Looking for media center ideas . . .

[Randall Clark]

I am looking to build a media center to sit under my wall-mounted tv. Any ideas of places to look? I am thinking of something about 26 inches high, 18-24 inches deep, and about four or five feet wide. I don't have many local furniture stores to get ideas from. I am also looking for some wisdom so that upon completion of the project I don't slap my forehead and wish I would have built it different for whatever reason. Thanks in advance for any help.

PS - I will have at least three or four different components in it along with some DVD storage.

[Mike McCann]

this is one I made

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o223/mackel40/P1010138.jpg?t=1266975062

I got the plans from FWW Oct 200 issue 200

[gaston harris]

built this around a pair of speakers i have - the drawers fit 3 rows of CD's or two rows of DVDs. I have a sketchup drawing of some of the details if interested.
Gaston

[Craig D Peltier]

Try google images and rephrase if you dont see ideas you want.

[brett gallmeyer]

this is one I made

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o223/mackel40/P1010138.jpg?t=1266975062

I got the plans from FWW Oct 200 issue 200



I'm planning on makeing the same one...

[Jay Redfern]

I will try and post pictures later of the one I made from a fine furniture magazine, I believe last july's issue. I know it's on the online site. Don't hold me to it but if remember it's 68 by 20 deep by 28 high.:)

[Kerry Lorts]

Look at thewoodwhisperer.com he made one with about the same dimensions you are talking about.

-Kerry

[Cary Falk]

I just delivered this today. It is roughly the size you are looking at:19"deepx36"hx60"l. The top 2 drawers are 5.5" for junk, The bottom 6 are 7" for DVDs. It is made of red oak. Dyed Extra DArk Walnut and then stained with a Mahogany gel stain. I was matching 2 end tables. The flash is messing up the color but the top is pretty accurate of the color. They wanted something matching the endtable style. I'm not sure where they got the end tables from but they have a old world rough look to them. Red oak gave them as close to an unsanded/unplaned look as I could stomach.:D
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0047.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0033.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0034.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0032.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0046_2.jpg

[Jamie Schmitz]

Along with cutting a hole in the back for cords to the TV how about flush mounting a power strip on the inside so you do not have to run the power cables out of the unit. You actually could notch the shelves to have room for the cords also.

[Cary Falk]

Along with cutting a hole in the back for cords to the TV how about flush mounting a power strip on the inside so you do not have to run the power cables out of the unit. You actually could notch the shelves to have room for the cords also.

The power strip is inside the cabinet. The horizontal slots are for airflow. The back of the shelves are notched.

[Jay Redfern]

+1 on the FWW TV stand, made from walnut.

[Neil Clemmons]

Here is one that I made - design was based on a Thomas Moser inspired cabinet.

Overall dimensions: 30" high x 23" deep x 54" wide.
Material: QS Red Oak
Finish: General Finishes Nutmeg wiping stain followed by four coats of GF oil / poly wipe on finish and then waxed and buffed
Doors: I used reeded glass on the doors to enable the remote to work with the set top and DVD player.
Drawers: Dovetailed with false fronts. Attached with Blum full-extension undermount slides.

neil

[Bruce Page]

Randall, check out some of the EC furniture at Crutchfield. They have some nice stuff to get ideas from.

http://www.crutchfield.com/g_281850/Entertainment-Furniture.html?tp=806

[Randall Clark]

Neil, I like the looks of your box. It's in a mission style. Will those brackets hold out? (ignorant question, I know) They almost make it look like it's floating. Did you make a plan, adapt a plan, procure a plan?

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

I'm interested in this thread because it's on my honey-do list. One thing I can say is think more like you're building kitchen cabinets more than period furniture. That is something that will last 20 years over something that will last 100+ years. Technology changes so fast that you might not even need a cabinet in 10 years. I have a couple cpu desks I made in the 90's that now reside in the attic and a TV stand build deep for a CRT TV and tall shelves for "VCR" (remember those?).

[Neil Clemmons]

Randall

Thanks for the comments. Yes it is a floating design. The center case is suspended from the top and anchored at the four legs with wrought-iron angle brackets. I drilled, bent, and painted them before screwing them in place. They are incredibly strong - stronger than I would have originally thought. The case is anchored to the top with ten 2 1/2 inch screws. The angle brackets at the bottom of the case are each attached with five 3/4 to 1" screws. The underframe of the top is assembled with a half-lap joint and the legs are dominoed to the underframe. The piece is very heavy - solid wood in 4/4 and 5/4 through-out and strong.

Drawers were made from 1/2" hard maple and run on blum full-extension undermount glides.

The piece is a blend of a mission style with oriental influence. The legs, for example, are reverse tapered. The laminated arches add to the oriental influence along with the reeded glass. But the hardware and straight grain QSRO bring in the mission look.

It was adapted from a piece made several years back by Jason Tuinistra - a member here at SMC. His website with his work is at [www makerofshaker dot com]. Jason was nice enough to answer a few questions for me and send me a dimensioned drawing of his piece, which I expanded and adapted.

Jason and I both got inspiration from Thomas Moser - [www thosmoser dot com] who has several pieces in that style.

I did create a sketchup model of the piece, based on measurements from Jason's piece as well as from going to the showroom for Thomas Moser.

I might add that if you have Sketchup, you can go to the 3D Warehouse for Sketchup and search for Thomas Moser and find models of a number of their pieces, though they are 'shells' only without the level of detail you'd want to build from.

If you'd like a copy of the Sketchup file, PM me with your email address and I'll be glad to provide it.

Thanks - and good luck

neil