Hi guys – long time lurker.
I’m in the process now of planning a entertainment console for a 52″ wall mounted LCD TV and could definitely use some design feedback.
I’m really looking to hold components and a few DVDs, etc that will look more like a piece of furniture than an entertainment center. I prefer Shaker style more than anything else and would be making the unit out of cherry (Watco & wax.)
I have two designs that I butchered up in MS Paint – one with six doors, and another with three doors (opening up to three 22″ wide bays for components. It would be about 50″ long and 23″ tall – and would have plenty of ventilation for the components in the rear.
It would be in the same room as a toybox I made last year, so would like the style to come close to the toxbox snap below.
Thanks in advance for any feedback you guys have on the design.
Chad
Replies
Hi,Chad,
I like your two designs and am undecided which I prefer. I think your three bays at 22" each would produce a unit that is about 70" overall, not 50", though. If the bays are 22", I would probably choose the six door design.
I just finished a built in center for TV, stereo, CD's, and toys. It is much bigger than your design, but the right hand unit alone might offer some ideas to consider. The TV is much smaller in this setup. The individual cabinets are 49" wide overall. The doors are about 15" by 36". (ignore the first huge file. I resized the files after realizing the problem)
Good luck. Your project will look great with the start that you have. Tom.
Thanks very much for the reply and pics Tom (beautiful work!)You are right - I had 50" in my head for some reason (but the drawing comes out to well over 60".) I'm definitely going to rethink the design and may lean towards the 6 door approach you mention (for some reason the 6 door design was looking a bit busy to me, but now that I think about it, it's growing on me.Chad
I am in the same boat as you, sort of. The wife and I wanted it to look like a piece of furniture as well. Looking at your paintbrush models it looks like your components are on the shelf just under the top. Is the cabinet portion to be used for media?
As I said, our requirements differ slightly in that our media will be stored in a seoarate cabinet. The TV xabinet, if you will then results in a much smaller piece. If you'd like, take a look at our design http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=34010.14
If nothing else, might at least give you some ideas. The drawing is a rather rought sketch but am redoing it in Sketchup for the actual construction.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Tom, your work is beautiful. I'd love to have somehting similar in my house!
Thanks for the compliment. If I can learn to do it, so can you.
Good luck, Tom.
Thank you guys again for the feedback. I'm leaning toward the 4 door (2 bay) suggestion. I picked up the lumber for the frame today (all from the 25% off shorts section of the yard.)Much appreciated.
Chad
My only advice would be to add a vertical support in the middle of the equipment shelf. The long span of the top may sag under it's own weight over time, and will surely sag quicker if you put your TV on a stand on the top instead of on the wall. The last two LCD panels I bought both came with stands that would concentrate their weight in the middle of your stand.
Chad,
You can consider a hybrid of the 2 concepts - double doors in the center section only, perhaps slightly widened to 24", single doors on the 2 outer portions. Just my own sense of esthetics, nothing more.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
If the storage is for DVDs and CDs, you might consider drawers instead of drawers. If you store them with the spine up, you'll be able to more easily see them in a drawer that you pull out. Stored behind the doors, you'll need to get down pretty low to see the contents. Just something to think about.
I've been kicking around a similar design for a while, but a taller version rather than wider. I'm leaning towards an open shelf for components, and a series of drawers for storage.
J
Just a thought -- mull it over or pitch it out.......
Why not do something that uses the flatness of the screen as a sort-of door that hides the other components?
Support our Troops. Bring them home. Now. And pray that at least some of the buildings in the green zone have flat roofs, with a stairway.
I'd consider an ir repeater for your componenents and hide them behind doors. Prettier cabinet and keeps the dust off your components.
link: http://www.smarthome.com/59500.html?src=RKGGOOGLE
I say this as I look at my unsightly receiver, dvd player, and tivo :)
Brad
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled