Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is tucked behind me, I'm starting to get the redecorating itch. The one that makes me want to incorporate into my home every single design trend I've seen and loved for the last year and create a whole new, more perfect universe to live in. Most years, I can appease this urge by purchasing a couple of new pillows, but every few, I take it as a sign that there are some changes that need to happen. Loving your home is something I place an enormous amount of value in-it's where you escape to from all that is icky and stressful, so that you can recharge and put the best you out there! Shop Home Entertainment Furniture
For this reason, I'm a complete advocate for taking the winter season to reassess, reorganize, redecorate, remodel and rethink the way you live and how your life can be improved with some changes-whether big or small. Every time we take on the redecorating process, I think we become a little more in tune with how we actually live and a little more confident in our design style, so that a blending of the gorgeous and the practical starts to happen a little more seamlessly (I personally own up to completely unpractical choices in the past, and Scott reminds me of them when I start to err on the too fabulous side!). So it got me thinking about what issues are still giving so many of us trouble in the design process.
The room that universally seems to get the most action is the TV room (media room if you're fancy or, as we call it at my house, the man room!) and working that glorious box of fun into our spaces in a tasteful way has been a design challenge for years. Until recently, we not only had to make space for the ever growing size of the tube televisions, but also for the enormous armoires we've loved for hiding them in.
But the times they are a changin'! Now that the tube version is being phased out in favor of flat screens, we need a whole new batch of solutions for either hiding these skinny guys, or just blending them in so that they don't have such a dominant presence on the wall. Here are a few solutions that I've employed-much to the delight of design-conscious gals and guys who just want their toys to be seen! So here we go...
Today's TVs may high-tech but there are entertainment units available in every style.
Or, if you want to go with a theme, think of your media room as a 'library.' This is an aesthetic that's all the rage right now-and rightly so because it doesn't get any cozier. When I think library, I see leather chairs and sofas and chunky wood furniture like the Foster Collection paired with olivey, suede-like walls. Tufted leather ottomans like the Tarleton also work well in this space and offer great versatility-from extra seating space to cocktail tables. But I also picture lots of oil paintings-and what better way to blend in a wall-mounted rectangle than to have it become part of a series of hanging rectangles! So place your furniture piece (for components) and hang your TV above. Then create a gallery wall all around it with paintings on either side and even above. Add brass art lights to a few of the pieces to really drive home a 'gentleman's library' feel!
And no one says you have to use an 'entertainment piece' to sit below your TV. To get this kind of well-traveled look, I like the Chamber bedroom dresser. But if you just don't have the space to display an entire entertainment center, a TV console works just as well! From corner units that save space to tall consoles that make TV viewing even easier, today's consoles can handle your big screen without overpowering your space. Available in just about any style and finish, you can go sleek and modern with a glass console, or, to stick with the library look, choose a console with a warm, cherry finish like the Brownstone.
-Another approach to the library look is-well obviously-books! This was the solution in my own home to satisfy Scott's need for an enormous TV, and my need for that TV not to be the focal point of the entire living room! With open shelf bookcases on either side and across the top, and closed storage for the components below, the entire area reads as one big beautiful composition, instead of one big eyesore! And nothing makes a room feel warmer, or more personal, than books. The Hamilton four-piece wall unit helps you make this idea come to life thanks to its two side piers that function as open bookcases and a bridge that's great for displaying decorative items.
-And here's a good one for a modern look. On a neutral-colored wall, paint a dark, horizontal stripe that's a few inches taller than your TV from corner to corner. Charcoal or chocolate brown would be great choices for this since the idea is for the TV to recede. Hang clean-lined sconces on either side of the screen, giving around 18-24" of space. Place a simple console below and you've got yourself a clean, linear look. For parties, run a DVD of a crackling fire for a kitschy kick! And with a plethora of
bookcases
available today-everything from ladder-style to library chests-you can store your movies and music all while adding an elegant look to your room!
