Remember the bad old days of CRT televisions? Keeping these boxy behemoths out of sight often meant even bulkier TV cabinets. Thankfully, flat screen TVs have relinquished much of that much-needed living room space. For those who wish to reclaim even more space, Washington, DC area furniture maker Hardwood Artisans has created an elegant, high-tech reimagining of the traditional TV cabinet.
Hardwood Artisans makes a number of entertainment centers, but their Flat Screen TV Lift Systems take the cake. These seemingly ordinary bookshelves contain a motorized TV mounting system in the rear. With the use of a simple remote control, a panel on the top of the unit opens, and the television rises from within. The piece includes a vented cabinet to store your AV equipment or game consoles, and since the company makes all of their furniture to order, these units can be customized to your liking with a variety of finishes and features.
I had the pleasure of trying one out at Hardwood Artisan's showroom in Arlington, VA, one of their four in the greater DC area. The build quality is immediately evident - these are sturdy, handcrafted works made with quality materials. For technology lovers who prefer a classical aesthetic to modern minimalism, these elegant pieces absolutely deliver.
Images: Hardwood Artisans and Mark Grambau
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Beautiful but Apartment Therapy readers do not $4000 to spend on shelf. This is just frustrating to see!
I'm sure some AT readers can afford it, not me. This is really nice furniture, not IKEA. Someone might spend up to $2500 on this already, throw the James Bond/Batman retractable TV thing someone might throw in a few hundred for it. There is a unit for $3255
This would be great for those places that you do not watch much tv but do so occasionally, maybe the bedroom. I wouldn't watch too much tv on this though. It takes 8 seconds for my Samsung LCD to turn on, I don't want to wait more time for the TV to reveal itself.
Awesome: Check
Pricey: Check
Practical: ......maybe
It's a B-E-A-utiful piece of furniture. The lift is pretty nice, but I agree with above combined. I really would hate to have my furniture upstage my shiny new TV, both in price and in looks.
True that it's pricey, but I've been to Hardwood Artisans,and their work is just stellar. The furniture is really top notch.
They also offer different price points, so I'd be curious to talk with them about less expensive options.
I like it but I have a few issues:
1. Glass shelves always seem tacky. They have an 80s feel and get dusty really fast
2. None of the designs have an open shelf centered under the TV. If I'm going to spend 4-8K on something that holds the TV, I'm going to spend a lot on the TV and surround sound system. That means a center speaker. It's very hard to find a TV console that accommodates those well.
3. 36 inches is a about 12 too high. I don't care to look up at the TV from the couch.
So.. (setting aside the price) the concept is great -the details make it a no go.
ETA: They do say 'made to order' so perhaps that includes addressing the issues I bring up.
They are way beyond the price range of us average folk, but I don't think that means they shouldn't be featured on AT. It is still nice to see a clever idea done well, and it might provide inspiration for a skilled DIYer.
It is wonderful to craftsmen using traditional techniques and knowledge to build such beautiful pieces. It is like the modern take on television cabinet that once took up large areas to hide the television. The clean lines of a room without a visible television is very nice. What are some other ways people have efficiently hidden away televisions? This would be very helpful for small areas and provide ideas for people. One of my favorite ways to hide the television that I have seen is a panel on rollers. The panel I saw had a painting on it and masked the area beautifully
I seriously don't understand the general AT shame in having a TV permanently featured in their living room.
TheDanMan, dontcha know? Most AT readers are like, "Oh, I don't watch TV. Just Netflix documentaries about obscure historical figures. Sometimes I view c-span."
It's a bit daft, isn't it? Sure, it's a nice piece of furniture no doubt, but it's hardly practical. You might reclaim some space, but it's not like you can place anything there; it'll tip over next time you want to watch telly!
Mind you, I'm making something like this for the display at my desk albeit I'm mounting it behind my desk and intend to make it out of Lego Technics.
wishlist! perfect for people with wild toddlers, like me.
our toddler - agent chaos - likes to go up to our TV and ever so sweetly look as if he's watching it, then... BANG!