Transform a mundane entertainment center into a conversation piece with some of these entertainment center decorating ideas. You can use art objects, photos, plants, and other décor items to make your entertainment center reflect your personal style. For example, choose a specific theme for decorating your entertainment center to help you narrow the endless choices you have for possible decorations. If you can't decide on a theme, a few original and exciting ideas may be the inspiration you need.
1. Display Your Family Vacations
Create a menagerie of your family outings on the entertainment center shelves.
- Using a series of picture frames that are different sizes and shapes can provide design interest.
- Consider using the same frame color and style to keep your display cohesive. Print your favorite photos of family vacations to fit each frame size.
- Place a grouping of three 5"x7" photos on one shelf and an 8"x10" with a low planter of faux succulents and a 3"x6" pillar candle on the next shelf.
- When creating other photo displays on the shelves, make sure you maintain a balance and don't overcrowd.
- Use smaller frames on photo easels to add design interest.
As you work to group your photos, each shelf becomes a window of memories.
2. Go Nautical
What better way to display your love for all things nautical than to decorate your entertainment center with various nautical motifs and art objects?
- Use any nautical objects, especially if you have a collection, such as ships, sailboats, or lighthouses.
- Use a mix of nautical motifs such as an anchor, compass, mounted seashells, colored sea glass in tall glass vases or apothecary jars, sea urchins, starfish, sand dollars in a shadow box set on an easel, figurines of dolphins, whales, and whale tails.
- If you have wall space above your entertainment center, drape a ship rope in a garland pattern with a faux buoy on each end.
- You may decide you prefer a fishing net with lots of shells, starfish, and other sea treasures caught in the net.
3. Show off Your Snow Globe Collection
A snow globe collection will give your entertainment center a touch of magic. For example, you may have a Disney snow globe collection you want to display. Add a photo of your last Disney trip or group of three on the next shelf. You may go all out and choose Disney themed frames. Be creative with your snow globe theme. You might prefer a Star Wars collection, or maybe you have a collection from your childhood of fairies that you've added to over the years. If you don't have a snow globe collection, you can always start one. You can quickly build your collection by creating a snow globe wish list for Christmas, birthday, and other gifting occasions.
4. Add Bookshelves
A TV stand may not offer you much opportunity for decorations. If the stand has shelves, chances are your electronic equipment takes up most of the shelf space. You may be able to add a candle or an artificial plant to avoid the risk of watering plants around electronic equipment.
A great solution is to add an open bookcase on either side of your TV stand. You want the bookcases to match the finish of your TV stand so they look like they belong together. These additions will create a larger entertainment center to provide you with decorating options. You can use the bookcases to hold your coffee table style books or decor objects color coordinated with your room décor. You may decide this is a great way to display shadowboxes on easels of pressed flowers or faux succulents. You can carry the theme with a bouquet of silk flowers and various green plants.
5. Create Holiday and Seasonal Vignettes on Top Shelf
Celebrate the season! There are many holidays and seasonal decorations you can use if your entertainment center features a top shelf above the TV. You can dedicate this shelf to these special decorations. You may decide to install a few recessed lights to highlight a nativity scene, a glass pumpkin collection, or adorable sisal Easter bunnies. A display of fall leaves and branches might backdrop a couple of squirrel figurines or your prized antique Gurley Thanksgiving candles.
6. Emphasize Square and Rectangle Shapes
If you have a modern décor, you can play up geometric shapes, especially square and rectangle shapes.
- If your TV is mounted on the wall above your TV stand, you can play up the rectangle shapes and square shapes of your furniture with various accessories.
- Put vertical rectangle mirrors or framed prints on either side of your TV repeat the rectangle shape.
- The top surface of your TV stand is an ideal place to use smaller sizes of these geometric shapes. Some accessories might include picture frames, a music box collection, a box for keepsakes, or a stack of books.
- Select accessories in your color palette to keep your entertainment center a natural part of your room décor.
7. Add Elaborate Cinema Curtains for Elegant Style
If you have a rather large entertainment center, you may want to dress it up a bit for a more cinematic statement. You can decorate an elaborate entertainment center with layers of draperies, rope tiebacks, and curtains with fringe. Select a fabric that goes with your overall décor theme and color. If you want to go all out, then install a few architectural features to go with your house design. These might include crown molding and a pair of columns that frame the entertainment unit.
8. Decorate Shelves With Antique Collection
Take advantage of the curved ends of your home entertainment center to feature an antique collection. For example, if you collect antique vases or old bottles, you can show them off on each end of your entertainment center. Avoid using small or tiny items, since they will get lost in the massiveness of your entertainment center. Large sized items that fill the spaces will create a display that is a truly riveting showcase that is easy to see and appreciate.
9. Add Splashes of Modern Color
If your home entertainment center features floating shelves, create a fun splash of color by selecting an accent color and placing objects of that one color at various heights on each side of the TV. If you enjoy trailing plants, place them on the top shelf and a shelf between the top and bottom shelf for a nice cascading effect. Be careful not to place anything around the TV that will compete for your attention.
10. Add Sparkle With Geodes and Crystals
If you and your family are rockhounds, then you can use your entertainment center to dazzle everyone. Dust off your amazing rock collection of geodes, crystals, and favorite rock specimens, Decide which ones you wish to feature in your entertainment unit.
Upgrade your display a bit by using colored felt squares underneath each specimen. The felt square will serve as protective pads between jagged or uneven rocks and the shelf. Select a matching or contrasting color for each display. Just be sure the felt colors you choose go well with your room décor.
11. Dress up a Cubby TV Stand With Decorative Storage Baskets
Transform a plain TV stand with open shelving by adding decorative storage baskets. There are several ways you can use these wonderful additions to your shelves. You can go with seagrass baskets or choose specific colors for them.
Depending on the theme of your room, you may decide a more crafty look fits your personal style. If you're a DIYer, then select canvas baskets/bins and decorate with acrylic paint decorate in freehand drawings or opt for a series of stencil. If you're designing a game room or playroom for children, you can use a collection of colors.
12. Build a Home Library
A shelving unit entertainment center is a prime candidate for a home library, or at least some of your favorite books. Consider the colors of the book spines when placing your books on the shelves. A color coordinated grouping of books will serve two purposes. The first is giving your books a new home, and the second is to repeat the color scheme of your room.
When you create a home library out of your entertainment center, you combine the best of two forms of entertainment in one location. If you prefer half shelves of books instead of loading up each shelf, you can set decorative bookends on one book group and an art object placed, so it appears to be a random placement among the books.
13. Add Wood Carvings by Favorite Artists
An entertainment center is an ideal place to showcase wood carvings. Retrofit your shelves with small spotlights that can be adjusted to highlight your carvings. You can even set a few for up lighting these creations.
If you don't have a collection of wood carvings but wish to start one, choose a theme and stick with it to build a wonderful collection by artists as you discover them. Get your entire family involved as an ongoing family project. Make sure you choose different sizes of carvings for design interest. For example, you may choose to collect duck decoys, green man and green woman masks, or statues/figurines of families engaged in different activities that your family enjoys. You may decide to collect a specific animal, such as deer or rabbits. You can mix two or three subject matters.
14. Bring the Galaxies and Star System Inside Your Home
If you're a fan of space, galaxies, and the star system, express this love with various art objects that depict each of them. Framed Hubble images of various galaxies, a small desk mobile of the star system, an Earth globe, or globes of your favorite planets, such a Saturn with all its magnificent rings are possible decorations you can use for your entertainment center.
15. Use Retro Paraphernalia
Many collectors of retro paraphernalia love to display their finds. A 1950s retro collection might include soda shop items, a lava lamp, a gumball machine, a diner table jukebox, a muscle car model, and other iconic items. You may be an Andy Warhol fan, art deco enthusiast, or have an ongoing love affair with cartoon characters like Betty Boop or Felix the Cat. Your TV entertainment center provides you with a blank canvas to decorate with your cherished retro collection.
Entertainment Center Decorating Ideas to Try
Create a truly one-of-a-kind entertainment center when you decide on exciting fun decorations. If you aren't sure which style of decorating you prefer, don't be afraid to experiment until you find the one that you love.
