Home Entertainment Furniture

The shape and size of home entertainment furniture (like home office furniture) is linked to the shape and size of our electronics. Case in point: As televisions were becoming flatter and wider, armoires were disappearing from the retail landscape. Hiding the television wasn’t a need or desire—consumers wanted to display their sleek new sets for all guests to see.

Today, the media console has emerged as the furniture silhouette of choice for today’s slim televisions; meanwhile, media walls, TV stands and even the armoire have been reconfigured to support high-definition televisions. Electronics storage is a standard expectation of home entertainment solutions, too, but models simply outperform others.

Consider Twin-Star Intl.’s Baxter, a media console, fireplace and wine cooler all in one 70-inch-wide and 33-inch-high unit. Up to 18 bottles can be stored in the dual-zone thermoelectric cooler; an open shelf holds a single media component; and a 26-inch-wide electric fireplace creates mood, without the venting, cleaning and maintenance needs of traditional fireplaces.

aspenhome transforms the bedroom into a workspace with its new Liv360 entertainment chest. A modern-day take on the secretary, the chest has a drop-down laptop work area and is High-Definition Multimedia Interface ready, so it can be connected to a television or monitor. (For added functionality, the companion Liv360 nightstand offers a nightlight and outlets for charging iPads, iPhones and other electronics.)

“With aspenhome’s signature ‘techy’ features, consumers stay well connected,” explains aspenhome’s Bryan Edwards.

Surround Made Simple, a home entertainment line from Walt Disney Signature, furniture importer Furniture Origins and recognized high-end home theater designer Theo Kalomirakis, is a plug-and-play line unveiled this winter at the Las Vegas Market.

Surround Made Simple’s media consoles have a built-in surround sound system, meaning the speakers and subwoofers (plus a smart phone docking station) are integrated and concealed in each unit. The net gain: no more mounted speakers and unsightly wires in order to achieve high-end sound in the family room.

According to Kalomirakis: “This is furniture that understands converging technology, and puts it in a hospitable environment.”