What came first: The TV or the designer hatred for the TV? Hello friends, and welcome to this week’s installment of Arlyn’s Curmudgeony Design Takedown. Today’s episode? My lack of tolerance for hiding the things in our homes that we need and very regularly use just because they aren’t “aesthetic.” That black remote control? ::Gasp:: The cable modem? MAKE THAT THING INVISIBLE INSIDE A RATTAN BOX STAT! I’m not mad at the desire to have utilitarian things that look nice and surprisingly displayable, but loving design and a beautiful room don’t have to also come with a degree from MacGyver University for how to disguise everything in sight to look like a vintage oil painting or woven basket.
For anyone reading this who is saying, “Arlyn, it’s all about reducing visual clutter,” to that I say: “Yes, I agree, but also, you probably only think that because you read it in an article I wrote a decade ago.” While I get anxiety spikes when things are out of place, cluttered, or untidy, I also prefer my home to work effortlessly without barriers I’ve created for myself in the name of Pretty. Cable management is one thing, but no one should have to sacrifice proper lighting (#TheBigLight) or being able to change the channel because a faux stack of books covering your cable box is blocking the signal.
Who are we doing this all for? Ourselves? Our visitors? We can’t bear to look at a thermostat? A doorbell chime box? Honestly, I think this all hit a fever pitch when images of homes, both by designers and amateurs alike, became a huge part of our everyday vernacular. As someone who has produced hundreds, if not thousands, of luxury home magazine features, I know how much is edited out because cords and light switches are as hated by art directors as they are by designers. This created an aesthetic culture where we all got used to seeing houses without functional things like outlets, and now assume we also need to find a way to Photoshop them out, except in real life. [Side story: I was watching an episode of House Hunters last night, and the featured homebuyer was a woman who made financial empowerment content for social media. She kept saying her home needed to be “aesthetic” and was hyper-focused on white countertops and black hardware because she claims it’s what she needed for her audience to see her as successful. My eyes are only just coming forward from the back of my head.]
Phew! Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s explore all the “designer disguises” that I find mostly unnecessary, and no one should be pressured into thinking is necessary, either:
Designer Disguise #1: TVs
Let’s start with the most polarizing topic: The television. I’ve written on this specific subject in the past and got a ton of opposing feedback. Many agreed with me that a TV is not a thing that needs to be hidden. It’s a part of our lives, and just because it’s a “big black box” doesn’t mean it’s hideous and should be banished. Others brought up some good points about not liking the distraction, and that it’s helpful to put it away behind cabinetry or art or some other concoction when not in use to focus on other things like connecting with loved ones, reading, or conversation. I’ll accept that, because I know that we all have different lifestyles and media tolerances.
But more and more, it just feels like this thing that many of us use daily is some kind of smear on an otherwise beautiful space. Mind you, TVs are smaller and more inconspicuous than ever before. The freestanding furniture-like Sony set that graced my parents’ living room when I was a kid is a far cry from the flat panels of today, and yet we’re obsessed with faking people and ourselves that one simply does not exist in our living rooms.
By far, my most pressing question to all of us here today, whether you’ve thought about hiding your TV or hate the idea, is as follows: Why are we putting so much pressure on ourselves for design/styling perfectionism? I know that our homes are our sanctuaries, and they should make us feel at peace. Visual clutter really can raise our anxiety levels, but are we jumping through performative hoops to make ourselves feel better, or because the Internet slash the design industry, the big “They,” told us we need to hide all these non-decorative things away from the world if we want to be perceived as having good taste, or better yet, chic (the highest podium finish of all the home style qualifies, evidently)?
Designer Disguise #2: Cable Boxes And Remotes
It should come as no surprise that any accoutrement to the hideous television would also need to be shrouded in secrecy, concealed from our delicate eyes. Does the above basket solution look cleaner and tidier than the open crate with cables popping out of it? Yes, sure. A spaghetti-like knot of cords would inspire anyone to find a solution, but the sheer number of videos on the Internet dedicated to cutting holes in baskets and boxes to preserve a pristine shelfie or mantel is dizzying.
I don’t mind having a cable box or remotes set on a shelf or a book as long as there aren’t messy cords collecting dust bunnies spiraling from it.
When it comes to kitchen appliances, I appreciate the look of seamless kitchens with hidden panel-ready appliances. But why hide the things we need the most, like the refrigerator, freezer, or dishwasher? It seems unnecessary to make them hard to find.
Similarly, I believe in making things look sleeker, like good-looking air vents, rather than covering them up because we think they’re ugly. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our doorbell chime boxes or other tech interfaces; they can remain visible without needing to be hidden.
While a tucked-away outlet inside a drawer for a charging station is genius, going overboard with faux painting or offset drawers that need to be kept open for use may sacrifice function. Let’s not play hide-and-seek with beautiful outlet covers or cords – let’s embrace the reality of our homes, cords and all.
And finally, a little bonus, because I don’t necessarily think this is a “designer” thing more than it is a “styled and photographed magazine home” thing. From experience, many family photos are often removed from houses featured in print for privacy reasons, but do me a favor and take a look at all the gorgeous rooms you have saved in your bookmarks and Pinterest folders. How many of them have family photos? A little corner table with rows of petite frames with abuela, cousins, best friends’ babies? Gallery walls of non-descript or aesthetic abstract art, yes, but hallways full of mismatched frames with 4″x6″ prints are a thing of the past. I want to know who lives in a home when I see it. I want to see their life, their family, their memories. Find a way to display them in a way that feels tidy, if you must, but can we please start decorating with family photos again?
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Friends, I’ve reached the end of my complaints. I love a beautiful home as much as the next person; after all, I’ve made my living writing about beautiful homes. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, and all of that. But something I won’t do is just accept a bizarre status quo I don’t perfectly align with to salvage some illusion of having perfect taste and an even more pristine home. Release yourself from the need for flawlessness. Leave your remote on the coffee table. Print out that photo from your family vacation and put it on your console table. Have outlets you can see and use, and not have to hunt for. You deserve it.
Until next time…
Opening Image Credits: Design by Mel Burstin | Photo by Tessa Neustadt | From: Mel’s Living Room Reveal