Decorating an Entertainment Center: 15 Must-Try Ideas
Posted On November 11, 2022An entertainment center is a great area to make long-lasting memories and declutter the rest of your home. Though they’re usually found in living rooms, they’re also welcome in a playroom or bedroom. These areas serve as central hubs for televisions and electronic devices like video game consoles and DVD players.
Entertainment centers receive plenty of visual attention, so making them look great is essential. There are endless options for designing and decorating an entertainment center—you only need to choose what goes best with this area.
Here are some decor ideas you can try to add visual interest to your entertainment center.
Elevate Your Entertainment Center’s Overall Look
Whether you’re after a specific theme or looking to add extra charm with accessories, these tips will help you enhance your entertainment center’s visual appeal.
Bring the Sea to Your Entertainment Center
Do you love the high seas? Show everyone how much you appreciate these natural wonders with a nautical theme. Make maritime objects and motifs the highlight of your marine-themed entertainment center, including little ships, anchors, and mounted seashells.
You can also turn ship rope into a garland, place faux buoys on each end, and display it above your entertainment center. Or, for a more nautical vibe, showcase a fishing net with (artificial) shells, starfish, and other sea treasures.
Highlight Squares & Rectangles
Modern decor positioned around an entertainment center calls for experimentation with geometric shapes like squares and rectangles. It also helps to place accessories that emphasize rectangular and square furniture when decorating around a mounted television above your entertainment center.
For instance, you could adorn either side of your TV set with vertical, rectangular mirrors or framed prints. This entertainment center decor idea will duplicate the rectangles in the space. But don’t overlook the top of your television stand, either. Try placing smaller rectangular and squared decor on this surface, like picture frames, music boxes, or stacked books.
Give Your Entertainment Center Some Color
If you prefer color over monochrome palettes, you can add vibrancy to your entertainment center in multiple ways. Floating shelves are an excellent starting point. Just pick an accent color, then place decor in your chosen shade at varying heights on the sides of your television.
Go Natural
Decorating with natural materials and creating nature-inspired designs give homes a classic and relaxing feel. Design-focused magazine Homes & Gardens’ editor-in-chief Lucy Searle agrees that designs featuring natural materials will always soothe the eyes. It’s especially beneficial if you watch television or play video games for hours.
So, how do you introduce natural materials into your entertainment center? You can start by placing artisan-crafted furniture around it for a rustic touch. But if your interior leans toward contemporary, wooden minimalist furniture is ideal. Complete the natural look with natural fiber rugs made of jute, sisal, seagrass, or a similar material.
Add Houseplants for a Touch of Nature
Houseplants help improve your mood and create a fresh, welcoming space. For this reason, we recommend surrounding your entertainment center with greenery to make things simple yet stylish. Try placing smaller plants on the area or bigger potted plants on either side of the floor.
Keep Things Simple & Clean
Sometimes, simplicity works best for an entertainment center. You can achieve this by mounting your TV set, storing electronics in accessible locations, and choosing an uncluttered, white entertainment center for a simple setup. Moreover, screens may look visually loud, but you’ll get a much calmer space with a clean design.
Liven Up Walls
Create a livelier area with the following entertainment center decorating ideas to fill up your available wall space.
Put Your Vacation Photos on Display
Are you feeling nostalgic about fun family vacations from the past? Relive memorable moments from those trips with vacation photos strategically placed on your entertainment center shelves. Here are some tips to follow when displaying your pictures.
- Put photos in frames of various sizes and shapes. This way, you can make the space more attractive.
- Use picture frames in the same color and style for a consistent look.
- Print your favorite pictures in appropriate frame sizes.
- Put three 5” x 7” photos on one shelf, then an 8” x 10” image on the other. Complement the larger picture with a low planter of artificial succulents and a 3” x 6” pillar candle.
- Maintain a sense of balance between your photo displays.
- Make your design look more attractive with smaller frames on photo easels.
Set Your Entertainment Center Against Textured Walls
Surrounding your entertainment center with textured walls, like exposed brick, stone, or another texture, can also turn it into a livelier space. You can have a textured wall built or create one with a shiplap wall. Shiplap wood is a long, narrow board with grooves rabbeted or cut into the top and bottom of its sides.
Enhance the Space with Statement Wallpaper
Consider decorating with statement wallpaper in a striking print or an ornate motif for a more stylish entertainment center. This type of wallpaper makes the space vibrant enough to catch the eyes. You can install permanent wallpaper or a removable one if you’re renting your space.
Turn Heads with Artwork Above Your Console
Make everyone stop and stare at your entertainment center with unique artwork placed above it. Hang artwork from your favorite artist or one you’ve poured your creative talent into. Whichever you choose, ensure that the colors of your piece harmonize with the rest of your space.
Add Space & Light
You have multiple options for adding space and light to your entertainment center. Below, we’ve shared decor ideas focusing on these design elements.
Provide Extra Storage
If you love movies and video games but have no room to store your collection, get some shelves and drawers. Keep cherished copies of your favorite pieces of media in these storage spaces, or fill them with books, sculptures, or other decor pieces.
Install Floating Shelves
Floating shelves help keep your entertainment center tidy. Place some shelves above the area, then decorate them with pictures, trinkets, or your other valuable items. Floating shelves draw the eyes away from the cluttered parts of your entertainment center, ensuring an uncluttered space.
Bring in Some Light
You’d definitely want to decorate an entertainment center, and you can do so with strategic lighting. They’re an excellent way to give this area a distinct charm.
If you’re interested in unique lighting pieces, consider hanging string lights around your entertainment center. They look great all year round, especially during the holidays. Or, place small tabletop lamps beside your television set for some soft lighting.
Play with Furniture Arrangement
Furniture is also essential to your entertainment center. Here’s how you can use these pieces to style this area.
Face Seats Away from Your Television
Arrange couches and chairs so that they face each other, away from your entertainment center and TV screen. This way, your family and guests can enjoy each other’s company. Once it’s movie time, move the furniture toward the entertainment center.
Combine Furniture
Do you have a particular entertainment center design concept in mind? Bring your creative vision to life by mixing and matching furniture.
For a distinctive look, combine multiple shelves with a cohesive aesthetic or from the same brand. But if you’re eyeing a multi-functional design, bookshelves, dressers, and TV stands are a perfect combination.
Draw Eyes to Your Entertainment Center
An entertainment center gets plenty of attention, whether placed in a living room or another part of your home. By following our decor ideas, you can create a visually exciting space where everyone can enjoy their favorite films, series, and games.
Are you considering refreshing your home’s interior design? Get helpful decorating tips and advice from the Cyrus Artisan Rugs blog today.
