Disguise Your TV with the Samsung Frame

Have you ever wished that you could disguise that ugly black box in the corner of your livingroom? You know the one I mean. That massive TV that takes up valuable space in your room and looks like a right eyesore. You’ve noticed how no photographs of home interiors in magazines ever feature a TV, right? Well that’s because the stylists always remove them because they look bloody awful and their mere presence is incompatible with the aspirational lifestyle that the magazine is trying to sell you.

For years, I have pondered how I can disguise my TV. Ideally I’d like to get rid of it altogether but then I wouldn’t be able to put CBeebies on when I need a moment of peace, so that’s not happening. I’ve considered putting it in a cabinet, but I’ve never found a cabinet I like. I’ve considered mounting it on the wall, but I fear that will draw even more attention to it. I’ve even considered getting one of those mirror TVs, but they look pretty hideous and are really expensive. I couldn’t find a satisfactory solution so I basically gave up and accepted the fact that the TV dominates the livingroom. But I have great news! Thanks to Samsung there is now a fantastic solution that absolutely ticks all the boxes and will allow you to disguise your TV with ease and class.

Designed by renowned Swiss designer Yves Béhar of Fuse Project, the Frame is a revolutionary new product that allows you to hide your TV in plain sight. It looks like a picture frame so you can mount it on the wall alone or place it as part of a gallery wall. It functions as a smart TV when turned on, and when turned off the display goes into ‘Art Mode,’ showcasing a curated collection of artworks ranging from prints and drawings to photography and painting. Described as a lifestyle TV, it is designed to fit seamlessly into your home, and to constantly add value to your space.

I absolutely love this idea. If I walked into someones home and saw a display of images on the wall, as in the images above, I would have no clue that one of those images is in fact a TV. It is completely impossible to tell, don’t you agree? Yves Béhar is a genius and I firmly believe that he has created something here that will solve issues for so many people. When the Samsung Serif TV was launched I thought that the Bouroullec brothers had taken TV design in the right direction as Serif certainly looks less like an ugly black box, but I was a little disappointed by the fact that it was still clearly identifiable as a TV. But what Samsung and Yves Béhar have presented us with is a total game changer in my mind. This is definitely down to the approach they took when coming up with the design.

As part of an ongoing collaboration with Samsung, we began to think about the television not as a consumer electronics product, but as part of our home and of our daily life. What if the TV display in my home delivered a different experience? What if the TV disappeared in the décor when it’s not in use? These questions led us to think about the television anew.

Yves Béhar, Fuse Project

With Frame, Yves Béhar and Samsung have designed the future of displays in the home. There are a number of features that make this TV really quite innovative. Frame is the first sensor-based display that adapts to the environment throughout the day. The TV features sensors on the bottom of the frame that detect movement in the room and turn the display off if no one is present. If someone approaches from any angle, it will sense them, and turn back on. The sensors also detect light and depending on the lighting in the room, the backlighting from the display will change to make the art look as real as possible.

Frame is not just another television, but a new experience of displays in the home. While the idea of a display showing artwork is not new, the fundamental difference with Frame is that art is at the core of its design and experience.

Yves Béhar, Fuse Project

The fact that Frame displays artwork is actually a core element of its design. It is basically an art platform containing the work of internationally recognized artists, which allows the display to become a virtual museum in the home. Samsung enlisted the support of internationally acclaimed curator Elise Van Middelem, who helped to select a group of renowned artists willing to show their work in a digital gallery exclusive for Frame. So when you buy Frame, you are also investing in these artists. The TV features a gallery setting, where users can explore art by artist or genre, selecting which pieces get displayed. Frame currently provides customers with 100 pieces of artwork, from 38 different artists, in 10 genres. But, if you’d rather display your own artwork or family photos, there is an option for that as well.

As an added bonus, as if you needed convincing, the Frame physical bezel can be customized with white, black, and wood veneer so that the display blends with your home décor.

Frame has been specifically designed to hang on the wall. It is outfitted with Samsung’s No Gap Wall-mount, which brings the TV flush against the wall, closer than ever before, allowing you to hang it virtually anywhere because it can blend seamlessly into any living space. It also benefits from Samsung’s all-new Invisible Connection cable which helps to manage unsightly cords and clutter with a refined, single cord system. So it is now possible to design a space with a single optical cable that brings all devices together, reclaiming the livingroom space once occupied by set-top boxes and external devices.

But if you don’t fancy hanging the TV on the wall there is also a detachable stand to allow it to be freestanding.

We view Frame as an entry into home décor and art – allowing people to build a personal collection in an accessible, affordable manner. Frame shifts our paradigm of what a television can be; on or off, it adds value to our walls and our daily life. With Frame, we believe the flat black box on a wall can be transformed into personal style and daily inspirations.

Yves Béhar, Fuse Project 

The Frame will be available to buy in Spring 2017 but prices have not been yet been released. Watch this space!

I’d love to hear what you guys think of this idea. Have you been trying to disguise your TV at home? Have you managed it? Would you be interested in the Frame TV for your home?