Design Dilemma: Tips for hiding a television & media in your home

I am one of those people.

Big screen televisions that take up half a room? Not happening.
Television above the fireplaces? Not the televisions I have.
Speaker and sound systems that sit on a shelf mingling with books and tidbits? Not my look.

Look, it isn’t that I don’t like television. I watch Dateline and crime shows like they are going out of style- and yes those thriller Lifetime movies every weekend. And I am always convinced someone is just outside creeping around because of them.  I do have weekday favorites also- This is Us is a big one.

But truth be told- here are a few media tidbits at our house:

*Our television comes on just a couple times a week in the evenings to watch something before bed unless we are putting on a movie or something like that.

*We have an old house which means the tv isn’t just plugged into cable jack that is wired to all the rooms- we don’t have cable out in the country. So we have extra cords, extra satellite boxes, etc wherever there is a t.v.

*We have wifi- but to stream something like a movie isn’t super practical- it takes me on average about an hour to load 10 hi-res images to dropbox (images for print) and that is with pausing everything else that uses wi-fi.

Basically- we are in the dinosaur ages of technology over here folks. haha.
So when it comes to fancy schmancy home theatre type technology – while I may covet some of it- it isn’t really going to work for our home.

So what do we have? 
Often asked questions- I guess because I don’t really share a room with a t.v. shown in it on my blog.


Do you have a television? Where?
Yes,  we have up to date but basic variety thin televisions and we just have 2 of them – and they are hidden away.

Do you have any stereo systems ? Where are they? 
And we have a wireless speaker system that goes throughout the house that we love.
Again- all hidden from view.

Do you have a television in your living room?
Not currently. We did have a tv in the living room when the kids were small and lived at home- but
even then, I placed it in an armoire to be able to close the doors and hide it.
Why?
Because media out and about in my face in a room is a pet peeve of mine. I don’t like seeing that big t.v. as part of a  room-. So unless we are watching it- televisions just bother me personally.

Now- if I could figure this one out- I would totally add the t.v. back to the living room…

This was in an apartment in Paris and the television was behind that antique mirror. INCREDIBLE. Or maybe one of those t.v. systems that look like artwork- would definitely jump on those and give them a try.

But for now- media hidden away- out of sight is my preference.

So as so many of you have asked…
WHERE exactly is our t.v. and those stereo systems?

Our main t.v is hidden away behind the top doors in this armoire in our bedroom- and the other one is in the guest bedroom.  I close the doors on the armoire when the t.v. is not being watched- and yes, this piece of furniture also houses the satellite box.

The stereo system? 


Well, we are a little bit more technologically with the times there I suppose! haha.

We have Sonos Play 1 speakers throughout the house.
They run off of wi-fi (yes our dinosaur wi-fi works for these!! YAY!! ) and the speakers are small so I have them tucked out of view- on top of the floral armoire in the hallway for example.

Can you see it? If you grabbed a stool and climbed up- yes. But otherwise no.
It is up on the top of the armoire- hidden behind that carved crown.

The speakers are hidden in all of the rooms they are in- and
we have 4 of these currently and something I love about them is that they all connect together wirelessly and you can just keep adding them.
They run through an app on the phone or computer- so I can put music on to play in 1 room or 2, or 3 or all of the rooms.
And it can be different music- or the same.
I prefer the same as I like to walk through the house and in and outside and have the same music playing in the background.

I also use them for the workouts I do – they connect right to the video I am playing on my phone or computer.

Note: We do have 1 Sonos Alexa enabled speaker- but don’t have Alexa turned on.
She surprised me one time when I was talking to someone in the living room and started talking back to us and basically freaked everyone in the room out.
So off she went.
 I am not 100% sure of Alexa just yet… haha.

We just ordered 1 more  to add outdoors(Prime Day starts today folks!) 
And here are a few tips for using and enjoying media in your home- and hiding it.

Place your TV in an armoire, behind a mirror, in a frame


Most of the time – those vintage armoires we love have gaps or areas where you can run cords through the back of them- but if not – you can make a small hole as long as you are okay with altering a vintage piece- which you should note- might alter the price you are able to sell for  if you intend to sell it.
If not- use a newly made media armoire – which has cut out areas specifically for tucking all those cords and gadgets out of the way.

You can also put a frame around your t.v. and make it look more like artwork- which I think it a great alternative. OR put it behind a mirror. I am working on how to get that look and will share when and if I figure it out.

Speakers tucked away

Place those speakers out of sight- here are some ideas:
on top of an armoire
kitchen cabinet
behind a house plant
behind artwork on a shelf
Inside basket that are on display

Go wireless

We don’t have whole house wired speakers or wired Anything in this 1940’s cottage of ours. When we moved in- we had all original knob and tube wiring- and just 1 outlet in each room. Which meant power strips everywhere until we had the wiring and fuse box replaced years ago.  It was crazy.

 So wireless is key for us to be able to enjoy that whole house sound system music- and we love that we can put a speaker in every room and play music, audio books, etc. throughout the house without having to have wired technology.
As I mentioned- we use and love our Sonos – but they do have other options out there as well.

Go Battery Operated

If you don’t have a plug- go battery operated. We have plug in devices – but do go with battery operated for one of our video surveillance systems.  You may have to charge often- but those battery operated devices are fantastic to use when you don’t have a plug within reach or don’t want to string cords along the wall and through doorways. Yes, we have done it that way before- it is not an attractive look.

Outdoor Sounds

It is so enjoyable to listen to music while sitting outside by the fire pit or dining under the stars. But make sure to have something that is designed for outdoors specifically and also have someplace you can enjoy your speaker that is covered from the elements- and also remember to bring inside out of the humidity and weather when you need to.

And if you would like to shop for a Sonos- I linked to the Sonos in my Amazon store (affiliate) and I imagine that you might be able to snag a great Prime Day deal for the next 2 days.  I already have an extra in my cart. 🙂

I hope this helps for those who have asked questions about how to enjoy all that media without having it in your face all the time.

Have another design dilemma question?  Just send me an email or leave a comment on this post and maybe it will be the next Design Dilemma blog post topic.

And it is Prime Day- which means there are a TON of great deals on Amazon. I am a huge Amazon shopper- I love the 2 day shipping and can pretty much find anything I am looking for there. And you can find some of my favorite items and things I have saved for ideas in my shop- 
and all of these photos are from my book- which is also available on Amazon HERE.  

Happy Monday all.

*some affiliate links