Creative Ideas for Entertainment Furniture

Repurposing Vintage Pieces

• Today's televisions are thinner and lighter than ever before. This opens up new and different options for entertainment furniture. Consider repurposing an older piece of furniture you already own or a thrift store find to hold all your entertainment items. A buffet or large low dresser can be adapted to store your television, DVDs and other equipment easily. Look for pieces that have some amount of shelving to hold DVD players or game systems for the best success with this sort of vintage furniture repurposing. Drawers can be used for DVDs, CDs and video games. Consider replacing legs and hardware or refinishing a piece to bring it up to date. At the least, you will likely need to drill holes for cords and ventilation, but you can even gut out a piece and install lift hardware to raise and lower your television if you prefer.

Create Your Own Entertainment Center

• Use inexpensive ready-to-assemble components to create an entertainment center designed to meet your needs. Several stores, including IKEA and Target, offer suitable options. You do need to check the weight of your television as well as the weight limits of the pieces you choose when using these pieces to create a piece of entertainment furniture. Assemble low shelf units, cubes and drawers to hold all of your media equipment. Use online design tools (see Resources below) to arrange the storage and space you need for all of your entertainment equipment. Consider adding coordinating pieces to hold books and home accessories elsewhere in the room if desired.

Built-In Cabinetry

• If you have more space or prefer the look of built-ins, consider using stock kitchen cabinetry to create a large entertainment center. Opting for stock cabinetry will save you time and allow you to complete this project with limited woodworking skills. Choose wood finishes and styles that work well with your home and allow some amount of space for decorative items if you are building in a substantial wall unit. Look for helpful additions or features available for kitchen cabinetry and customize these to meet your needs. Slide-back or pocket doors are a good choice if you wish to cover you television. Slide-out drawers and drawer dividers can make it easy to store electronics and other media equipment.