I am often asked if I always loved decorating and I always say "yes, as far back as I remember."
As a young girl, I constantly moved the furniture from one end of the room to the other, inventing as many looks as I could in my parents' home.
It wasn't long before I was banned to my small bedroom, but here I was allowed to do whatever my creative heart desired. And I did. I built bookshelves from packing cases and once removed my bed to replace it with the garden hammock. This didn't last long. Neither did the pillar box (English postbox) red walls. But I was happy playing with all the possibilities four walls can offer a budding designer.
Years later, I became the luckiest designer in the world as I embarked on my television career. For over 20 years I got to 'play' with other peoples' homes. It was always a challenge, but what fun I and my team had tackling those challenges.
There was one space, though, in every home where there was no solution to a particular problem -- the television. It's a gadget that gives everyone but decorators pleasure.
At the beginning of my career these TV boxes were big and cumbersome. Then they got massive. The television stands were even worse, as ugly as sin. Is it any wonder you never saw these in the beauty shots of decorating magazines?
Then came the flat screen TV, which at least looks modern in a contemporary setting. The narrow, black frames and slender profile created new modes of stylish placement; the television could now be installed like a picture, with all the wires hidden discretely behind the wall.
The advent of high definition and Internet hookup offer viewers a world of entertainment. Apps such as Artkick transform Internet-connected TVs into interactive art frames, where you can display Claude Monet's Water Lily Pond or The Card Player by Paul Cezanne in the comfort of your own home.
TVs are no longer ugly, unwieldy boxes, but one big challenge remained. Once the TV is wired up, then you are stuck. No moving the furniture around, as it all still has to face the television.
Until recently, that is. New on the market is something called Optik TV by Telus, which allows you to move your television to any place in any room that has a power outlet. The Optik comes with a small wireless digital box. Simply plug in the TV and connect it to the wireless box.
I am quite technically challenged, but this new possibility solved all my furniture-moving dilemmas. As the situation arises, you can put the TV anywhere -- over the mantelpiece, on a bookcase or even sitting on your dining room sideboard.
When you don't want the TV to be the centre of attention, it is easily moved and that spot can then be utilized for other functions or displays. When you are setting up for a big crowd to watch a game, the seating plan can be configured with ease.
I am so relieved that I can get back to moving my furniture around on a whim, without having to beg for assistance moving wires and boxes. It's just like the old days, only better.
Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, and visit Debbie's new website, www.debbietravis.com.
