TV Cozies Are a Thing, and They’re Brilliant for Living Rooms and Bedrooms

TVs have come a long way in terms of aesthetics over the years. For starters, they’re thinner than ever, wall-mountable, and the wiring is less obtrusive. Unless you have a Samsung Frame TV, which literally looks like a painting when in art mode, you’re probably still dealing with some version of a big black box. There’s nothing wrong with that, but in a small bedroom, for example, it’s nice to hide technology for optimal rest. 

That’s why when I was in New Orleans earlier this summer, I was struck by the simple, small-space friendly way the design and hospitality firm Ash dealt with the TVs in the rooms at the Hotel Peter and Paul, a historic school and church-compound-turned-boutique hotel. All it requires is a few yards of fabric sewed into a cover — like a cozy for a tea pot or a bowl, only oversized to fit a flatscreen. 

“Designing a fitted, textile TV cosy felt like an elegant way to integrate the TV into the design language of the rooms while simultaneously softening an otherwise quite severe object,” says Xavier Donnelly, creative director of Ash. “I’ve always found that TVs can sort of break the enchantment of a place and become this big, ugly focal point of a room, even in a home. I love movies, but I moved my TV out of the living room after I noticed that people tend to stare at them even if they’re not on.” So this solution, for Donnelly, is enough to draw the eye away from the tube, allowing for more connection. 

To copy this look, you don’t need much beyond a few yards or so of material, so it’s great for any leftovers you might have from a previous project. Donnelly chose ginghams and a few solids at Peter and Paul, which match the drapery and upholstery in the rooms, but you could go with any color or fabric pattern that suits your style. Exact yardage will vary based on the size of your TV, but Donnelly estimates that most of these covers were created with about three yards of material. Not a talented sewer? Because the cover is straightforward, a pro could probably make one for a reasonable fee. 

According to Donnelly, these TV covers can be found throughout Ash’s entire portfolio — “one of many clever little design details that can have endless iterations through material, color, and form,” he says. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a quick and clever way to maybe stare a little less at another screen.