In this story (9)
- 01How to decorate around a TV on the wall
- 02How to decorate around a TV on a large wall
- 03How to decorate a TV stand or console
- 04How to hide TV wires and cords
- 05How to decorate above a TV
- 06How high to hang a TV
- 07TV size, viewing distance and console width
- 08What to put in a living room instead of a TV
- 09TV wall mistakes
Switch the TV off and look at the wall. A black rectangle floats in the middle, a cable runs down to a console that's slightly too short, and the rest of the wall is blank. For most of the day, that's your room's focal point.
How to decorate around a TV: don't hide it, frame it. Put art, shelves or sconces on both sides, sit it on a console wider than the screen, add height at the ends with a plant or lamp, keep everything below the screen low, and hide every cable. The aim is a wall that looks finished with the screen off.
Below are the four ways to frame a TV, how to style the console, and the numbers people get wrong: screen height, viewing distance, and why a 65-inch TV needs a 70-inch console.
TV wall rules
Console: about 6 to 12 inches wider than the TV on each side. Screen center: near seated eye level, roughly 40 to 45 inches from the floor. Space above the console: 6 to 12 inches to the bottom of the TV. Decor on the console: lower than the screen's bottom edge. Cables: always hidden.
How to decorate around a TV on the wall
1. Frame it with art
Hang a pair of matching prints, one on each side of the TV, or a larger single piece off to one side balanced by a tall plant on the other. Dark frames help most: the screen reads as one more dark frame instead of the only one. Keep each print's top edge in line with the top of the screen so the group reads as one shape.
2. Build a gallery wall around it
A gallery of frames around the TV makes it disappear into the collection. Keep 2 to 3 inches between frames, match the frame colors or the mat colors, and plan the layout on the floor first.
3. Add shelves on both sides
Floating shelves or a bookcase either side of the TV create a built-in look. Style them with books, a few objects and plants, and leave space on each shelf.
4. Add light at the sides
Wall sconces either side of the TV frame it and give a soft evening light that is easier on the eyes than watching in the dark. Plug-in sconces need no wiring.
A pair of large, quiet abstracts is the easiest frame to get right: neutral enough not to fight the screen, and 24 x 36 is big enough to hold their own beside a 55- to 65-inch TV. Small prints next to a big TV look lost.
Neutral Abstract Wall Art Set (2 x 24 x 36 in)
Two large framed prints, big enough to fill the wall above a sofa.
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Sconces are the upgrade most TV walls skip. Light at the sides of the screen cuts the contrast between a bright picture and a dark room, which is easier on your eyes, and plug-in ones go up in an afternoon.
Lighting does most of the work in a warm room. More ideas in how to make a living room cozy.
Dimmable Plug-In Swing Arm Wall Sconces (Set of 2)
Plug-in wall lamps that add warm light at eye level with no electrician, perfect for renters.
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How to decorate around a TV on a large wall
Quick answer: on a large wall, treat the TV as one part of a bigger composition: a long low console, shelving or a gallery on both sides, and a tall element (a plant or floor lamp) at one or both ends, so the TV doesn't float alone in the middle.
- Go wide: a console that spans most of the wall, or built-in style shelves.
- Add a panel or paint: a painted or paneled section behind the TV defines a zone.
- Balance the ends: a tall plant or floor lamp on one side, art on the other.
A tall plant is the quickest way to balance one end of a wide TV wall. TV corners are usually too dark for a real fiddle-leaf fig, which is why a good faux one makes sense here.
Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree (6 ft)
A tall leafy tree that brings life to a corner without needing light.
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How to decorate a TV stand or console
- Keep it low: nothing taller than the bottom edge of the screen in front of it.
- Use the ends for height: a lamp, a vase of branches or a stack of books with a plant on top.
- Group in threes: a tray with a candle, a small bowl and a remote box.
- Add something trailing: a pothos softens the hard lines of the console and screen.
- Hide the clutter: baskets or closed doors for remotes, controllers and devices.
On the console, a lamp at one end gives height and evening light in one piece; a warm terracotta base keeps it from reading as another gadget. A trailing pothos at the other end softens the hard edge of the screen.
Handmade Terracotta Table Lamp
A handmade terracotta lamp that brings earthy warmth to a side table.
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Trailing Faux Pothos in a Ceramic Pot
Trailing vines that soften shelves and the edges of side tables.
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How to hide TV wires and cords
- In-wall cable kit (where allowed): the cleanest result for a mounted TV.
- Paintable cord cover running down the wall, painted the wall color.
- Behind the console: run the cables down behind a console tall enough to cover them.
- Cable sleeves and ties to bundle what's left behind the furniture.
How to decorate above a TV
Usually: nothing. A TV with a gap above it looks calm. If the wall is very tall, add a single long shelf or a slim piece of art well above the screen, or extend side shelving to the ceiling.
How high to hang a TV
Put the center of the screen near seated eye level, around 40 to 45 inches from the floor, with the bottom of the TV about 6 to 12 inches above the console. A TV that is too high strains necks and disconnects from the furniture.
TV size, viewing distance and console width
A TV's diagonal is not its width, and that is the number that matters for the console and the wall. Typical sizes for slim modern TVs (check your model's spec sheet):
- 55-inch TV: about 48 in wide. Sit about 5.5 to 7.5 ft away. Console at least 60 in wide.
- 65-inch TV: about 57 in wide. Sit about 6.5 to 9 ft away. Console at least 70 in wide.
- 75-inch TV: about 66 in wide. Sit about 7.5 to 10 ft away. Console at least 80 in wide.
- 85-inch TV: about 75 in wide. Sit about 8.5 to 11 ft away. Console at least 90 in wide.
The closest distance follows Samsung's 4K guidance of about 1.2 times the diagonal; sitting a little farther is more relaxed for everyday watching. As a rough room guide, a 10 ft wide room suits a 43 to 55 inch TV, 12 ft about 55 to 65 inches and 14 ft about 65 to 75 inches. Our furniture arrangement guide covers TV layouts in detail, and long, narrow living rooms have their own TV tips.
What to put in a living room instead of a TV
Some people move the TV to another room or hide it entirely. A large painting, a bookcase wall or a styled console with a lamp makes a strong focal point instead, and a framed-art TV or a cabinet with doors keeps the screen out of sight when it's off.
TV wall mistakes
- TV mounted too high, especially above a fireplace.
- A console narrower than the TV.
- Visible cables running down the wall.
- Tall decor in front of the screen.
- The TV alone in the middle of a big blank wall with nothing around it.
TV wall questions
How do you decorate around a TV?
Frame it with art, shelves or sconces on both sides, use a console wider than the screen, add height at the ends with a plant or lamp, keep decor below the screen low and hide all the cables.
How do you decorate around a TV on a large wall?
Make the TV part of a larger composition: a long console, shelving or a gallery on both sides, and a tall plant or floor lamp at the ends so the screen doesn't float alone.
How high should a TV be mounted?
With the center of the screen near seated eye level, about 40 to 45 inches from the floor, and the bottom about 6 to 12 inches above the console.
How do you hide TV wires on a wall?
Use an in-wall cable kit where allowed, a paintable cord cover painted the wall color, or run cables behind a console tall enough to cover them.
How wide should a TV console be?
Wider than the TV's actual width (not its diagonal): about 6 to 12 inches past the screen on each side. A 55-inch TV is about 48 inches wide, so a console of 60 inches or more.
How far should my couch be from the TV?
For a 4K TV, about 1.2 to 1.6 times the diagonal: roughly 5.5 to 7.5 feet for a 55-inch TV and 6.5 to 9 feet for a 65-inch.
How do you make a TV blend in?
Surround it with dark frames in a gallery wall, place it on a dark or paneled section of wall, or use a TV that displays art when off.
Before you drill
Measure the screen, not the diagonal
Measure your TV's actual width, add 6 to 12 inches each side for the console, then tape the art positions on the wall with painter's tape. Look at it for a day before you drill.
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Written by
Hemza
Founder & Editor
Founder of decorwithstyle. I style warm, lived-in rooms with natural wood, soft textiles and budget-friendly finds, and share the exact pieces behind every look.
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