(Welcome again to Katie, one of the finalists vying for a blogging position at the upcoming AT:Home Tech. Comment away.)
Katie says: It's easy to buy good design when money isn't an issue, and that's especially true when it comes to technology. But being on a budget doesn't have to limit you--as with design in general, it just takes a bit more ingenuity.
Our A/V electronics have been the domain of my husband, but it was time for me to take control of the design aspect. I had chaos and a rat's nest of wires to contend with, but I prevailed, turning it all into a visually pleasing sight.
The first, long-contemplated purchase was a 58" long Lack TV bench from Ikea. In retrospect, I'm not sure how I thought I'd fit everything together on a smaller one, so I'm glad I went with the long one. It seemed like a large splurge at $69.99, especially when I saw other alternatives with smaller price tags, like coffee tables. But the other options didn't have weight ratings, and I didn't want to destroy the electronics we have by risking collapse. After it was assembled, I put some felt pads on the bottoms of the legs to protect the floor.
The receiver was the first piece that had to be placed, because some receivers require space for the air to circulate so that they don't overheat. The rest fell into place based on the size and use of each piece.
See this article from TimeforDVD.com for a basic tutorial of home electronics, including receivers. [Note that it's from 2002, but if you are a technophobe or have older equipment, it's educational.]
A good cleaning with wipes meant for electronics will help repel the dust in the future. These video tutorials from ExpertVillage.com show the best way to clean and maintain your equipment. The pictures show how I lined everything up and utilized all the space on the lower shelf.
- Katie
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Looks great. It appears that the television is now on a lazy susan. If so, where did you buy it?
Thanks for this post! I have been looking for a functional and simple TV stand for a while now, and the only items I have found that are aesthetically pleasing to me are over $1000 and actually probably too big. Nice TV stands are surprisingly hard to find, but it looks like that one would do nicely. I love it so much I will probably overcome my distaste of particleboard. :-)
Looks very good but you might want to make sure that your speakers are of the "shielded" type. If they aren't, then the picture on your TV will slowly go black.
This looks great! What an improvement and nice descriptions of how the end result was accomplished. Big change for little money.
nice job - love concealing wires!
You can save a bit of headache with coax (I think it was slide #8 with the yoga mat) by going to Radio Shack or someplace like that and getting a 90 degree adapter. They are at most four bucks, but they keep the cords even closer to the wall. A 90 degree and Command clips did wonders for my cables, especially paired with a surge protector that has a flat plug that spins 360 degrees. Ikea Lacks are great for use with electronics. You could even put another one underneath for some additional storage (perhaps hack the two together to make a cleaner line) and to get a bit more height for those who like their television at a higher level.
I have been dreaming of a new TV stand and this is really helpful in terms of options and how to work with the wires.
A question: I recently got a MacBook. Are any of those products approriate for cleaning the screen, which is already smudged. If not, can you recommend anything?
Thank you!
Thanks for the comments!
K- It is on a lazy susan, the Rulla TV swivel stand, also from Ikea--and only $12.99. Great investment to protect the top of the bench from scratches. Click on my name for the link.
Tara- The products recomended are for standard LCD screens, no matter the operating system or manufacturer, and can be used on TV screens and electronics in general as well.