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Are you hoping to put the DVD player and cable box under the credenza or under the Plasma? You might try Staples or some other office furniture place and look for a hutch, which would normally go on top of a desk. I believe that would work for what you describe.

do the components not fit in the credenza itself? if they do, you can use an IR repeater remote and keep them concealed. i prefer this solution to an add-on piece.

Though I generally feel that people tend position their flat screens way too high on the wall, in this case I would suggest mounting it a foot or so above the credenza. In the photo above the TV and credenza become one massive piece of furniture; mounting the TV on the wall would give both pieces some much needed breathing room. You can then simply place your DVD player and cable box on top of the credenza, where the TV is now.

Hey Cristina,

At one time you could buy a "Monitor Riser" which was exactly what you are talking about. It went on your desk and gave you a few inches of space under your computer monitor for cds, etc. The simple ones were just a bent piece of metal. Unfortunately they are hard to come by these days, as the advent of height adjustable LCD monitors makes the devices unnecessary.

Are you adverse to keeping the devices inside the cabinet? You can then buy a remote IR sensor that also goes inside the cabinet and allows you to control the devices with the door closed. Click my name for an example.

i agree with brandon.

drill a hole in the back of the credenza and place the components inside.

better yet... i think the large tv overpowers that beautiful credenza. wall mount the tv well above the credenza and get a great big piece of art to place over the tv when not in use. and move it away from the stack of books.

I cant put the components in the credenza
the cabinets on either side are too narrow and the drawers in the middle dont work, because if they are in the drawers, they wont receive remote control signals, not to mention trying to open and close the DVD tray. Putting them on top, under the TV somehow seems to be the only option.
Thanks!!

It looks like one of the drawers could be removed to fit your components. The open space could be concealed with mesh speaker-like fabric. I think that you might be able to use a regular remote control this way.

I 100% agree with Peter.

I have a low black box made for this purpose, it even has a swivel top so you can angle your tv as you wish. I would just give it to you (I don't use it anymore) but I think it would be too small for your tv...it would look like a football player on a tricycle. However, I got it a few years ago at Surprise Surprise in the east village. You might want to check with them and see if they have any larger ones.

Otherwise, I'd just make one from a wood plank and paint it black.

Good luck!

You could put them in the cabinet and then get a leapfrog. you put the receiver on top, and the transmitter inside, in front of your DVD player cable box. See link for an example.
http://www.amazon.com/Terk-Technologies-LF-IRX-Leapfrog-Extender/dp/B000069EV0

The sideboard looks great. You could just get a smaller, wooden case to compliment it.
If you're not averse to modifying the credenza, rip out one of the drawers and stuff your consoles in there. Or better yet, hinge the drawer so that the front flips down for front-loading dvd.
The easiest way, though, is to mount the TV on the wall and put your consoles on top of the sideboard, like Peter suggested.
Or just get a new storage unit and use that sideboard elsewhere because it'll look good anywhere.

I have a near-identical set-up. Consider the HDMI port your best friend. You can get an HDMI switcher and, with a long enough cable (you can find them cheap enough online) you will be able to regulate your equipment far enough away from that saucy credenza. My DirecTV HD box had a radio frequency (RF) remote so it doesn't have to be in the line of sight and is therefore tucked somewhere inconspicious. My DVD and Receiver are about 12 feet to the right on a appropiate bookshelf. With fresh batteries in my remotes, I really don't have to worry so much about line of fire issues. What's left is a clean credenza and TV. You don't want to necessarily stare at all your equipment, right?

why don't you just stick them in the bookcase on the right?

the dvd player can't be much larger than a photo album, the cable box - around the size of a book. you could run the cords down the back and along the floor.

I second both Kate's and Peter's ideas -- personally I'd do both -- but will add one of my own anyway. How about putting the cable box, etc., UNDER the credenza?

To me, the credenza and the tv do not go together at all. The credenza, on its own, is a beautiful piece. The tv is a gigantic tv. Even though it is a plasma and is flat, I think it looks heavier because of how it sits. Many of the flat screen televisions you see now come with some kind of stand that lifts it a few inches off of the surface giving it a lighter appearance.
I agree with Peter's comment above. The tv on top of the credenza just looks like one big hulking unit. If you wall mount the tv that would give you some space between the tv and the credenza. However, if you aren't going to put your AV components inside the credenza and then not have the tv on the credenza what purpose does the credenza serve?
I would use the credenza somewhere else and search for another piece to sit the tv on or above that has usable storage for your DVD player, etc. This is a case of form not following function. Move the credenza and find a piece that actually works for what you need it for, rather than throwing more money at a small case to store AV stuff in on the side, or a leapfrog, etc. Buy a piece that does what you initially wanted the credenza to do.

we put ours in the fireplace:

http://tinyurl.com/2knm85

I would modify the credenza. If the DVD player and cable box would fit, remove the top drawer and add a shelf in there. Also drill a hole in the back for the cords. The drawer could be put back in place later, if wanted.

Cristina,

I had/have the SAME problem, but in my case it's an antique Chinese chest I don't want to drill in. To top it off, I'm also a video game nerd so I also have to factor in multiple systems!

What I did was buy modular steel cubes from the container store, and cut holes in the back for cords. They're 14" wide so that might be too narrow, it worked for me though: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/index.jhtml?CATID=13373

Picture here: http://www.matdrinks.com/images3/house4.jpg

Since then, I've centered both items in the middle, and mounted the tv to the wall. I'm pretty happy with it design-wise, and from the nerd side of things it's the cleanest I've ever seen someone do video games.

Oh, and if you want them black... Get the Enamaled ones and paint em'.

Good luck!

Home Decorators Catalog has TV Turntables that I think are what Kim, above, described. It looks like they will accomodate up to a 42" TV. I don't know if that would be big enough, but check them out here:
http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Two-Tier_Drayton_TV_Turntable/120/

I REALLY prefer it on that book thing on the right AND to have the TV mounted to the wall, combining Kate and Peter's ideas.

Because really, truly, the cable box AND the DVD player need to be out in the world (not hidden behind the little doors) so their little "eye" things can "see" the little laser beam from the remote, and what better way than to have them among all those books, kind of disguising themselves.

My parents have a similar chest for their TV. My dad deconstructed the middle drawers, taking out the actual drawer part and putting just the drawer faces back on using hinges. When they're watching TV and using the remote, they flip the drawer faces down so the remote and cable box can communicate; when they're not in use, they just flip them back up and they look like regular drawers.

I Think you have some really good options without having to 'devalue' such a great antique piece by drilling holes into it or cutting into the drawers to have hinges placed in them so you can open them down. It would be a real shame as Mid Century Modern collectors like me will always pay top dollar for a piece in excellent to good condition (in its original form).

I had a similiar dilemma - I chose to mount the TV on the wall (I used a mount with an extending arm so that I can rotate the TV to be viewed in any corner of the room) and placed my other equipment (including a turntable as I am also an avid record collector)on top of the credenza.

Please don't drill holes, remove drawers, or otherwise modify the credenza.

Put the TV on something else or attach it to the wall.

peter's suggestion will work best. make a little sketch of your set up and one of peter's you'll see the mounted version looks lighter and creates more space. the only downside the high cost to properly mount the tv.
in the meantime could your cable box and dvd fit in the vertical book stack next to the credenza.

I just purchased a mid century credenza for the same purpose!
But I have to wonder why you picked this one if you didn't have the components all worked out before you brought it home.

Click on my link and see what I did with mine. I'm holding out for a flatscreen - which will go on top of my credenza one day. In the meantime, I put my little TV and components inside. (I don't have cable so that part wasn't an issue)

I bored a hole in the bottom of the inside of the cabinet to run a power cord through. (I didn't want to go through the back because it is finished as well, and one day could serve as a room dividing piece.) I tucked the powerstrip inside, and run the cord to the outlet behind the furniture... a nice way to hide unsightly cords.

So with that in mind, I suggest that you shouldn't worry too much about modifying your piece. What good is a lovely piece with no practical applications for modern times? It's better than buying some overpriced pressed board junk.

Just be sure you have carefully considered all your options before modifying or drilling holes. (I'm grateful to the salesman who pointed out the finished back of my piece... or I would have bored the hole through the back - and regretted it later.)

I'm a big fan of metal fabricators. You could get a steel box made for about $100.00 that would match the tv and still be strong enough to support it. I've had quite a few custom things made this way.

Another option would be to make a strong thick plywood box and paint it black. Same purpose.

You could even get slide outs inserted on either for the game box.