One of the main reasons to forgo a television is quite practical. Leanne Ford cites the ungainliness of a large black screen in front of the camera, where it basically looms as a huge black box that reflects light. While flat screens are much more portable and less cumbersome than the tube TVs that preceded them, they still present a large surface that sometimes glares and reflects things like camera crews and equipment, which you don’t want shown on a home renovation show.
Ford goes on to tell Trib Live, “On a personal note, I actually don’t love a TV in a room anyway and I always do my best to hide it within the space. I think staring at a piece of art is much lovelier than a big black box.” It’s an opinion likely popular with many other designers creating rooms where, when present, the television is often carefully hidden. This can manifest in many ways, including discrete cabinet TVs, inconspicuous frame televisions that display art when not in use, and retractable projection screens.
