Antisocial & ugly
Stop celebrating your TV
The Block NZ judge Jason Bonham says the way many Kiwis display the TV slap-bang in the middle of our living rooms shows our lack of sophistication and the fact that we’re ‘‘not that far from the cowshed’’. Interior designer Bonham, who’s recently returned from the UK, said most of the homes he visited overseas had their televisions hidden away rather than as the living room’s centrepiece.
‘‘The TVs are not visible, they are hidden away. It’s all about conversation, community, being together and communicating,’’ he said.
New Zealanders tend to celebrate their televisions, he said.
‘‘We’re not that far from the cowshed, we’re just a bunch of farmers. It’s the reality, we are a young culture that is largely uneducated when it comes to interiors and international trends.
‘‘You shouldn’t base a whole room around a television, and I find with a lot of New Zealand interiors the only thing you see is the television. It takes pride of place in the centre of the room.’’
Arranging the decor so the television is the centrepiece gives off an ‘‘antisocial vibe’’, Bonham said.
‘‘Tablets and phones are all interconnected so there is no getting together, being a unit, being a family, actually communicating, this is becoming less and less because of television,’’ he said.
Bonham’s television is not hidden, but it’s not the centre of attention either.
‘‘My TV sits off to the side; my main feature is my fireplace and my painting. Personally, I don’t like a TV over the fireplace. It’s a little bit tacky – it’s nicer to have art,’’ he said.
August & Co interior designer Hayley Dryland agrees with Bonham – she does not even own a television. However, she said it was important to realise that everyone’s lifestyles are different.
‘‘There are families that have family time around a TV and that’s what they do.’’ TV placement is an individual choice. ‘‘Just like a kitchen and a bathroom, you design it for how you live. If a TV is not what you watch every night, it shouldn’t be your focus,’’ she said.
Dryland cited her builder as someone who had strategically dealt with the TV issue, even though his living room wall and TV was the first thing visible when entering his home.
‘‘There’s an open-plan kitchen, dining and family room, the wall is dominating as you walk in. They didn’t want it as a first impression and chose a new Samsung television. These allow custom framing and can look like art,’’ she said.
Other clients prefer to blend their televisions into bookshelves with sliding doors, have it as part of a gallery wall framed by art, or use custom-made cabinets, though not entertainment units as they added bulk to a room, Dryland said.
Not everyone is as eager to disguise their TV set. Sky sports presenter and journalist Melodie Robinson’s family has embraced their televisions – all three of them.
‘‘Our lounge was set up with the TV in mind,’’ she said of the living room television, which is attached to the wall.
‘‘Because we watch live sport, we like to have people sitting around it to watch. Where [the TV] sits is really important as we are such a big sports family. It’s in a spot where I can watch the news when I’m cooking, too,’’ she said.
A smart television has been placed in a separate living room for her children’s entertainment.
‘‘They watch mainly YouTube on that. And we have it down there so I can watch my stuff on the
‘‘We’re not that far from the cowshed, we’re just a bunch of farmers.’’ Jason Bonham
other TV without them annoying me. Naughty, I know, but watching TV is about winding down for me after massive days,’’ she said.
The third ‘‘old and ugly’’ model is in her bedroom.
‘‘I usually don’t get to start watching TV until later and I’d rather go to bed. This is our massive TV, it’s a bit old and ugly, and it’s on a hinge thing so we can pull it out to watch, then push it back against the wall,’’ she said.
Bonham’s tips for camouflaging your TV:
Move the TV to the side so it’s not the main feature.
If it must be visible, place it on a nice piece of furniture, and add photo frames or fresh flowers. ‘‘Don’t make it the be all and end all,’’ he said.
If you put it on a cabinet, make it a low cabinet and preferably one that is automated so the TV pops up.
Invest in the new Samsung TV that goes completely white and can become part of the wall surface or a piece of art.