Giovanni Valle is a licensed architect and LEED-accredited professional and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He is the author and managing editor of various digital publications, including BuilderSpace, Your Own Architect, and Interiors Place.
The idea of having a TV in the kitchen is not popular with most people because TVs can take up space, clutter the kitchen, or even make the kitchen’s appearance less aesthetic. But kitchen TVs are making a comeback, and having one isn’t tacky anymore. Luckily, there are clever ways of hiding a TV without compromising the kitchen design.
Here are the 14 clever ways to hide a TV in the kitchen:
- Hide it in a niche.
- Hide it in plain sight.
- Hide it with wall art and visual interests.
- Hide it behind a DIY art cover.
- Install it as any other appliance.
- Hide it in a cabinet.
- Cover it with a wall of cabinets.
- Buy a frame TV.
- Tuck it in a corner underneath your cabinets.
- Hide it on the island.
- Use a sliding panel.
- Get a mirror TV.
- Put a frame around your TV.
- Borrow a family room wall.
In this article, I will give you the details of hiding your kitchen TV stylishly and staying creative with it. My design suggestions will help you discover the ideal location for your television in any kitchen, regardless of size, design, or functionality. Let’s get into it.
1. Hide It in a Niche
A wall niche is a narrow depression or indentation in a wall used for display or storage. Hiding your kitchen TV in a niche allows you to bring in a television set in a stylish way that doesn’t take up any space.
If you plan on renovating your kitchen, you could install an in-built wall niche for your TV. If you don’t have a niche in your kitchen, you can build a shelf for it and tuck it in as you would a microwave. Your set will be safe and out of the way.
You can also paint the inside of the niche a color that matches your kitchen design palettes to tie it in with your cabinets and disguise the TV in the process.
2. Hide It in Plain Sight
You don’t have to hide your kitchen television from sight for it to be truly hidden. Camouflage is a great idea used by interior designers. When turned off, you can paint your kitchen wall darker to make your TV recede into the background.
If you have a TV with a thin frame, you can put it on an extensive black or white background without other objects around it. The extensive background will take attention away from the black screen.
Camouflage isn’t meant to hide the device. Instead, it makes it appear more seamless with its surroundings.
3. Hide It With Wall Art and Visual Interests
You can surround your kitchen television set with rectangular framed art pieces such that the TV itself looks like one of the art pieces. You’ll want to use black frames and prints to blend its black box with the art.
You want the TV and the art design to look intentional and well thought out. Everything needs to line up, and all lines must be the same length. The spacing cannot be off by more than a millimeter, or it will look off.
The visual surrounding of your kitchen television also plays a role in how conspicuous it is. You can place your kitchen TV in the middle of your collection of cookbooks, souvenirs, or personal photographs. These things are more captivating to the eye than a black screen which makes your TV less visible at a glance.
4. Hide It Behind a DIY Art Cover
You can print an art cover that suits your kitchen design on wallpaper. You can hook the wallpaper to a roller shade kit and connect it to the top of your TV on the wall.
The art cover should be wide enough to cover the device’s edges completely. The cover can be rolled over the set to cover it and rolled up to uncover it.
5. Install It as Any Other Appliance
If you are mainly bothered by your kitchen TV disrupting your kitchen functionality, this tip is yours to consider. Having a designated wall for your appliances away from your kitchen counter can free up space in your kitchen.
You can mount your television strategically above your dishwasher or microwave. This helps your screen blend in with the rest of the kitchen design while remaining within your working triangle.
It is best to consider the heat coming from the devices around your kitchen TV and how it can affect its functionality while deciding on the best location for installation. You should also ensure that no objects are occluding your device whenever it’s in use.
6. Hide It in a Cabinet
Installing your kitchen TV set into your kitchen cabinet is another clever way to hide it. TV cabinets have doors that fold back when you want to watch television and can be closed when you don’t.
Your cabinet should match the colors used in your kitchen to blend in. No one should know what’s behind the cabinet until you open it.
The cabinets can also have sliding solutions like a pull-out tray that allows you to slide the TV out instead of opening cabinet doors. This solution is best when you have a larger wall available. The wall should be at least twice the size of your television’s width.
The cabinet should be placed high so that the TV is visible from the kitchen counter. A TV cabinet hides away the set and the wiring used. Wires can be dangerous if left in the open with kids and pets running around the house. This method also minimizes the chances of someone tripping over the cables and your pets chewing on them.
If you have free space in your kitchen wall, you can choose a standalone cabinet with a pop-up function for your TV. Using a remote, you can pop it up or hide it in the cabinet when you’re done using it.
7. Cover It With a Wall of Cabinets
You can hide all your appliances behind a dedicated wall of cabinets. You can have your refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, and your television set all hidden behind the cabinets. This gives your kitchen a modern look and makes it appear more organized and spacious.
8. Buy a Frame TV
Your TV can be part of your kitchen décor. A frame TV is a device that you could quickly turn into a picture frame when you turn it off. It displays different works of art which you can customize to your liking. You can also upload your pictures to display.
Frame TVs can have very thin frames that make them look like authentic art pieces on the wall.
Samsung and LG frame TVs are some of the best options to consider if you want a television that transforms into art. Samsung’s LCD Frame TV can display static images and slow videos for long hours.
In contrast, LG’s OLED Frame TV is best for displaying slow videos that change over time. This is because OLED TVs are more prone to image burn-in than LCD TVs.
Instead of having a black screen on your kitchen wall, your television can display pictures of foods, art, or family photos when set in gallery mode. You can also enjoy mood-enhancing music playing in the background when you aren’t using the TV.
9. Tuck It in a Corner Underneath Your Cabinets
If you use your television primarily for entertainment while preparing meals, placing a smaller device beneath the cabinets may be the best option.
Most people organize their toasters, cutlery, and storage tins on the corner of their countertops. A TV set can also be a great way to fill that dead space in your kitchen.
The kitchen corner is off-center and low. When you place a television at the kitchen’s focal point, it will be too eye-catching, taking away from your kitchen design’s attention. Putting your kitchen TV at the corner of your countertop underneath the cabinets makes it less noticeable at a glance.
This tip is great if you are going for a traditional look. Your set should also be visible from every corner of the kitchen when in use.
The kitchen corner beneath cabinets is generally out of the way of culinary activities. Still, it is visible from anywhere in the kitchen, making it an ideal location for mounting a TV.
However, ensuring that the set is positioned where water doesn’t get to it is essential. It would be best to reduce clutter around your TV set to avoid blocking it from view.
This is ideal for a small device with a base that can stand on its own in the corner. A larger TV might not fit under your cabinets, but you could go for other options, such as inside the cabinets on a higher shelf.
10. Hide It on the Island
Yes, your kitchen island can do more than give your kitchen a modern look. The island is a great place to hide a TV in your kitchen. With a press of a button, the television can pop up from the island and is visible from your dining table when enjoying a meal with your family.
A pop-up TV in your kitchen island gives a modern touch to your kitchen and is very secure. You can attach the movable piece of the island atop your TV for safety in case of spillage.
11. Use a Sliding Panel
Sliding panels are a popular interior design trend for hiding your kitchen TV set in clever and stylish ways. When not in use, instead of having a black hole suck all the attention from your kitchen design, you can slide a panel over it and hide it in plain sight.
You can use antique picture frames or wood panels to make decorative sliding panels for your kitchen television set. You can even add your creativity by attaching your favorite painting on the sliding panel to give it a personal touch.
You should consider the size of your device, your overall kitchen design, and the interior decoration style you are going for when picking the material and designs of your sliding panel.
You should also consider the space your sliding panel flows to and ensure it’s wide enough and functional for your kitchen. There are many YouTube DIY videos for building a sliding panel for a TV that you can follow to achieve this.
Here’s one such video:
12. Get a Mirror TV
Like a frame TV, a mirror TV is a clever way to hide your television in plain sight while furnishing your multifunctional kitchen. A mirror TV is essentially a dielectric mirror covering a Smart TV and is held together by a custom-made frame.
When not in use, it resembles a giant mirror. When you turn it on, the mirror vanishes, and the television image appears.
You can find Samsung Mirror TV options to fit your overall kitchen design. You can go for a standard black frame or add your own style into the mix and create something truly personal and homey.
13. Put a Frame Around Your TV
Making a frame that blends into your kitchen décor and placing it around your TV is another excellent way of hiding your television.
The frame can be bigger than the television or can be made to fit it tightly for that built-in look. You can hang the framed TV on your kitchen wall or at the exposed end of your kitchen cabinets.
14. Borrow a Family Room Wall
If your kitchen is exposed to the living room, you can solve the dilemma of hiding your TV in the kitchen by using the living room wall instead.
With the open space available to you, you may not need a kitchen television at all. You can get one big TV for your living room visible from the kitchen, allowing you to enjoy watching a show with the rest of your family as you cook.
Sources
- Forbes: Nine Residential Kitchen Design Trends for 2021
- Forbes: 10 Decorating Ideas for Your Wall Niche
- Houzz: How to Hide Your TV in Plain Sight
- The New York Times: Your Walls Don’t Have to Be Boring
- The New York Times: 9 Top (and Stubborn) Design Trends
- CNET: OLED screen burn-in is rare, but it could still ruin your TV (or Nintendo Switch)
- Forbes: Magic Televisions: Multifunctional For A Large Or Small House
- Forbes: Samsung The Frame, The Clever New Near-Invisible TV: Hands-On Review
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