Collab Alert: Samsung X V&A Museum

It’s the age-old problem – where do you put the TV without it ruining the design of the whole room?One look at some of our most stylish modern homesand you'll quickly notice that there often isn't a TV in sight. Some clever home owners have even found innovative ways to hide the TV completely – for example behind this genius sliding book case. The general consensus seems to be: TVs are ugly, and should be kept out of sight.

But, Netflix addictions and sliding bookcases aside, what can we do about it?

Samsung has clearly heard our cries, and has partnered up with the Victoria & Albert Museum to create something a little more subtle for your living spaces.

Working with the V&A, Samsung has created an innovative TV that looks like a framed piece of artwork. Yes, really.

A fully functioning state-of-the-art TV on the inside, cleverly disguised as a framed piece of art when it's switched off.

Called 'The Frame", itsits flush against the wall, just like a professionally hung artwork and blending in with other framed pictures in the room.

It's framed by a simple yet elegantly executed picture-frame moulding (in your choice of finish, including walnut, beige wood or white), raising the screen to art-gallery standard.

When the TV isn't in use (which is most of the time, we hope),it can be switched to Art Mode. Instead of fading to a dull black like a regular TV, The Frame’s display transforms into a work of art, which can be picked from a selection of custom-designed digital images in the Samsung Collection.

 

What's clever about this collaboration however is that it makes the most of the V&A’s extensive archive of images. Samsung has selected over 20 works for The Art Store from classic wallpaper patterns of the British Arts & Crafts movement to dramatic Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints to WilliamMorris’ iconic textile patterns – all in perfectly realised, correctly muted, high definition colours.

Users can either sign up to the Art Store with a monthly subscription of £3.99, or make one-off purchases of £14.99 from the library of more than 300 pieces of established and emerging artists.

Samsung is also partnering with galleries and museums all over the world to help users curate their own gallery of pictures, with more than 750 pieces of art now available in the Art Store.

The Frame is available starting at £999.99 – considerably less than an original iconic artwork.