How to Hide the Back of a Wall-Mounted TV (Without Opening the Wall)
If your TV looks great from the front but unfinished from the side, you’re not alone. Most wall-mounted TVs leave the mount, brackets, and the back of the TV exposed—especially noticeable in open floor plans and rooms where the TV is visible from multiple angles. The good news: you can improve the look without cutting drywall or doing a remodel.
Why the Back of a Wall-Mounted TV Is Visible (And Why It Matters)
Wall mounts are built for strength—not aesthetics. From the side, you can often see the mount arms, brackets, cables, ports, and even the wall plate. That “exposed hardware” look can make a room feel cluttered or incomplete, even if everything else is styled nicely. If your TV is visible from a hallway, kitchen, entryway, or seating area off-angle, the side view becomes part of the room’s décor—whether you want it to or not.
What most people really want: a cleaner, more finished appearance where the TV looks intentional, not like a hardware installation.
The Best Ways to Hide the Back of a Wall-Mounted TV
Wall mounts are built for strength—not aesthetics. From the side, you can often see the mount arms, brackets, cables, ports, and even the wall plate. That “exposed hardware” look can make a room feel cluttered or incomplete, even if everything else is styled nicely. If your TV is visible from a hallway, kitchen, entryway, or seating area off-angle, the side view becomes part of the room’s décor—whether you want it to or not.
What most people really want: a cleaner, more finished appearance where the TV looks intentional, not like a hardware installation. Here are the most common solutions, ranked by appearance and effort:
1) Use a decorative TV mount cover (best for décor + side view)
A decorative TV mount cover is designed to conceal the exposed mount and the back of the TV so the screen remains the focal point. It’s the most direct solution if your main issue is aesthetics rather than cords running down the wall.
2) Improve cable routing (best when cords are the main issue)
If your problem is mostly cables hanging down to a cabinet, cable solutions like in-wall kits or surface raceways can help. These don’t usually hide the mount itself, so they’re not ideal if the side view is your biggest concern.
3) Hide it with furniture placement (limited, but sometimes works)
A taller console, vertical slats, or a partial divider can reduce what you see from the side—but it’s hard to fully conceal the mount without blocking the TV or changing the room layout.
If your goal is a cleaner, finished look from multiple angles, a TV mount cover is usually the best fit.
Step-by-Step: Hide the Back of Your Wall-Mounted TV Without Cutting the Wall
Step 1: Stand where the TV is most visible from the side
Walk to the spots where the TV looks worst (hallway, kitchen, side seating). Identify what you’re actually seeing:
Mount arms/brackets?
Wall plate?
Back of the TV and ports?
Loose cable loops?
This tells you whether you need a mount concealment solution, a cable routing solution, or both.
Step 2: Decide what you want hidden
Most people prioritize one of these:
Mount + hardware (decor issue)
Cables down the wall (routing issue)
Everything (full “finished” look)
If your main complaint is “it looks ugly from the side,” you’re usually dealing with mount + back-of-TV visibility, not just cables.
Step 3: Measure the visible area
You don’t need perfect measurements—just enough to choose the right approach:
Approximate width of the visible mount/back area
How far the TV sits off the wall
Whether the TV tilts/angles
A tilting or angled TV often needs a more flexible concealment option than a fixed mount.
Step 4: Choose the solution that matches your goal
Use this quick chooser:
Want the best decor upgrade and side-view improvement → Decorative TV mount cover
Want to hide cords running downward → Cable routing (in-wall or raceway)
Want both → Combine a mount cover with cleaner cable routing behind the TV
Step 5: Install without damage
If you’re avoiding drywall work, prioritize solutions that:
Don’t require cutting holes
Don’t require permanent wall modification
Can be removed cleanly (renters, apartments, offices)
Step 6: Do a final “room scan”
After installation, re-check the problem angles. The goal is that the TV looks clean not only head-on, but also from:
Side seating areas
Entryways
Adjacent rooms
Behind the TV wall line (open layouts)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Solving for cables when the real issue is the mount
Cable kits can hide cords, but the mount and back of the TV can still look exposed from the side.
Mistake 2: Overusing “cable management” products for a décor problem
Raceways and channels are functional, but they don’t usually create a “finished” look around the mount area.
Mistake 3: Ignoring viewing angles
A TV that looks clean from the couch can still look messy from the kitchen or hallway. Always optimize for the worst angle.
When a TV Mount Cover Is the Right Solution
A TV mount cover is a great fit if:
Your TV is visible from the side or behind
The mount hardware is the visual problem
You want a cleaner look without remodeling
You care about a more “designed” appearance
If you’re trying to make a wall-mounted TV look more like décor and less like exposed hardware, this is the category to look at.
FAQs
Can I hide the back of a wall-mounted TV without cutting drywall?
Yes. Decorative concealment solutions and better behind-TV cable routing can dramatically improve the look without opening the wall.
Will a cable raceway hide the TV mount?
Usually no. Raceways hide cables that run down the wall, but the mount and back of the TV may still be visible from the side.
What’s the best way to hide a TV mount from side view?
A decorative TV mount cover is typically the most direct way to conceal the mount area and improve the side view.
Does this work for tilting or angled mounts?
Many setups can be improved, but angled or tilting TVs often benefit from more flexible concealment options than fixed mounts.
How do decorative TV mount covers attach to the TV and Wall?
TV mount covers have two sided tape to attach it to the wall. In order to allow access to the TV ports in the back of the TV, it attaches to the TV with Velcro strips so you can easily detach the decorative TV mount from the TV when needed.
Ready for a cleaner, more finished wall-mounted TV look?
If your TV is visible from the side and the mount area is what bothers you most, a decorative TV mount cover is designed for exactly that problem.