanging a big patchwork quilt on the wall behind it. The TV is no longer the biggest thing on the wall, just a little part of a larger panorama of colours and shapes. The beauty of the quilt is that unlike art it doesn't look weird to have a section obscured by the TV. Plus it's light for its size. Plus my mother made it for me :)

If you can get your partner a smaller sound system for Christmas, that will help reduce the visual size of your monolith too.

I would strongly object to having my opinions re the TV cast aside. Compromise or at least considering alternative solutions is really in order here before caving in and placing the TV where you will be hating it. Seeing that thing 24/7 (and no doubt usu. turned on) would drive me nuts.

I agree with most of the posters here - get a new storage system, and scale up! That wee painting above the TV is doing nothing to de-emphasize the size of that huuuge television.

In all your inspiration photos, the TVs are either very thin (lcd) or very small. So no, you won't be able to achieve that look unless you buy a lcd and downsize the speakers.

If you aren't considering buying a new TV, and if you're not allowed to move it, I think the best thing for you to do is to declutter. And maybe buy a new TV stand if you have the budget.

There should be NOTHING on that wall except your TV and your speakers. NOTHING on the TV/speakers either. Get a narrower TV stand so that there is no gap between your TV and your speakers.

I wouldn't invest in an expensive credenza, because I think... you need to upgrade the TV first if you have the funds.

Wow, that is a large TV - ours is 32 inch and sometimes I find it big. I would probably go with the idea of flipping the room with putting the TV on the opposite wall it's on now or seeing if you can put it against the wall you come in the door so it's not the first thing you see. If it must stay right where it is (which is horrible placement, imo, since that's where the door opens and where the stairs come down) at least get some kind of cabinet for it or something and conceal the wires so no one gets harmed.

Only 20 years ago a large tv was over 22" and most people had 19" And you didn't spend over $250. Home entertainment is out of hand.

That tv is too big for your house.

There is no way to "decorate" around it. Hanging artwork will not disguise it, nor does the kitty scratching post.

The tv takes up your front entrance, interferes with going up and down the stairs, dominates the first floor of your home, and is the single most important thing in your home. It's a fire hazard, blocking a key means of egress! Basically, it is taking over your life. And that's when it is turned off.

I'd argue that either you find a bigger home, or a tv ( sound system cabinet) that fits your space. How fair is it that one person of a couple demands this much dominance?

My boyfriend, who I just moved in with, has this EXACT same problem, although it was a matter of a cluttered and outdated entertainment center that was holding his OLD tv with the new flat screen sitting on ANOTHER table in front! Silly boy.

We did just what was recommended, putting the new, 48 inch flat screen on a long, low stand. It was actully a piece that had been mine, similar to the Expando and Zen shelves, purchased on CL ( http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/shelving-storage/expando-and-zen-shelves-by-jesper-office-086878 ). We simply repainted it to blend in with his decor, and have a very nicely centered and displayed TV now.

Clutter is trouble! Find something with both style and sufficient storage and PUT THINGS AWAY! Clean lines and a tidy space will always make the room seem larger and leaner.

Just WAY too many objects surrounding the TV itself. If you removed all other non needed objects (and hid the ones you need there) including the rugs, vacuum cleaner, blanket, etc. (think STAGING for a home sale decluttering) I think the TV wouldn't be such an eye sore.
I would do as stated above, paint as many required objects there black, the wall behind it black and make that what it is now, a focal point of that wall. You have so many things of different styles for any blending to happen. So, declutter and go black is your best bet.
Is there any chance of relocating this TV in your room? I imagine it is not very welcoming to come in the door to see this site. And if the other pics are of the rest of your house, what is holding you both back from investing in a new flat screen that could be mounted on the wall? I see the rest of your TVs are all flats so why hold onto this eyesore in your living room?

These are all SUPER brilliant ideas! (Well, 'cept for maybe ditching the man). Unforts, I completely agree with Delaks in that the sound system needs to be set up the way it is. Sigh! But attacking the clutter and moving things around a bit sounds like the way to go for now! (like moving the painting...it's getting so lost!). Maybe in the future, getting rid of the monolith and buying low furniture might be ideal.
Thank you all so much for your ideas! At least now i have an inspiration spring board!

There's a fantastic blog on ruralintelligence.com written by New York designer Carey Maloney. Finally a designer who acknowledges the importance of a TV in the room! He says, "A TV is the fireplace of the 21st century. If you want a room to be lived in, you better put a television in it." And he gives a list of ways to decorate around it. My favorite idea is having the Tivo, cable box, etc. in a cabinet not right under the TV. You just aim the remote at the cabinet instead of the monitor. Genius. Here's a link for more inspired ideas.

http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/style_section/results/restoration_blog_the_living_room/