We recently polled our facebook fans and asked the question, “TV in the bedroom? Yay or Nay?” We had a staggering amount of responses, and found that the results were neck-in-neck. 46% of the responders said no way would they ever have a TV in the bedroom, whereas 54% said they absolutely love having a TV in the bedroom! Even though there is no right or wrong answer, we wanted to share some of the pros and cons people posted from both sides of this heated debate.

Pros

• In the colder months, there is nothing better than curling up in your nice warm bed to catch up on some of your favorite shows.
• It is more comfortable to lie down and/or stretch out in bed versus on the sofa.
• Another viewing area is helpful to avoid disagreements at home. 
• It is nice to have background noise when you fall asleep.
• A great way to wake up in the morning is with coffee, in bed, while watching the morning news.

Cons

• The noise and/or light level interrupts deep and restful sleep.
• The bedroom is supposed to be a peaceful place, and the TV disrupts that.
• There are TV’s in the rest of the home, so it doesn’t need to be in the bedroom too.
• It is aesthetically displeasing.

If you find yourself in a disagreement with your partner about whether or not you should have a TV in the bedroom, here are a few ways to compromise.

Compromising

• Have a TV in the bedroom, but put it in a cabinet that has closed doors. That offers an “out of sight and out of mind” mentality when not in use.
• Use the sleep timer to make sure that the television shuts off, even after you have fallen asleep. That way it does not continue to interrupt deep and restful sleep for you or your partner.
• Bring the laptop into bed instead of having a TV set up all of the time. It allows the TV viewer to put on headphones to listen in, while the other partner is none the wiser.

From an cottage decorating point of view, there are a lot of unobtrusive ways to incorporate a TV into your design scheme that don’t make it a focal point.  Here are some beautiful inspiration photos to help you find the right solution for your bedroom:

Image: Sarah Richardson Design
Camouflage the television by hiding it amongst a beautiful vignette 

Image: BHG
Custom cabinetry built-in for a seamless style

Image: Cottage Home
Entertainment Center with TV Swivel Pull-Out and Doors

Image: Apartment Therapy
Choose a smaller sized television so that it blends in like an accent.

How do you weigh in about having a TV in the bedroom?  Any new thoughts that might sway a yay or a nay-sayer to the other side?

Brought to you by Cottage Home – specializing in Cottage Furniture & Farmhouse Tables