Ten indicators you’ve got a cheesy TV, as revealed by prime designers
Of all the indicators of class and good breeding, who’d have thought the humble TV set could say so much? Yet it seems that what we watch, how we watch it and where we put it reveals an awful lot about our taste.
Only the other week we learned that, despite their towering status, pedigree and wealth, the Prince and Princess of Wales have a relatively small-sized television. Doubtless Kate and William could afford a cinema-sized mega screen for their Windsor home but when a photograph of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis watching the England v Spain Euro 2024 football final was uploaded by the family, observers were quick to seize on the puny set.
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis watch the Euro 2024 final on a small television set
We’ve spoken to interior designers and etiquette experts to establish the ten ways in which your TV may speak volumes about your social class.
Old Vs New
When it comes to class, it’s not the done thing to own the latest model of television. Rather, counterintuitively, an old model – ideally one only suited for the five terrestrial channels – is a sign of being truly upmarket. ‘Having a television that’s old-fashioned is pretty posh,’ says etiquette expert Jo Byrant. ‘It reflects the fact that it’s gauche to talk about money or have blingy things.’
Size matters
And size matters too. For while televisions are bigger now than ever, such monster items are considered quite common. Again, they reflect a ‘loadsamoney’ approach to gadgetry and a belief that bigger is better.
Having a small TV suggests you have other pastimes to occupy you rather than just slobbing in front of the box – flower arranging, book clubs and jam making potentially being among them. ‘The upper classes have a rule of showing discretion, not talking about purchases, and just muddling through with things, like, perhaps, having a small television,’ says Jo Bryant.
Cinema rooms
Cinema rooms are always going to be regarded as super tacky. If you’re posh, says Jo Bryant, any dedicated TV area is likely to look cheap ‘unless you do it in a tongue-in-cheek way’. Attempting to recreate your local multiplex in the comfort of your (most likely) mock Tudor mansion is the stuff of footballers and reality stars.
Placement is key
Where the TV is placed is another indicator of your status. If you are posh it will never be the focal point of the room but more likely to be placed on top of a pile of ancient books next to a roaring fire. ‘Larger flatscreen TVs can create an uninspiring focal point,’ says interiors expert Claire Douglas of clairedouglasstyling.co.uk. ‘Even when TVs are not in use they can risk looking a bit tacky if they take up a huge portion of the wall and are disproportionate to the size of the room.’
Viewing choices
What you watch on the box is a key reflection of how upmarket – or downmarket – you are. Really upper-class people will sidestep a raft of popular choices – such as EastEnders and the British Soap Awards (a repository of actresses wearing rather common frocks). News channels are traditional – BBC or ITV. There’s no interest in Channel 4’s lefty agenda – though GB News may present something of a curve ball, thanks to the presence of Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the patron saint of posh people.
Downmarket dishes
One thing you’re unlikely to spot outside a posh person’s home is a satellite dish. Television is regarded as a downmarket medium anyway, so the upper classes without cable or fibre optic internet and in need of a dish are likely to want to hide it away. Those with tawdry tastes may not be able to do this if their house is smaller. Or if they want to show off their bit of bling.
To mount or not to mount
Wall-mounted televisions on swivel brackets may have been hugely popular in the 70s but today they are frowned upon. And surrounding the TV with cluttered shelving units filled with mismatched decor items is also an absolute no. ‘Features that make a flatscreen look blingy rather than tasteful include adding neon lighting around the TV and surrounding shelves,’ says Clare Douglas.
TV in the bedroom
Never – never! – have a television in the bedroom. This is a place to sleep, do the crossword and you know what else. ‘Even with a slim frame and minimal stand, a TV can look a little cheap and plasticky in comparison to quality bedroom furnishings,’ says Sylvia James at advice website HomeHow.co.uk. ‘So, not having a TV in the bedroom can add an air of sophistication.’
Hidden wonders
Having a big TV is a tacky badge of honour. Truly posh people who can’t resist a larger-than-average set will go out of their way to hide it. Known in the design world as that ‘ugly black box’, TVs just aren’t very pretty. So they’ll be smuggled away as if some kind of guilty secret, such as in a recess cabinet with doors. They may even come in the form of a TV which turns into a painting, so blurring the lines between art and entertainment. That way your television set transforms into a stunningly sleek visual centrepiece when not in use. Samsung The Frame sets are particularly popular in posh homes. ‘This all reflects not making the television central,’ says Jo Bryant. ‘Good taste makes it part of the aesthetic of the room, rather than the focus of it.’
Company in the kitchen
Discomfort is often a key component of being truly posh (think draughty houses and frayed furniture). Which is why having a small TV in your kitchen is reflective of those with good taste. Most likely it means that viewing is not that important but, rather, something to keep you company while plucking some locally sourced shot game or whatever else it is you’re making for supper (not tea).
