INTERIOR designers are finding innovative ways to disguise big-screen televisions so they are safe, space-saving and stylish.
MINIMALISM may be a dirty word in the interior design world of late but when it comes to hanging that brand-new flat-screen, it is de rigueur.
Hanging a flat-screen TV on a wall or from the ceiling is becoming the installation method of choice for a growing number of interior decorators and home DIYers keen on a modern, minimalist look.
Be it a plasma, LCD or LED television set, hanging a flat-screen is a great way to free up space and create an airy feel, all for a relatively small price.
"There are no limits to what you can do, it's just how deep your pockets are," says Albany Creek-based AV Clarity owner Joel Shapcott, who offers public liability insurance as part of his service.
Mounting the TV on a wall frame also takes away the possibility of injury (especially to children) of the flat screen toppling over due to an insufficiently sturdy base, a problem Shapcott has encountered.
Nowadays, with various mounting frames along with fasteners (nuts and bolts to you and I) readily available from most hardware stores, the DIY route is worth exploring.
Cavity wall design in your home is a requisite for a completely clean cable-free look as it allows you to route the cables through the wall and connect every component in your entertainment system.
If you have VJ board walls or don't want to route cables through your walls, there are options.
"Wall mounting works well if you can get under the wall to put the cabling through," says interior designer Alex Honey of Stirling Interiors.
"Some people are going back to putting the TV in an entertainment unit, because if the TV breaks or the hidden cabling has a problem it can mean taking that sheet of wall off.
"The most common install we do is putting the TV on a bracket that can be angled out from the wall."
A disadvantage of wall mounting your TV, though, is that the black, rectangular void of a powered-off plasma can be an unwelcome distraction in an otherwise beautifully-decorated room.
A popular trend in the US is to place a picture frame around the television to help the set blend into a room setting. Taking this further is the alternative of concealment, with some options offering all the duplicity of a double-agent in being able to transform from a mirror - or work of art - to a TV all in the time it takes to press the "power" button.
Frame My TV in the US offers both mirror and artwork solutions for the ultimate flat-screen facade.
The mirrors are available in three designs which offer differing levels of quality in the reflection/transparency departments. With no mirror able to provide perfect reflective and transparent properties, Frame My TV also offer the option of ordering a 20cm square sample of one their three different mirror types for the customer to evaluate the right kind of TV mirror for them.
Motorised rolling artworks are an interesting alternative offered by Frame My TV who have a variety of artwork and frame combinations on offer and ship to Australia.
For more information: www.avclarity.com.au, www.ehow.com, www.sterlinginteriors.com.au or www.framemytv.com
EXPERT
While hanging a flat-screen yourself is the cheaper way to go, there are companies that specialise in the process and offer the advantage of industry knowledge and expertise as well as being covered by insurance should anything go wrong.
One such business is AV Clarity in Albany Creek, who will hang a flat-screen from $250 and offer a 12-month guarantee on their work.
DIY
One way to make the installation look neater is to consolidate all cords into a braided nylon conduit or a wrap-around plastic spiral. They come in many colours and will take away the tangle.
Another idea for VJ walls is to use a square PVC tube which can be mounted to the wall and encapsulate the cables between each component or the power outlet.
