I’ve got more wall dilemmas today that concern the tv wall, that were turned in when I asked for readers’ problem blank walls.

These concern a big expansive wall and how the tv appears rather low and small, no matter how big the tv.

We’ve all seen these situations, right?

These days, if people aren’t doing built-ins or hanging their tv above the fireplace, then they are buying short, wide consoles and resting the tv on top or hanging it on the wall above.

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I understand the benefit of the low tv console.

It’s not as an expensive furniture piece, generally, and it allows for flexibility with the size of your tv. You can also take it with you when you move, which is nice.

I’ve had clients give me the size of their tv, knowing we would be scaling built-ins or whatever around them and then all of a sudden, when it came time for installation, a new tv would show up on the doorstep.

A bigger, wider tv, of course, with all the bells and whistles. :-)

I definitely realize that and size all my built-ins for tvs somewhat larger, just in case they want to go bigger on down the road. After all, technology changes and with all the tv watching we do, especially these days while staying home so much, why not keep up to date with your television viewing equipment?

The one problem I see with all this is that especially on light colored walls, the big black screen, when not turned on, can create a big void in the room. Not only that, I think it tends to look a bit unfinished and temporary.

How to Decorate a Large TV Wall

I’ve sung the praises of The Frame tv, that has all kinds of art you can display on the screen of a tv when it is not in use and I think these are a great solution, especially above fireplaces.

The Frame TV - Looks like framed art when not in use. You can select between lots of art and images, or upload your own for a customized look.

However, sometimes the tv is rather low, the wall is particularly high or wide, and it is hard to know what to do with the rest of that wall.

I’m not really a fan of intentionally setting up a layout on the wall that uses the tv as a part of the art wall. In other words, I don’t love it when I see art carefully place around a tv.

Sometimes there’s just not much you can do though, so if I recommend this situation to anyone, it’s with much care and experimentation first, like I’m about to show you.

Really, most times I’d love to recommend a big tall cabinet of some kind, but there aren’t very many out there these days!

A Tall Cabinet For The TV Wall

Remember the TV armoire? Well, I’d like to see more furniture manufacturers come up with nice looking, tall tv cabinets that simulate built-ins but aren’t as deep as the armoire.

I looked for one that wasn’t too wide in this wall décor post, and I literally only found one the size I was looking for, at Crate and Barrel.

When we moved my mother-in-law into her independent living apartment and she downsized everything, we managed to fit her flat screen tv on one of her antique pieces. It was a hutch from Germany that had always been filled with collectibles, shells, and art in her entry.

I love that it served double duty here, and the bonus was that it actually disguised the tv nicely and made it look like it really belonged right there in that cabinet!

This antique wood hutch disguises the modern tv rather well. It gives double duty to this treasured piece of furniture that also has storage and shelving for decorative items.

I think we need more selections of this type of furniture for TVs these days, in lots of different styles and finishes. Who wouldn’t enjoy some extra storage or display space with their TV? And who says it always has to be built-in to get the same look?

TV Wall Dilemma #1

I had someone who turned in a photo and had just purchased this TV cabinet for their living room. The room is really nice and all pulled together except for this wall.

This living room is nicely appointed but the tv wall needs some attention.

The new tv console was installed but the big wall still looks blank and not well planned.

Here’s my recommendation:

I think the wall is just so open that to create a grid or arrangement all over it would just feel rather contrived. I think we need to confine the space a bit and make it into a more manageable size, to work with it effectively.

You’ve seen me recommend this before with this tall wall and this big stair wall. I think we need to do the same thing here.

Frame out a rectangular shape with some small trim moulding, add wallcovering, like a charcoal gray grasscloth, and then add in wall decor placed around the tv. The dark background would disguise the black void of the tv and the other pieces would stand out nicely and not look too small on that big wall.
I would recommend moving the console down to the left a bit, so that it is centered between the door opening and the fireplace wall. There’s room for the seating to shift there too.
This is how I’d lay out some wall art. The clock can be reused if they want, or a couple of horizontal pieces of art can be hung above the tv.

TV wall decor layout - Framing in with moulding and adding a wallcovering in the center, would be a nice way to fill out this tv wall and make the decor look intentional.

TV Wall Dilemma #2

In this living room, the homeowner requested that the art to the left of the TV stay. It is a treasured photo from a holiday trip and needed to reside on that wall.

The wall is wide, and the TV and one photo there look rather lost, don’t they?

The tv and one lone piece of wall art appear rather lonely on this big, wide wall. How should this wall be filled?

Here’s what I would recommend:

Push the chair more into that corner near the wall. There is plenty of lounge seating with two sofas, so that wouldn’t be a problem shifting it over.
I’d also move the floor lamp behind the chair and add a beefier small round side table.
Then, I’d dig through some other holiday photos and find another one that has meaning and would work with this one and have it framed to match. Stacked one of top of the other, it gives that space some height and that one piece doesn’t feel so lonely. It also creates a nice little vignette on that side of the tv.
For the other side, I’d add a tall bookcase for display items, something rather open and airy would be nice. Some interesting geometric shapes would make for a nice way to break up the wall space there.

TV wall layout sketch with new bookcase and another framed photograph to fill in the space.

I’d probably look for a larger rug there too. It’s just that the light tiled floor sort of contributes to the rather empty look of the room. Going with more softness underfoot might help the space feel more full and finished.

I like these two products as something new to introduce here, a 9 x 12 rug (looks like there’s plenty of room and this one has some similar warm colors), and a tall geometric style bookcase.

Adding a few plants here and there might also help soften the room. :-)