design guru

I've said it before, but the word genius is often bandied about with gay abandon, but sometimes it's actually warranted.  And this "genius" idea of mine is just one of those occasions.

Like most people we have a TV in our lounge.  A great big black screen that vies for attention with what should be the room's focal point, the fireplace.  And we've found over the past few years that we watch less and less television mainly due to the fact that most of what is on there is utter dross.

TV "watch" mode (we do banish the reflections!)

And believe me, I know dross when I create see it...

So, we looked for ideas to make the screen more anonymous.  A frame TV maybe, or use our Apple TV to relay artwork onto the screen perhaps.  These are both great, but of course require the TV and the Apple TV box in the case of the latter, to be on all the time.  This is a woeful waste of energy and also creates an amount of heat.

Next thought was some sort of roller blind affair with maybe a decorative throw or blanket attached to a shelf above the TV that could be rolled up or down whenever the need arose.  We quickly unthought (it's a word) this on the grounds that it would be too bulky and, with the roller's workings on display, aesthetically challenging.

I finally came up with the idea of getting one of my images enlarged and printed on a canvas deep enough to cover the screen when not in use.  And then when we do want to watch something it can be relocated to another wall (in our bedroom in this case).  Simple, practical and effective.  In my head at least.

I got the canvas made up and, well, have a look for yourself...

where'd it go???

I'm waiting for IKEA or the UK design awards team to ring as I type.