A gallery wall around the TV

A TV is a large black rectangle for most of the day. Surrounding it with art, shelves or colour turns it into one element of a composition instead of the only thing on the wall. The trick is doing it without making the screen harder to watch.

Mount the TV first

Everything else is arranged around it. Get the height right for viewing — centre near 42 inches for a living room — and resist raising it to "balance" the art. See how high to mount a TV.

Hide the wires

Nothing undermines a gallery wall like a cable trailing through it. Use an in-wall kit ($119) or run a painted cord cover straight down behind furniture.

Use a slim, fixed mount

The closer the TV sits to the wall, the more it reads as another frame. A fixed bracket ($39) is about an inch deep. More in flush and ultra-slim mounts.

Layout principles

• Treat the TV as the largest frame, not the centre of the universe. Off-centre placement within the arrangement often looks more relaxed.
• Keep gaps consistent: 2 to 4 inches between frames, and the same from frames to the TV.
• Build a rectangle. Let the outer edges of the whole arrangement form a clean overall shape.
• Mix sizes, with a few larger pieces to hold their own against the screen.
• Lay it out on the floor first, or tape paper templates on the wall.

What to hang

• Low-contrast and matte pieces near the screen: black-and-white photos, prints, line drawings.
• Black or dark frames echo the TV's frame and tie it in.
• Avoid glass that reflects the screen back at you, or use non-glare glazing.
• Avoid anything bright or busy right beside the screen; it competes with the picture.

Shelves and built-ins

Floating shelves or a full shelving unit around the TV frame it architecturally. Leave a few inches of clearance on each side and above for ventilation and for getting the TV off its mount. A floating shelf below ($39) holds devices.

Paint

• A dark wall — charcoal, deep green, navy — makes the TV recede when it's off and improves perceived contrast when it's on.
• A painted panel or band behind the TV and console anchors them as a unit.
• Matte finishes reflect less than satin or gloss.

Art-mode TVs

Some TVs display artwork when idle and have frame-style bezels. In a gallery wall they pass for a framed print. See mounting a Samsung Frame TV.

Covering the TV

Sliding panels, cabinet doors and roll-down tapestries hide a TV entirely. Make sure anything that covers it allows airflow and can't be closed while the TV is on.

Lighting

Picture lights and sconces look good and can reflect in the screen. Put them on a separate switch or dimmer. A soft glow behind the TV — bias lighting — works well with dark walls.

Symmetry or not

• Symmetrical arrangements suit formal rooms and fireplaces.
• Asymmetrical ones suit a TV that isn't centred on the wall — the art balances the room so the TV can stay where viewing is best.

Hanging the frames

Heavy frames go into studs or proper anchors. Keep nails and screws out of the zone directly above and below the TV's outlet and cable path — wires run vertically there. More in what's behind your wall.

Keep access

Leave enough room to tilt the TV off its mount, and don't hang anything that would have to come down every time a cable is changed.