This Instagram Hack Is One of the Prettiest Ways to Hide a TV in Any Room

published Aug 13, 2023

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Living room with sage/olive colored walls, gallery wall, black credenza, 2 peach armchairs with throw pillows, gray patterned rug, gray wardrobe/cabinet, patterned floor to ceiling curtains, sofa with patterned throw pillows, glass and gold oval coffee table — Credit: Erin Derby

Over the past few years, utilitarian home essentials have been getting more design-forward makeovers — from the surprisingly pretty Windmill air conditioner to the ultra-thin Samsung Frame TV that looks like artwork. Even though most living room layouts nowadays typically revolve around TV placement, a big black box is still an eyesore to a lot of people, no matter how flat it is. Luckily, one recent Instagram post shows an ingenious hack for hiding a wall-mounted TV that’s stylish, functional, and completely unassuming.

Dallas, Texas-based interior design firm Jenkins Interiors shared a video to their Instagram account, featuring a living room corner with a TV that appears slightly inset into the wall. It’s also surrounded by foldable panels on either side, which function like doors to completely close off the TV. If you look closer, though, you’ll see that these are actually covered with a set of large framed prints to resemble a retractable (and customizable!) gallery wall.

Here, the design company picked out six simple, botanical-inspired pieces of art — all the exact same size with matching gold frames. When stacked together in two rows of three, they take up just enough wall space to perfectly layer over the TV. Four of these are positioned on a bi-fold unit on the left side, while the remaining two simply swivel inward on the right. The whole setup also looks like it’s bordered with picture-frame-style molding, giving the shutters an extra structural dimension to latch on to that extends past the TV.

The Jenkins Interiors account noted in the comments that a builder created this disguise, and their team hung the art on top of it afterward. Although they didn’t share much more detail for recreating the DIY, this project likely involves three pieces of plywood, trim molding, and a few heavy-duty hinges (one Instagram user suggested piano hinges for their scale). Sizing will vary based on your TV dimensions and the art you decide to use, so plan accordingly in advance.

This technology-hiding hack is definitely more extensive than others, but it’s perfect if you don’t want a TV to feel front and center in your living room or bedroom. Plus, it’s a fun excuse to collect more art and curate your own personalized cover design.

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