The Artwork in This London Living Room Is Actually a Big TV Cover-up

A French family, upon relocating from the U.S. to the U.K., acquired a traditional Victorian townhouse in London’s Kensington neighborhood. They engaged the multidisciplinary firm OWN London for renovation. A key challenge in the design process was the prominent placement of a 65-inch television screen in the main lounge, which became immediately visible upon entering the narrow entryway. The clients expressed a desire for the television to be less conspicuous. Alícia Meireles, OWN’s head of interior design, aimed to integrate the TV discreetly, drawing on her experience from Soho House where she regularly disguised television sets to create a more atmospheric environment. Meireles initially considered using a vintage tapestry to cover the television, intending to split it into two panels. However, the 65-inch width of the television screen proved problematic, as most vintage tapestries, woven on older looms, typically measured around 30 inches, making them too small for the required coverage. This size constraint led to a decision to commission a custom art piece. Meireles turned to artisans in her native Portugal and found Cristina Santos, an embroiderer known for traditional techniques applied to contemporary designs. The design brief emphasized a sense of freshness and ease, ensuring the artwork would not dominate the room despite its central location. Santos created a pair of abstract works on painted linen, incorporating 17 different types of stitching using colorful wool. The creation of these embroidered panels took approximately five weeks. Upon completion, the embroidered fabric was brought to London, where a local upholsterer meticulously wrapped it around two padded panels, ensuring precise alignment. These finished pieces were then framed in a wooden surround, designed with generous sides to allow for easy handling when opening the panels. The entire system was integrated into a custom unit that also included open shelving, providing space for family photographs and collected objects, thereby enhancing the unit's functional and aesthetic purpose. A millworker devised an invisible mechanism for the panels, featuring a wheel that slides along the top of the shelf, allowing the panels to separate in tandem. A stopper was incorporated to control the opening extent, and a soft-close function was added for smooth operation. The resulting design is robust, highly functional, and has garnered admiration from visitors, creating a notable "wow effect" when the television is revealed. This bespoke solution effectively hides the television, transforming it into an artistic feature when not in use. #InteriorDesign #HiddenTV #VictorianTownhouse #CustomArtwork #FiberArt #LondonLivingRoom #HomeRenovation #DesignSolution #LuxuryHome #InteriorDesign #HiddenTV #VictorianTownhouse #CustomArtwork #FiberArt #LondonLivingRoom #HomeRenovation #DesignSolution #LuxuryHome

12 months ago

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