Furniture Friday: T.V. Consoles

via-two-ellie-cottage-living-house31

{**Post Disclaimer: I’ve been wrestling with Word Press and I can’t get it to format correctly, so if the post seems a bit off, I apologize!  Not sure what’s going on…}

The television has inspired many a piece of furniture…from armories to pop-up mechanisms that completely conceal a television in a cabinet, t.v.’s are almost always a point of contingency for designers and homeowners alike.  Some designer’s say, “why fight it?” and will install televisions over a gorgeous fireplace.

canadian-house-and-home

{Canadian House and Home}

living-room-katie-stassi

{Decorator Katie Stassi’s Living Room}

ashleywhittaker2_byjustinbernhaut1

{I’ve joked about how my husband would freak over tastefully incorporating the television into open bookshelves like Ashley Whittaker did in the picture above}

Others will do almost anything to conceal it…even a piece of artwork that opens up to reveal a flat screen. I’m of the opinion that most (but not all) households would probably keep the t.v. visible anyways and not make the constant effort to close the armoire doors or use the mechanism to move the t.v. back into the cabinet.

Today I’ll focus on the option that is currently in use in my house.  A console piece turned into a t.v. stand.  Funny story about that one…well, naturally the t.v. just had to be the focal point of the room.  Although I’d like to consider myself, “not a t.v. person,” let’s be honest…we could not live without our dvr.  Even most of the entertaining we do seems to revolve around college football season (where a big t.v. is a must).  I bought this vintage stereo cabinet off a client several years ago and painted it coral (it was realllly ugly pre-makeover).  My big concern was what to do with all those wires and components that we just had to have…cable/dvr box, blu-ray player, etc.  Not let me preface by saying that I did not marry my husband for his handy-man skills just like he didn’t marry me for my love of housework.  However, he wouldn’t want me to pay anyone to cut holes in the back of the cabinet to fish the wires to the outlets so he declared he’d, “just use a steak knife to cut out the thin back of the cabinet!”  “Ha ha,” I laughed…”use a knife…brilliant–you better not!!!”

photo-1

{please pardon the not-so-great iPhone photo}

One day I come home from work and the back of the cabinet looks like swiss cheese (but to his credit he did use a drill, not a steak knife)…all I could do was laugh at this point (well that may not have been my initial reaction).  What’s a girl to do?  At least I can’t see those darn wires and the components are hidden!

mdesign-living

{A coral console used to ground the t.v. mounted on the wall – by M. Design}

So without further ado, here is my round-up of stylish case goods that could be used as a t.v. stand:

Many companies including MG favorite, Oly, are getting on board and designing entertainment consoles.  I love this one because the slats in the doors allow the remote to still function.

dylan-entertainment-console

hg129408_alt

dylanentertainmentconsole-oly2

Here are a few options for smaller t.v.’s:


baker-studio

Baker Studio


design-house

18th Century French Painted Buffet from Design House

dd-chest-via-first-dibs

Dorothy Draper Chest via 1st Dibs

assemblage-baker-cabinet-via-1st-dibs

French Design, Inc. on 1st Dibs had some amazing Art Deco pieces…it seems like almost a crime to mount a t.v. above or on them!

french-design-inc-via-1st-dibsx

hendredon-console

For the traditionalist, I love the “x” detail in this piece from Henredon

inside-ave-mirrored-console

Fun mirrored console from Inside Avenue

rhys-pottery-barn

Pottery Barn was one of the first in the market to develop units for the new slimmer t.v.’s.  This one has glass doors so the remote will work.  Still not so sure about seeing the components…what do you think?

studlybuffet-tonic-home

Studly Buffet by World’s Away


swedish-buffet-from-crown-and-colony

Swedish Painted Buffet from Crown and Colony

design-house2

Just because I just can’t get enough of grey + white…


olystudiojackson_buffet

Jackson Buffet by Oly

So, how does your t.v. live in your house?