Decorating Behind a Wall Mounted Flat Screen TV

What to do with decoration behind the flat screen TV?  Most people would leave the paint as it is and I probably would have had I not previously made a design blunder.  When I first purchased my house 6 years ago, I decided I had to have a faux Venetian Plaster wall.  I love the Tuscan look.  However, I also loved the mirror hanging above the fireplace.  So, I had the professionals do the faux paint AROUND my mirror.

BIG MISTAKE!!!  Who am I to say what my taste would be in 6 years or what technology would evolve into.  Why would I ever move the mirror?  Don't mirrors make a smaller place look bigger?  Please do not do this to yourself!  Change is inevitable.


My Faux Venetian Plaster "Focal" Wall with the Mirror.

I don't like to spend big money on big ticket items.  I have had the same, HUGE TV from early 2000 in my tiny living room taking up space, because it works.  I held a Super Bowl party at my house this year and my brother brought over his incredible flat screen TV and put it on top of my outdated TV.  I was shocked!  How could my TV's image be so different!!

Is that really my picture quality?

It is at this time that I had to do psychology on myself.  If I keep this same TV, I will never buy a new TV.  So, the next week I called a friend of my brothers who may be interested and sure enough he came and picked up the TV.  Now, I had the whole living room to move the furniture around.  Also, I now had incentive to buy a new TV.

I went out of town for a few weeks.  No worries about not having a TV downstairs.  Then...I was home for a couple weeks.  How do I not have a TV in my downstairs and I had a party coming up!  Still, I am unwilling to spend a lot of money.  I researched a deal on Ebay on a REFURBISHED Smart TV with 1040p, 240 mgh, 3D ability, WIFI accessible, etc.  This TV was a $560 Vizio TV.  I am a fan of Vizio.  So, with a 30 day return policy and many messages to the seller with fear, I purchased it.  I let my brother and uncle play with it.  Test it out...break it!

It has more than passed the test (and that of my brother's TV ability...yay!).  Now, the problem.  I want one focal wall.  To get the TV above the fireplace means...removing the mirror.  There is nothing behind the mirror but a white wall.

Behind the mirror...

I talked to several painters that did not want to try to match the finish.  I tried to find the company who did the original finish and could not locate them.  I considered putting the mirror up and slicing it for a mount.  At the end of the day, I started considering tiles, Mosaic, etc.  What to do?

On a journey to Home Depot for paint on a different part of the house, I noticed some pretty awesome copper back splash.  I went for it and took a chance.  Not so cheap, but neither was the wall.  I bought 6 pieces of copper, wavy back splash from Home Depot and double sided tape. This was about $130.

Kitchen back splash in my Living Room?

Applying this was my Uncle's job as I stood back and aimed for perfection in lining.  It took a couple re dos and leveling, but eventually got it up.  We also used a couple staples from a staple gun in the middle and then added a sturdy mount.  After spending $560 on a TV I was not going for any mount.  I ponied up and spent $90 at Lowe's on a mount that is fully tiltable and adjustable from the wall.

Who knew?  Kitchen back splash?  I watch a lot of HGTV, so why not?  Give it a whirl.  It was a $130 whirl, but if it turned out it would be great!

Kitchen Back splash is about to become the decorative frame to my high end TV!

Needs to come down a bit...

My Uncle and I proceeded with moving the mount down.  Where the holes were initially drilled some copper spray paint fixed it up.  And, now the final product!

This is not for everybody, but I love it.  Why should I have nothing behind the TV...when I could frame it?   Thanks to what I first considered a blunder, I now have an artistic piece behind my TV.  Many people at the party I hosted were impressed and asked what I used to complete the process.

More thinking outside of the box and having an "Anything Goes!" attitude resulted in a piece I am proud of and is unique.  Make your house your own and go for it!  It has been a therapeutic process and I recommend it to everyone!

 Granted I still need to work on the wires...but a plan is in the works, of course!