Design Dilemma: Hidden in Plain Sight
Author:Lindsey ShookMost of us have a love-hate relationship with our television set. We secretly love to watch the likes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on the flat screen; but once it’s over, we hate the sight of a black rectangle on the wall. Los Angeles-based interior designer Erinn Valencich has conquered the problem simply and easily.
One of her two strategies is shown here in a project she recently completed in the Venice canals district in L.A. Rather than try to hide the set behind cabinetry (and let’s face it, in real life the cabinet doors are rarely closed), she surrounded the television with artwork. “When you hang it on the wall among pictures, it’s amazing how the TV becomes just another frame,” Valencich says. “The eye isn’t as drawn to it.”
Another tactic also involves camouflague. In some homes, including her own, Valencich paints the wall where the television hangs a dark color so the set blends in. “You really don’t notice the TV when you do this,” says the designer. She tells the story of how her good friend, a frequent visitor to her home, headed to the bedroom when Valencich suggested they watch something. “The TV was right in front of her and she didn’t see it,” she says.
You can read more about this home in the March/April issue of California Home+Design.
