There may be times when you feel a bit awkward about seeing your newly installed, attention-drawing HDTV dominate your elegantly designed room. Sure, televisions look so much better today than they did decades ago – but the big screen in your kitchen, your living room, or your home theater room is still (likely) a framed black rectangle that can look completely out of place when it’s not on, that can seem to consume more space than it really does, that can thus prick any homeowner’s design sensibilities.
Worry not. Blending your HDTV into your home environment doesn’t have to hurt your – or anyone else’s – eyes and aesthetics. Check out these options for concealing – instead of revealing – your home screen.
Vutec ArtScreen R-Series
Vutec’s ArtScreen R-Series features a high-technology motorized flat-screen masking system designed to transform your flat panel installation into a work of art. At the touch of a button, the system extends your HDTV’s display to as much as about a foot from the wall, enabling you to utilize multiple viewing angle technology (via its swivel-and-tilt function) while also eliminating glare and reflection.
Apart from providing you with maximum viewing enjoyment, the ArtScreen R-Series also preserves your room décor and accommodates your own interior design needs. In both surface mount and recessed versions, the system includes an automated retractable work of art inside a custom hardwood frame that can mask your installed HDTV. You can choose your own canvas artwork for video displays in sizes that range from 32 inches to 103 inches.
Stealth Cover Art
With a view of “putting aesthetics over technology,” Stealth Cover Art offers beautiful framed archival art prints designed to cover your wall-mounted HDTV (LCD or plasma) screen.
Here’s how it works: you can choose your own Stealth Cover Art and custom frame from the store’s public domain art collection, you can supply Stealth Cover Art with your own high-resolution image (which they’ll print for you), or you can commission an artist to create your own original Stealth Cover Art custom painting. Every unit includes a frame, motor, IR remote control module, and cover art on archival canvas – which, once installed, rolls up or down inside your frame and reveals or conceals your flat screen. (Prices depend on unit size and image selection.)
Media Décor Eclipse Vertical Art Lift
Media Decor – a partner of lighting control and electronics company Lutron – has a wide range of Art Lifts, which are designed to conceal flat-screen TVs with original art, panels, and mirrors. Among these, the one that caught our eye was the Eclipse Vertical Art Lift, the world’s first silent, precision electronic sliding lift, with a work of art that slides smoothly up or down at the press of a button. It also integrates the Lutron Electronic Drive Unit to move the art or panel in a movement direction of your choice: up or down.
Other features of the Eclipse Vertical Art Lift include: a Silent Lift platform with needle-bearing guides, a Lutron IR remote control and receiver, a pair of adjustable mounting crossbars, and the Integral Lutron QS Drive Unit.
Bronson Room Divider
Furniture manufacturer recently announced the new Bronson Room Divider, an easy-to-use, free-standing swiveling mounting system that includes ambient lighting and ample storage space (component shelf and utility drawers) perfect for installing HDTVs and placing home theater components. As this elegant centerpiece swivels, your TV moves seamlessly, allowing both sides of the room to enjoy the same great entertainment features with nothing more than the flick of a wrist.
The Bronson Room Divider can be customized according to your design preferences; you have a wide range of choices for matte fronts, glossy fronts, mirror fronts, and glass fronts.
Diamond Case Phoenix Lift Cabinet
Like Media Decor, fine furniture and electronics company Diamond Case also has a range of TV lifts designed to complement your home design aesthetic. The Phoenix TV Lift Cabinets series caught our eye; these are elegantly designed furniture pieces that are 100% made in the USA, have a swivel option, multiple choices of color, 5-year warranties, and the ability to fit TV sizes ranging from 32 inches to 65 inches.
