“Techorating” with TLC’s Doug Wilson

Heidi Farmer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:48 +0000

Have you heard of “Techorating”?

Techorating is the art of incorporating all of your home electronics seamlessly into your living space.

TLC’s Doug Wilson of “Trading Spaces” and “Moving Up” fame, has partnered with LG Electronics to give you some ideas for your home.

Many of your husbands are the ones who lobby for the biggest flatscreen or new laptop. In our family, I’m the guilty party – the Running Man will use whatever it is until it no longer functions.

Since I have had major issues figuring out how to incorporate our televisions and computers in our house, I had to share these GREAT tips.

Here’s the before shot of a living room in Rahway, New Jersey:

I’m sure many of us can relate!

And here’s the after:

I’m just floored by the serious increase in usable space!

So here are Doug’s tips:

Tip One: Less is more – a lot more

Streamline your technology and declutter to make it blend more easily with your overall holiday decor. For example, use slip covers painted to match the wall color to hide wires and connections between your flat screen and audio-visual components. Or use wireless technology to eliminate wire clutter altogether.

Tip Two: Create a focal point

By picking a focal point in your room, you can decide where to begin your holiday decorating and annual furniture rearranging efforts and work from there. The place that looked perfect for entertaining family and friends may actually be the perfect spot to highlight your new TV or Home Theater system.

“Don’t be afraid to put the TV above the mantel,” adds Wilson. “But do keep in mind that competing design elements like fireplaces, large mirrors and picture windows can make the space look too cluttered.”

Tip Three: It’s OK to rearrange!

Plenty of people rearrange furniture before the holidays to accommodate the Christmas tree or the gathering of family and friends. It’s also OK to rearrange furniture to maximize the impact of your technology. If you’re planning a holiday gathering based around your favorite bowl game think about rearranging furniture to provide maximum seating and the best possible view of the TV.

The size of your TV screen will help determine where you place your furniture. To locate the perfect spot for your sofa or seating, multiply the size of your screen in inches by 1.5. The result should be the minimum distance (in inches) that you allow for between the TV and sofa.

Many thanks to Doug Wilson and LG for the ideas!

How have you “techorated” in your house? If you’ve done something that works, please share!

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“Techorating” with TLC’s Doug Wilson