Interior Design and Technology Part II: Hidden in Plain Sight

In the design world, we are so focused on the elements in our home, their appearance, and their function. I want to dig deeper and talk about technology that can improve the quality of the time we spend in our homes. Why not make it look its very best!? So dig in with me; we are both learning something and benefitting in the process! 

This piece is a follow-up to the first blog in this series, “Interior Design & Technology Part I: Functional Ornamentation.” In part one, I discussed what functional ornamentation could be with elaborate and beautiful pieces of electronic equipment. If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check it out!  In this second part, I will talk about what most homeowners desire: integrated technology that is out of sight and out of mind. 

Interior Design and Technology – Unobtrusive Pieces

I appreciate the understated, seamless, and discreet options for today’s A/V equipment. You can hide speakers with small profiles amongst bookshelves or have a recessed projector screen drop from the ceiling at comparatively lower costs than possible in the past. If you’re the type of person that wants to disappear in the room, here are some helpful tips for you to follow. 

Choosing low-profile equipment

You may want to have a full home theater system with surround sound speakers, a subwoofer, and the whole works, but your partner would rather jump out the window than see speakers placed around the room. (I can actually relate to both opinions on this one!) There’s a solution to this. 

Today, we’re fortunate that in-ceiling, in-wall, and even in-furniture speakers exist, so you can have a full home theater sound system with speaker grills that are painted to match your wall colors! If a professional installation isn’t within the budget, there are affordable soundbars with small footprints that can competently reproduce theater sound!

Suppose you live in tight quarters, like a city apartment, and don’t have the space for a dedicated home theater. In that case, there are ways to maximize your space with modular equipment that can be stored away at a moment’s notice, converting your space from an entertainment palace to a functional space and back again in just minutes. 

Short-throw laser projectors are remarkable pieces of technology readily available these days. They are small electronic boxes that can be placed right up against a wall and project stunning images, simulating screens 85-125” in size! It’s like a drive-in theater right in your apartment!

If you don’t want to invest in any new equipment, I advise updating your furniture to fit your TV arrangement best. There are tons of beautiful low-profile pieces of furniture that can help organize and tuck away your devices. 

And don’t forget about plant life! Adding some biophilic design elements into your entertainment space can help divert the eyes from tv screens and black boxes, blending technology with nature for a peaceful result. Remember, it is about using technology that improves our lives and hiding it in plain sight when we can when there’s a way to make that happen. 

Getting Creative with Colors 

Of course, this wouldn’t be an article of mine without discussing how colors can help you blend your equipment into your spaces with near-seamless results. Ask any color expert, and they’ll tell you that a curated color scheme can be one the best camouflages in your home!

If using a color palette to camouflage your equipment, choose pieces where the colors blend into your decor. Not everything has to be black or gray, as you can see in the image posted here. Another approach is if you have an occasional antique here and there, showcase your vintage-looking components; if you like the look, you don’t mind them being in the room!

Speakers can be low-profile enough that they can be placed in or on a wall, even on a bookshelf, without being a distraction, but what about the television itself? If you’re traditional and prefer a backlit television as opposed to a projector (most do), it can be hard to hide the television, and let’s be honest, while some look better than others, TVs today are big black rectangles. Fear not; colors can come to our rescue here. 

One solution is to have a pleasing image(s) on your TV; it can be random images of nature, rotating family photos, or the work of a fine artist you admire. If you are up for a whimsical solution, some images, like a video of a fish tank or roaring fireplace, will minimize the impact of a big black TV in the room. Although I would not recommend it for the center of your living room, trying the whimsical approach in a family room might make the TV an enjoyable part of your decor, after all! 

I’ve had clients find great success by mounting the TV on dark walls or a dark accent wall to help blend the screen into the background and not stand juxtaposed against the rest of the wall color. The results are quite good; if nothing else, they will minimize the big black TV in the room. 

Low-Profile Equipment – Hiding in Plain Sight

If you find the presence of a wall-mounted television or bookshelf speaker truly revolting, there are some unique solutions for you. Manufacturers have taken notice of the interior design world, including the sentiment that many homeowners want to avoid staring at equipment in their spaces, especially when not using them. 

Samsung has taken an innovative and brilliant approach to this dilemma and created solutions to fit the bill. Their product line called “the frame” are specially designed TVs that look like framed photographs or art when the TV is not in use.

Homeowners can choose from a wide selection of art from Samsung’s catalog or even upload their own. And, this doesn’t just look like a TV with pretty pictures flashing by; the screen is designed to have a matte finish, akin to what photographs or canvas texture looks like, and the backlighting system is so advanced and subtle, you wouldn’t know the TV is even powered on. 

This is some tech that I can really get behind! Of course, you’ll be paying a higher premium for this type of TV, but for many homeowners, it’s absolutely worth it. 

There are also options for building in a TV behind closed doors and opening them when you are ready to dig into that dramatic series at the end of a long day. I love this idea; it takes a talented designer and carpenter to design it for your specific needs.

It’s All About Your Tastes

So, how do you feel about interior design and technology? Are you one of the rare few who love making a statement with a beautifully elaborate piece of equipment? Or do you prefer the opposite and aim to make all your electronics as unobtrusive as possible? Please share your stories and feelings with me; I always love hearing them 😀