Sunday, January 02, 2011

Help.me.

Ok gang, I need some help. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is looking for ways to combine antiques and interesting pieces with technology. Our television is mounted above our fireplace which leaves us with the question of where to put our various electronic devices. In this picture from Christmas 2009, you see the TV with the electronics tower to the left.

This year I am looking for a more aesthetically pleasing solution. The problem is that I am not willing to part with the pieces I have and I have a general dislike for newer pieces. So how do I repurpose vintage to accommodate contemporary? I have a small butcher block table that was once on The Farm (here we go again.) I have recently moved this into the family room and made it into a small desk area for our laptop which had previously had no permanent home and so was usually found on the coffee table or on an end table. When we got our new bedroom set, I had to find new homes for the pieces that made up my grandmothers set and would not all fit into the guest room. One of the two low boys became a family room end table which I'm happy with. It's got a lot of surface and is substantial enough to have a presence in the room.




This displaced the butcher block table/desk to here




I've never really liked the tower being that it looked out of place among the older pieces and it's shelves were not deep enough so the electronics hung over the front shelf always looking sloppy. Also, it is narrow and doesn't fill the space next to the fireplace making it feel unbalanced and creating this void in the corner where stuff tends to just pile. The butcher block fits snugly here and is nicer on the eyes. But what to do with the electronics? I would like some kind of storage mounted above the desk and it would need to have a portion with a door to hide the DVDs and video games. The electronics would need to be on open shelves so the remotes will work. I started thinking in terms of kitchen cabinets and haven't given up on it but can't quite come up with a design that doesn't look like, well, kitchen cabinets. The shelves for the electronics would have to be 15 inches deep. In my head is a vague idea of the top or bonnet of a hutch mounted on the wall. Too bad the idea is so vague as to be un-explainable. And also too bad that only electronic media shelving is usually deep enough. I've tried internet searching ideas but I'm coming up with nothing, probably not googling just the right combination of words. The discussion is officially open, what do I do with this space to accommodate this stuff?





4 comments:

Pat said...

Oh how I hate seeing and dealing with all the electronic stuff! I dislike my new tv stand...too new looking, but I needed something for the ELECTRONIC STUFF!
I was thinking your could use the top to g'ma's blue hutch, but that won't work, and I think it's gone anyway. Hang on sister...we'll find something, for you AND me, and it won't be new!

Trish said...

I understand your dilema...Tom would like to get a bigger TV and hang it on the wall. Nope, it would look like I have a movie screen hanging there! Plus, it would be a bit wider than said wall and that ain't happening! Then, like you I wouldn't know what to do with the electronics! LOL.
The 3 of us should brainstorm and design something eh?
Love you!

Mrs. Mac said...

paint and beadboard. You have a good eye for color .. and if you 'line' the inside backs of the electronic storage unit with the beadboard .. it might look antiquish .. at least unique (like you .. unique .. not antique;) sorry .. I'm no help oops!

Mrs. Mac said...

post a bigger picture of the TV area please ..