TVs are increasingly becoming a focal point in UK living rooms, according to a survey by electronics manufacturer LG which has just launched a designer TV range.

Six out of 10 Brits feel that TV design is important in the home, and two thirds said that TVs are key to the "flow within their homes".

The research claims that men are now twice as likely as women to choose a particular TV style owing to the effect it has on interior design.

LG said that women traditionally led the decision-making process when it came to home furnishings, but the study reveals that men are now taking a more prominent role in defining the look and feel of the living space.

"The television was always historically stuck in the corner of the living room with little or no thought as to how it fitted in with its surroundings. As long as its content was watchable it fulfilled its purpose," said Anthony Yang, general product manager at LG Electronics.

"As interior design becomes increasingly integral to our homes we are also seeing the more prominent role TV design is playing. Design is now critical to consumers when making a purchasing decision."

Yang claimed that the findings are backed up by reports from retailers, attributing some of this to the increasing popularity of interior design programmes such as 60 Minute Makeover and Changing Rooms.

Within the UK, it seems that Londoners are the most aesthetically astute when making TV buying decisions. Some 55 per cent are likely to include aesthetic design in their requirements list when buying a new TV.

Unsurprisingly, size is more important to men than to women. Around 78 per cent of men cited screen size as a defining factor when buying a flat-panel TV, compared to 71 per cent of women.