Prepac Arturo Series Plasma LCD 2 Drawer Black TV Console

The world of home entertainment furniture is changing rapidly to suit the demands of today’s homeowners. Gone are the days where you hid your bulky tube television in a large armoire. The Las Vegas Market 2012 was held recently and it displayed some top trends in home entertainment furniture that we will be sure to see more of in the future. One furniture item that is becoming more and more popular is the TV console. TV consoles are a necessity for today’s home theaters and entertainment centers.

Somerton Gatsby TV Console in Medium Brown

The trend is towards larger pieces of furniture to accommodate the ever-increasing size of flat screen TVs. The most popular size for TV consoles today is about 68 inches long but they are commonly seen in even larger sizes. A large TV console can look fantastic and provide display space on the either end even if your TV is not extra large. Many homeowners prefer this streamlined look rather than having several pieces of furniture to house their TV, components and DVD collection.

Somerton Insignia TV Console in Maple and Merlot

Just as TV sizes are increasing, so are the number of components required for your home theater system. Even a fairly basic entertainment system will require space for your DVD player, stereo, speakers, DVR, gaming console and accessories. Cleverly designed TV consoles provide space for everything. Plus most units come with great wire management systems and some even have air ventilation slots to keep your system running at an optimal temperature.

Howard Miller Ty Pennington Brooke 11C Personal Storage TV Console

TV consoles are no longer the looming black behemoths of the past. Today’s entertainment center furniture has been designed with eye to function and style. Attractive high-end furniture details such as turned legs, geometric shapes, tooth molding and fluting are now commonly seen in home theater furniture. You have the choice to find a TV console that coordinates with your existing furniture or splash out on a new standout piece that really makes a statement.

Stanley Furniture Continuum Wood TV Console in Cinnabar

TV stands are subject to the same general trends as all home furnishings. The biggest trends we’ve seen are a return to grey colors and raw woods. A reclaimed barn board look is extremely popular as is the look of unfinished blonde wood. Black and white are always popular colors and we have been seeing more and more pieces with bright super-saturated color. Candy apple red and sunny yellow are especially popular right now. Other details that we will surely be seeing more of include shimmering accents like chrome or rustic basket weave detailing.

Somerton Mesa TV Console in Medium Brown

With the amount of TV consoles on the market today, it’s easy to find a great fit for your individual taste and lifestyle.

Tech Craft Veneto Series Walnut 32 Hi Boy Stand

A TV stand is an important item to consider for your living room or family room. So why is it that sometimes TV stands seem like an afterthought? They are often not the same quality as the other furnishings in a room. Take a moment to stop and really consider your TV stand. Maybe it’s time for an upgrade.

Stanley Furniture Continuum Wood TV Consol in Creme

There are many reasons why it might be time for a new TV stand. Maybe you bought your stand a long time ago and it no longer works with your décor. Perhaps you have upgraded your TV and components but the stand that used to work so well no longer holds everything you need it to. Or maybe you have recently moved and you now require either TV console in a different size. In any case, a new TV stand might just be in order.

Sonax Bromley Versatile Storage TV Bench for 48-68 Inch Flat Panel TVs

There are a few things you need to consider when you purchase a TV stand. First is the size of your TV. Be sure to measure your TV’s full width. Be sure to purchase a one that it at least that size for safety. The second thing to consider is your electronics. How many components do you need to house? Do you need room for a gaming console or other bulky item? Once you’ve determined your needs, it’s much easier to choose which TV stand is right for you.

Southern Enterprises Kingsbury Espresso Media Console with Electric Fireplace

Happily these days there is a wide variety of finishes and features to choose from. Perhaps you are looking for a fireplace TV stand to create a focal point for your room. Or you want to stand out with a stunning white TV console with a unique carved front. Maybe you need a space-saving corner TV stand to make the best use of an awkward space. There are many options to choose from so it’s easy to find the right fit for your space and personal style.

There is no better way to watch a big game than from the comfort of a new recliner. Shape up your living room or family room just in time for Superbowl XLVI. Put up your feet and relax with some snacks.

Mac Motion Oslo Leather Swivel Recliner with Ottoman in Sand

Recliners offer the most comfort for TV viewing, which makes them the hottest seat in the house. But don’t be afraid that by purchasing a recliner you’ll fall short on style. Recliners have come a long way since your dad’s rec room. They now come in an array of attractive colors and finishes. No need to hide your recliner away in the basement!

Coaster Hardwood Three Seat Leather Reclining Theater Set in Black
Look for extra options to increase performance. Try a recliner sofa or loveseat for your home theater room. Or try an attractive leather recliner on a swivel in your living room. And don’t forget to think about the extra details like drink holders, rockers, power lifts and massage features. Bring a recliner home for the game and keep it front and center year around.

This Tech Craft audio stand from the Veneto series is a great choice. It is moderately sized and comes in a black finish that is easy to match with other furniture.

The Sonax Milan black audio rack has an innovative design that is perfect for modern homes. Ventilation is excellent with this unit.

Audio racks are not just for the living room. If you are looking for one for the office, take a look at Bush Furniture. The Bush Stanford audio cabinet matches other pieces from the series perfectly.

There are plenty of attractive finishes aside from black. Check out this Home Styles Cabana Banana audio cabinet. The color and texture makes it stand out from other racks.

If you are looking for a glass audio rack, don’t forget to look at VTI. Their audio racks have a solid build and can handle a lot of weight.

TV Mounts

The good news is that you are no longer limited to traditional TV cabinets. Wide-screen plasma TVs and flat-screens are now thin and light enough to be mounted on a wall, saving up to a couple of meters beneath the unit. TV mounts might free up room for a larger media storage cabinet, which could double as a display space for those difficult-to-place trinkets and family memories.

Home Cinema

Sturdy TV brackets, which typically come in ready-to-install kits, can also transform your entertainment space into a sleek and inviting home theatre, as this handy home cinema pictorial at HGTV.com illustrates. Consider matching your mounted TV with comfy recliners and a dimmer switch to create an authentic theatre environment – you can almost taste the buttered popcorn!

Size Matters

Note that the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has set voluntary international standards for TV wall mounts, which usually determine whether you will need to purchase an additional adapter plate. You can pick these up anywhere that sells TV mount accessories.

A new TV stand might be all you need to get organized and make your space media-friendly. You might be organized to the point where you can keep clutter off the floor for the most part, but having the right media storage can take movie time from frustrating to hassle-free.

If you’re not sure if you could benefit from an upgrade, ask yourself a few quick questions.

• Do you have a hard time finding the DVD you’re looking for when it’s time to start the movie?
• Is it tough to view your DVD selection in its entirety?
• Have you ever stepped on an open DVD case? (Our sympathies for anyone who has done this in bare feet.)

Ventilation is another important factor to consider this summer. Many televisions, DVD players, amplifiers, and video game consoles generate significant amounts of heat when left on for longer periods of time.

If your devices aren’t stored in a TV stand with the right air flow, you may risk damage to your equipment in the long run. For climates that experience substantial heat during the summer, ventilation is even more important, especially if you’re in a continental or semi-arid temperate climate that doesn’t automatically demand air conditioning in every home.

Your choices in TV stands with storage as well as ventilation range from barebones starter models all the way up to opulent floor-to-ceiling entertainment centers. If you’ve already got a basic TV stand and need an upgrade, chances are you need something in between.

The Orchard Hills corner model from Sauder is a great choice for traditional spaces requiring a space-saving solution. If you’re looking for a little style with your storage, you’ll love the ambiance of a fireplace in stands like the Pasadena from Classic Flame.

Who knew that the best seats in the house for movie and music entertainment would be right in your home entertainment center? Home entertainment technology like high-definition, flat-panel Televisions and advanced sound systems that respectively deliver cinema-quality video and audio bring movies and concerts right into the comfort of your own home.

While we will leave the actual electronic equipment recommendations and advice for the qualified experts, this guide will take you, step-by-step, through the interior design of your own high-tech entertainment space from TV Stands – Entertainment Centers – Speaker Stands.

1. Choosing an Ideal Location for Your Home Entertainment Center

Not just any room will do when your objective is creating a true movie theater experience.

The most ideal spot would be a room without too much outside light. Outside light might disrupt the environment you are working hard to create. A basement or attic, for example, would be perfect. However, if you have neither, you can also cover up your windows with “black out” curtains and shades (available in most home improvement stores).

In addition, your walls and floors will also play a role in minimizing viewing disruptions. While not seemingly a problem outright (since you will be turning off the lights), having darker wall and floor colors like charcoal, brown, or even a dark red, can reduce any disruptive reflections from your screen. What’s more, you can even use textured wall paper to do the same job.

Of course, while most of your time in your home entertainment room will be spent in the dark, you will still need light. However, in this case, we recommend staying away from overhead lights that could cause too much glare. Instead, like in movie theaters, recessed lighting or wall lighting will work best.

Furthermore, you should consider installing a dimmer control. This will give you the power to adjust the brightness especially after a viewing (when eyes will be more sensitive to light).

2. Planning Home Theater Seating

You cannot expect to have the best seats in the house if you don’t put much planning into your home theater seating. Whatever budget you have, make sure that family and friends will be comfortable and relaxed while being entertained. However, it should not be so comfy that they are bound to fall asleep in the middle of the movie. After all, this is not the bedroom!

Of course, what seating you design is based on both the space you have to work with and what you can afford. However, here are some recommendations:

Movie Theater Seating – Yes, the same seats at your neighborhood movie house can be purchased and installed in your own home theater.

You can select from an individual Bass Contour Individual Movie Theater Chair to a row of five seats Movie Theater Seats.

These contour rockers are made of kiln dried wood protected by black laminate. You can even choose from a variety of upholstery to match your design, including woven fabric, velour, nusuede, and leather. They also come in a selection of colors to further complete your vision. A cup holder is even built-in for popcorn or drinks.

Home Theater Seating – These seats remain faithful to traditional movie theater seating yet were made especially for home use. The Tandem Montecristo Curved Home Theater Seating looks like it would be (no pun intended) at home in your living room with its leather sofa looks and recliner functionality. However, it also lets groups of 2-4 recline and relax individually.

If you have the budget, the Bass Tristar Home Theater Loveseat even has an optional motor for motorized reclining that you will not find in most movie theaters but that you can have in your very own home theater.

For a more casual, family environment (and a significantly, less expensive budget) opt for a sofa.

Just make sure to skip sofas with high backs since they may disrupt sound. Some good choices for sofa seating ideal for home theaters include Avenue Six Plaza 79”Brown Tufted Sofa

and the simple yet elegant Lifestyle Solutions Fashion Hardwood Kobe Convertible Futon in Java Finish

3. Audio Furniture

To achieve the movie theater-like “surround sound” environment, many high-end audio systems will require multiple speakers that need to be strategically placed around the room. While we will leave arranging these speakers in your home theater to the audio experts, we can recommend some of the best speaker stands to use.

The VTI UF Series Silver Speaker Stands adds a “techy” touch to any home theater with its heavy-gauge steel plate and pillars. Not only do these make for an attractive way to display your speakers, but the metal bits/sand fill found in these stands also help to increase stability while decreasing sound distortions.

For a more traditional look, the Wood Technology Furniture Grade Hardwood 26” Speaker Stand in Oak and

Wood Technology FGH-8 Hardwood Speaker Stands even have a hollow groove in the rear to camouflage unsightly speaker wires, a frequently asked about/requested feature in entertainment furniture.

While space for your audio equipment will be included in the Entertainment Centers we will be covering in Video Furniture below, you may also choose to have a separate Audio Rack.

One creative choice includes using the Bush Furniture Weston Audio Storage Tower in Black that seems to be more at home in your dressing room or bathroom. However, this piece was truly made for your audio equipment, featuring highly functional adjustable shelves and concealed storage. It even has easy rear access to keep your wiring hidden from view and neatly managed.

Of course, for a more contemporary feel, the VTI RGR-406 Shelf Silver Glass Audio Rack has plenty of room to grow with accommodations for up to six audio and video components.

4. Video Furniture

Your big screen TV will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of your home theater. With most flat-screen TVs barely taking up more space than a large painting, your options for Video Furniture are many, including full Entertainment Centers, TV Armoires, and even the tried-and-true TV Rack.

Well, maybe the latter should be saved for that small TV set in your kitchen. A home theater demands “larger than life” pieces especially if you have the best video equipment to house.

The Studio Tech U-EX-5-BA-B Black Entertainment Center has enough space to house your large flat screen TV, audio equipment, and other AV components. In addition, it has adjustable depth for ventilation and for space-hogging equipment that will demand more space. Furthermore, it has “cinema” stylishness to it that you can even customize some red velvet curtains to cover your screen, and it still would seem natural.

For more traditional room designs, the Stanley Furniture Toluca Lake Plasma TV Stand has a luxurious, rustic look that can house the most modern video systems.

Meanwhile, American Drew Beacon Ridge 51” Plasma Entertainment Center TV Stand includes a 51” Entertainment Center Set as well as 2 Ridge Wall Storage units. This set instantly adds warmth to techno cool.

TV Armoires like the Coaster Mandalay TV Armoire

and Wynwood Hampton Cove TV Armoire are ideal for bedrooms but can also work in smaller home theater setups,

5. Media Storage

Finally, with your audio and video equipment properly housed, your equally valuable entertainment collection (consisting of Blu-ray discs, DVDs, music CDS, video games, and more) should be organized and secure as well. While many of the Entertainment Centers and Video Furniture covered above have room for your library, you might just opt for more space.

If you are finding yourself short on space, the Prepac Triple Floating CD DVD Storage Media Tower holds a large library and is easy to mount on your walls, taking up no floor space at all.

On the other hand, the Spartak Top Load CD DVD Media Storage Cabinet lets you elegantly store and organize your media with both top and front access. It conceals your collection when closed. Therefore, it will appear to be just a minimalist piece of furniture to the naked eye.

To successfully design your home theater requires researching all your options for the aforementioned interior design elements we have covered:

• Location (including wall color, floor color and lighting)
• Seating
• Audio Furniture
• Video Furniture
• Ample Media Storage

However, even if you have an unlimited budget (which most of us do not), when deciding on the elements above, make sure that your objective is NOT to showcase your AV equipment and library BUT MORE SIGNIFICANTLY to choose furniture and create an environment centered ultimately on entertaining your family and friends.

Nicolette Interior Design Diva