How to Decorate a TV Stand (Follow This Example)
Does your TV stand feel stuffy, look bland or simply lack style? Is your TV stand the “forgotten” area of the room, making the TV itself the focal point of the space? The problem of having no idea what to do with your media stand is all too relatable.
The good news is that if you’re looking for ways to decorate your media centre, there are so many styling variations you can create to make it feel like an integral part of the design of your living room. The hardest part is just getting it started. In this article, we share our step-by-step process for choosing the right decor items and teach you how to style your TV stand like a pro. We walk you through a real-life example where we help a client achieve a refined look for her media stand in her rental apartment. No matter the size of your space, the same principles apply, so let’s get started!
Choosing the Right TV Stand Decor Items
You can learn everything there is to know about styling a media stand, but if you don’t have the right pieces to work with, it’s going to be difficult to nail the look you’re trying to accomplish. First think about using a variety of shapes, heights, layers, and colours to achieve the look you’re going for. If you’re starting with a blank slate and need some ideas, here are a few of our favourite staple decorative items to inspire you.
A. Bowls: Montana Labelle Cantina Bowl
B. Art: Light House Co. Leisure on the Dock
C. Candle Sticks: CB2 Allis Black Taper Candle Holder
D. Chain Links: West Elm Wood Links
E. Plants: CB2 Potted Faux Eucalyptus
F. Coffee Table Book: Pottery Barn Live Beautiful Coffee Table Book
G. Vases: Studio Mcgee Arnette Terracotta
So you’ve picked out your styling pieces, and now it’s time to put them into action. Let’s dive into our client's example to show you how we gave new life to her TV surround.
See How We Decorated Our Clients’ TV Stand - Condo Edition:
For our example, we’re working in the cozy apartment of a fashionable 30-year-old woman living in the heart of downtown Toronto. Her interior design style can be described as minimal, modern, neutral, and elevated. Because she lives in a rental, we are focusing on rental-friendly decorating solutions. But whether you live in a small condo or have a large living area to work with, these styling tips are easily transferrable to work with any TV stand.
When starting out, it’s important to consider the goal and any challenges or boundaries faced in achieving that goal. The intention is clear: style the TV stand to fit the aesthetic of her home. The obstacles we face? The client requested that we stick to items that she already owns and we are not allowed to make any holes in the wall. That means “no” to hanging any artwork. Luckily, our client owns a shops-worth of amazing styling pieces, so this was a pretty easy boundary to work within.
To get started, we gathered all of the decor pieces we had to work with and grouped them based on visual weight. We recommend categorizing your items into groups of heavy, medium and light. Doing this makes it easier to swap out similar items and helps keep things organized. If you have a lot of styling items like our client, it can be quite overwhelming seeing everything in front of you. That’s why grouping them together can really help you throughout the process. Once you’re all organized, you’re ready to begin!
Step One: Think About the Surroundings
When styling any space, it's crucial to consider the surrounding area. In our scenario, there is a column on the right side of the media stand, which creates a heavier visual obstruction. To balance this out, we are going to choose decor that will soften the area around the column and provide visual balance to the left side of the TV stand.
Pro tip: To counteract the visual obstruction from the column, we kept the bedroom door open, making the space feel lighter and more open.
Consider the surroundings of your media center. Is it in a corner or in the center of a long blank wall? Evaluate any heavy or light visual obstructions to determine where you can place the heavier items.
Tip Two: Create Balance to Each Side
Achieving visual appeal in a space is all about balance and layering. To do so, use items of varying heights and shapes.
With the heavy column on the right, we want to create a vertical weight on the left to balance it. A medium piece of artwork helps bring in that height next to the TV. On the right, we choose to bring visual weight on a horizontal plane with the coffee table books. This creates a complementary look on both sides. The stacked books raise the textured bowl and bridge the blank space between the TV and the tall plant. In order to create a space that feels lived-in and personal, it's essential to vary the design and not mirror the exact look on the other side. We add in a couple of thinner vases to the left layered in front of the artwork so that they bring in that layered element without blocking the artwork.
In this particular project, since we couldn't hang anything on the walls, we created levels within the height of the TV and added a plant to break up the monotony and provide additional height. If you’re able to hang artwork, we encourage you to apply the same idea to hanging artwork next to the TV! See some examples of this in other projects we’ve done at the end of this article.
Pro tip: Stick to 3-4 items on each side of the TV stand to achieve balance, but display them in different ways to add visual interest.
Tip Three: Create Depth and Contrast
In order to create a visually appealing space, it's important to create depth and contrast with your styling. Other than grouping pieces with differing visual weights, we can also achieve this by incorporating items with differing tones. In our example, we use soft tonal grey artwork as a backdrop and place candlesticks with an interesting shape in front. Their unique shape and stark colour add contrast to the artwork without taking up too much visual space.
To avoid having a flat design, we add contrasting elements by having one item in each grouping stand out more. We use black metal candlesticks with spherical details that pop against the muted artwork, and on the right side, we used a grey vase that takes up more visual space and adds contrast to the neutral books below it. The random lines of the branches offer a sculptural look against the white wall while adding another level of height.
Going back to our organized decor items by visual weight, try sorting each group now by colour so that you can easily see which ones will provide contrast with one another. Choose a piece that stands out (a bold colour) and pair it with a couple more subtle-toned items to find your contrast. Then, reflect similar tones on the other side of the media stand for cohesivity.
Tip Four: Try Different Combinations
Here comes the fun bit! Playing with different variations will help you land the desired look. It’s all about trial and error. Take the time to swap items and see which combinations you love the most. Scroll through to see the different combinations we came up with for our client to choose from.
When comparing the different variations and placements, take your time and go with the combination that feels right for you.
Pro Tip: Once a look is put together, try swapping out just one item and then stand back from the TV stand to see how it feels. This is where your organized decor groupings really come in handy.
All good things come with time, so we encourage you to have fun with it. Grab a glass of your favourite beverage and put some music on! We also recommend calling a friend. We Face-Timed our client during this process and had so much fun doing it!
Tip Five: Complete the Look and Mask the TV
If you want to go beyond just styling around the TV, try making your TV an art piece itself. If you have a Samsung Frame TV, try out a neutral piece of modern art that fits your decor. In this modern and minimal-styled home, less is more, so we chose a piece that is not going to make the media centre feel too busy since we already brought in the visual interest on either end of the stand. Check out some of our favourite modern frame art pieces that you can purchase on Etsy below.
By: Harris Lane Prints
By: Harris Lane Prints
Don’t have a Samsung Frame TV? We didn’t forget about you. One of our favourite TV decor hacks is that you can go to Youtube on your Smart TV and visit the channel “Vintage Art TV”. Here you will find a variety of pieces with calming colours that work as a great accent to your TV stand. Our favourites are in the “Sketches” collection because they work well with any style. It will play for hours, so pop it on the TV before your guests arrive and this special touch will be sure to impress.
By: Lady of the Bay
By: Vintage Art TV
There you have it- five simple steps for styling your media stand. Turns out all you need is a little bit of balance, depth and willingness to have fun. Now you are on your way to creating a space that radiates function and style to stand the test of time.
Let’s kiss the days of a bland TV stand goodbye!
