TV stand ideas to organise and add style to your set

TV stand ideas are an often overlooked part of choosing your TV. Yet, when it comes to TV stands, we're spoilt for choice, with plenty of options that keep your flatscreen neatly on display and all the kit that comes with it organised. 

They're a finishing touch, a way to add finesse to your living room TV ideas, allowing you to style your flatscreen TV with your decorating scheme flawlessly.

Choose the ideal TV stand to stylishly display or hide away all the 'stuff' that comes with it - such as a Sky+ HD Box, sound bar, the spaghetti junction of cables in the background and perhaps an old Sopranos complete DVD boxset that you're keeping for nostalgia sake. 

There are a range of TV stand ideas to choose from to suit various size TVs and rooms – from the open-plan kitchen, to the living room or bedroom. Online you can find TV stands ideas that are colorful and playful, to those that rock a more sober and sophisticated palette. 

And once your TV area is suitably sorted with an eye-catching TV stand, all you need to do it sit back, relax and reach for the remote. 

TV stand ideas to add style to your scheme 

1. Choose a stand with space for a soundbar   

Finding a TV stand that comfortably fits equipment to enhance your TV's sound is a must - especially as even some of the best 85 inch TVs still have a long way to go in terms of providing cinema surround-style audio. 

Pictured here, a simple wooden TV stand provides ample width and depth to house a large TV screen and Klipsch Cinema 400 Soundbar, which can be connected to the TV using a single HDMI cable round the back. 

We particularly like the wood and white lacquer finish, with doors to hide any messy cables, books or DVDs you want to keep tucked away. Try Made.com, Habitat and Ikea for contemporary style wooden TV stands. 

2. Surround your TV with colorful shelving

Styling the TV area provides the perfect opportunity to add character to your interior scheme. We think breaking away from the traditional stand style with colorful shelving or cabinetry - as shown here in this room styled by Home Studio - will add fun to your living room and create a unique talking point. 

‘TVs can really break an interior when added without thought and care,’ says Evros Agathou, creative director of Home Studio. ‘When not turned on, the TV becomes a disproportionately large, blank, dark screen. My main aim within this interior was for the TV to sit seamlessly within the wall space, while still being the right size and position to be enjoyed. 

‘The joyful wall of coloured cubes allow the TV to fit seamlessly into the overall look without sticking out like a sore thumb. Mounted on an extendable arm, the TV can be angled to suit a range of viewing positions in the room, then set back again in its holder. It provides all the fun of a TV and an ‘art feature’ wall of furniture, without ruining the look.’

3. Choose a TV cabinet that conceals the screen   

When placing a television in a room, consider whether you’d like it to be on display or hidden away. If you don't want your television to dominate the space, consider buying a TV stand or cabinet that comes with doors to hide it away when not in use. 

While the room pictured actually features a fitted unit instead of a freestanding TV stand, it does a great job of keeping your TV area neat and orderly. Here, it's employed perfectly as part of a grey living room idea. 

‘This living area houses a bespoke piece of joinery overlooking the room that conceals the TV behind sliding doors,’ says Esra Kumbasar, associate design director at Accouter. ‘Your joinery piece can also act as its own piece of art, much like the unit pictured. The cabinet is clad with figured birch and gloss American black walnut timbers, which sit alongside the specialist finishes.

‘Hiding your television away stores those unwanted wires and is also a great space saver for small living rooms, leaving you the option to use the room for all sorts of purposes.’

4. Choose a multi-functional TV stand 

If space is tight in your living area, choose a TV stand that works hard in its design, while appearing seemingly effortless in style, of course. 

A multi-functional piece of furniture such as the Ruark Audio R7 Radiogram, pictured here, is the ideal piece to house your TV in a compact room and looks wonderfully stylish. The R7 sound-system remasters the classic radiogram and gives it a high-tech twist. With the addition of the Audio Visual Mount, it can be transformed from a music system into a complete home entertainment system. 

You simply attach your TV using the height-adjustable TV bracket to create an 'all-in-one' system and play your TV audio through the R7 speakers, which will enhance the sound. 

Using the AV mount allows you to adjust the height of your TV and rotate the position for the best viewing experience. There's a shelf that sits underneath to house your remote and other equipment, too. 

5. Opt for a motorized TV stand

Sometimes the simpler the design, the more stylish the overall effect. We love the look of Bang & Olufsen's Beovision Eclipse 2nd Generation TV and floor stand, which is the perfect mix of high-tech performance and minimalist styling, and is ideal for the best 40 inch TVs. 

It comes with a powerful three-channel stereo set up, for very clear and detailed audio and comes with the choice of two floor stands for you to either mount it to the wall or position it on the floor. 

There are two TV floor stand options – a static one or a motorized version. We love the motorized version that gives you even more reason to rest up on the sofa as it lets you turn the TV to the ideal viewing position using a remote. 

6. Consider a media unit that spans the wall   

You might be wondering how to mount a TV to the wall, as while TV stands are generally freestanding, a media unit is most often designed and installed for a specific space – and can sometimes even span a whole wall – as shown here.

We love the Art Deco feel of this opulent Ebury Media Unit is finished in Sycamore Black and designed by Davidson London. Each decorate storage shelf is backlit with warm LED lights, which makes it perfect for showcasing treasured art and objects. 

In the middle of the unit there is space for a large TV and concealed cabling, while the low-level storage cabinets at the base are ideal for keeping all your other belongings neatly hidden out of sight.

7. Balance your scheme with a colorful TV stand 

The best living room ideas focus on creating balance. And reflecting the colors used in your TV area in other areas of the room scheme will add harmony to your interior. 

So if there's a certain colour you are using to decorate with, be it in perhaps teal green cushions, a vibrant yellow rug or dusty pink sofa, it's a good idea to search online for a TV stand that also uses the hue in its design. 

Dunelm, for example, sells the Oliver Wide TV Stand in a sunshine yellow shade. Even better it has matching furniture including the sideboard pictured here. 

What can I use instead of a TV stand? 

There are alternatives to buying a TV stand and sometimes a simple piece of furniture will house a TV beautifully. You could try using a console table with drawers to hide Blu-ray DVDs. Or a chest of drawers can work equally well. 

Alternatively, you could mount a TV onto a wall and surround it with a bookshelf, or mount it above a fireplace. If you choose to mount it above a fireplace however, consider the height of the screen and whether it's a comfortable viewing height for viewing from the sofa. 

What is a good height for a TV stand? 

As a general rule, the TV should be mounted about 56 inches from the floor to the centre of the TV to ensure its a good height for viewing. 

That said, for the best TV viewing experience, you should aim to position your TV at eye level. This means that when you are sitting on your sofa to watch your TV, you don't need to crane your neck or sit in an awkward position. Comfort is paramount.