Shy tech: 5 clever hidden tv ideas

With a shift towards simpler living, having all your tech on display is no longer considered a desirable decor choice. However, we’re not ready to go off-grid and do away with them altogether. Enter, shy tech. A way to disguise all those screens, blinking lights, and technical distractions just out of sight, yet still close to hand.

Shy tech enables you to connect to technology in a positive way. It means you can control when and how you use it, rather than it controlling you.

Tash Bradley, Lick Director of Interior Design

So, whilst we like a bit of Netflix now and again, we don’t like to feel as though our television dominates our decor. That’s why we’re sharing these 5 clever hidden TV ideas for you to try at home.

Hidden tv idea: built-in storage

In the living room, there are few things more stylish than floor-to-ceiling built-in shelving. Not only does this bespoke solution answer all your storage needs, but it also creates a really grown-up feel. And it’s not as expensive as you might think. This Billy bookcase IKEA hack set @ahousebuiltoncheese just short of £600. If you want to be able to shut your television away completely, include folding cupboards that you can close when you’re done watching. Alternatively, if you’ve got a TV in your bedroom, you could hide it away in built-in wardrobes.

Hidden tv idea: a gallery wall 

This solution doesn’t make your television completely disappear, but it will prevent it from dominating a wall or room. Imagine the tv is one big painting and create a gallery wall around it, strategically placing your favourite art, prints and posters around it, the same as you would with any other frame. It doesn’t completely hide it, but it will mask the effect of a big, black square on an otherwise blank wall. Take a look at these 10 gallery wall ideas for some inspiration.

Hidden tv idea: a freestanding cabinet 

Assuming you don’t have a 75-inch screen, you could always disguise your tv in a freestanding cabinet. This is one of the most stylish options, with a wide variety of gorgeous mid-century modern style units, French bureaus or rattan cupboards to choose from. These can easily be placed in an alcove or the corner of a room, where guests would be none the wiser until you opened its doors and popped the telly on.

Hidden tv idea: tapestry

In the bedroom, you might want to go for something a little softer or more tactile like a hanging tapestry to disguise your tv. All you need to do is hang a curtain pole and hang your preferred tapestry from it. The idea of hanging a tapestry at home might feel a little Medieval, but there are some really stylish options. From Indian to Moroccan style influences, to the famed 18th-century French tapestries, which, when mixed with modern furnishing, can create an eclectic mix. Roll it up or pull it to the side when it’s time to watch.

Hidden tv idea: high-tech solution

Sometimes a shy tech problem requires a high-tech solution, in the form of inventive technologies to make a tv not look like a tv. Nowadays, you can disguise your tv as everything from a watercolour painting to your favourite piece of art or even a decorative mirror above the mantelpiece—all transformed for your viewing pleasure at the press of a button.

Other high-tech options include a pop-up tv concealed in your bed or a remote retractable screen. These are all costly options, so if you’re not a frequent channel surfer and use it more for viewing the odd movie, why not opt for a projector instead?

So, whilst the tv hasn’t had its day, it’s definitely no longer pride of place. These shy tech, hidden tv ideas will help you incorporate your tech into the home, without it taking over.