If you pick up just about any interior design magazine lately, you’ll see a lot of living room spaces with a more modern, de-cluttered look. Just clean lines. While you may aim for a similar look for your own room, it can be hard to do since, you know, you actually live in your living room. A great way to get back to that clean look is to get rid of your bulky entertainment center and replace it with a floating one.

Floating entertainment centers really are like choosing your own adventure. The all-in-one solution may be a bit pricier, but takes a lot of the guess work out of the set-up….or you could DIY design and build some on-wall shelving to look like a custom set-up around your TV. It’s all about what is right for you and your style!

Match to your storage needs

When looking for a floating entertainment system, the first step is to analyze your storage needs. What do you need to have a space for? Trust me, you need to define a space for everything if you have any hope of keeping the room clean. A place for everything and everything in its place, as they say.

This is also a really good time to throw out any of the items you no longer need. Or anything you think your partner no longer needs. (Okay, maybe not.) If you need help getting organized, here are some tips for a small room, or any size room! Determine how many shelves or storage areas you will need and this will help you decide what you are looking for.

You will want to think about your cables too. How are you going to hide them? They will definitely be an eyesore left on the wall! There are really two options when it comes to hiding cables: cable tunnels or in-wall cable management. Cable tunnels are a quick fix, but in-wall cable management creates a super-clean look.

Think about your space and personal style

It’s important to have a vision of what should go into the space. This may make shopping for a look harder, but it’s really the only way to find a piece you love. Think about what color would look good in your space. Do you want natural wood? Something painted white or a bright accent color? What color would good on the wall behind it? Or should you also paint the wall behind it? Just a few things to think about. We recommend looking at a color wheel for inspiration!

Think about how to integrate your decor style, maybe choose a theme for the space to help clarify your vision. If you like rustic industrial, for example, you could integrate metal or wood shelving.

Get creative by making your own

If you love Pinterest and the HGTV network, you probably also love putting your own spin on things for your home. This is where the versatility of the floating entertainment system can really work for you. Floating shelving works hand in hand with a mounted TV, pair it with a SANUS TV mount to create the perfect floating look for your space. If you love framed artwork or family pictures, include that in your floating entertainment center by doing a combo floating gallery wall!

Remember when hanging your floating entertainment center, we have you covered with tips on finding studs to how to install a mount in three easy steps.