You’ve got the TV. You’ve got the speakers. You’ve got the DVD or Blu-Ray player. You’ve got the movies you want to watch. You’ve even got the popcorn. But wait! Before you can settle back and enjoy your home theater, you need furniture. The TV needs furniture, the speakers may need furniture, and your DVD’s and/or Blu-Ray disks need a place to be stored.So, what do you get?
Things You Need to Consider
First, what are the electronic and other items that make up your home theater? How wide is your TV, and what size base is it mounted on? Or, are you planning to hang your TV on the wall? In general, TV’s should be placed on furniture as wide as the TV set. Too small, and you may accidentally hit the sides of your TV set. Too large, and your screen make look like it’s too small.
Next, what parts of your system do you need furniture for? A DVD or Blu-Ray player? A CD player? Your cable box? An Xbox or Wii, or other gaming system? List everything that is going to be part of your entertainment system and what you will need to stash. Remember to leave some open space for your system to expand. And, while some smaller parts of your system can be stacked, which saves space; don’t stack components that give off a lot of heat.
What style of furniture do you want? Traditional? Modern? In between? Do you like the look of steel and glass, or do you prefer wood finishes? Do you want open shelving, putting your TV and your components on view? Or would you prefer to keep your speakers and your media behind closed doors?
Pieces of Furniture
There are several options for where to place your TV. One option, a lowboy, is designed to keep your TV at a seated eye level. This is the best height if you want to avoid neck strain. A lowboy is a low cabinet with at least two sets of drawers or shelving.
You may decide that you want a larger A/V cabinet. An audio/visual cabinet is specifically designed to store system parts such as DVD players, gaming consoles, receivers, etc. They usually have some type of ventilation so that electronic components do not overheat.
You will also need a place to store media such as DVD’s, Blu-Ray disks, CDs, and other media. Storage can be part of a larger A/V cabinet, or you can store your media in a separate, free-standing unit.
Once you have your ideas in mind, start looking. The right kind of furniture will enhance your home theater experience. So find your furniture, then grab your popcorn and enjoy!
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