Sep
19
2007
 5

The Boob Tube


I’ve been asking everyone I know, including the 1950′s House Lovers and the folx at HouseBlogs.net, the same question: “What do you do with your television?”

This is the dilemma I’ve been trying to solve for five years!
We’re not big tv watchers. We love to rent movies, but even then we only watch one a week or so. The television is currently stored in a tv cabinet from Target which threatens to fall to pieces every time we open and close the doors (and isn’t really mid-century anyway).
I have looked everywhere for a tv cabinet that is even slightly mid-century. We have found some modernist cabinets that would fit a flat panel, but we have a 26-in regular old tv and don’t plan to spend money on an upgrade any time soon. We also have rabbit ears since we don’t subscribe to cable :)
I’ve thought about getting a vintage sideboard and just setting the tv on top, but I don’t want it to be the focus of the room, KWIM? Any help? Help!
Thanks in advance.

I’ve gotten a few responses, but not quite what I’m looking for. The ideal situation would be a sideboard that was deep enough for our current tv set. I’ve thought about having a custom piece of furniture made (maybe we could trade a door for one?), but I’m not sure that I want to spend money on something like, you know, teevee.
Ping ‘em if you’ve got ‘em! ;-)

5 Comments for The Boob Tube


Andrew
September 19, 2007, 11:29 am

Right, cause most all the other house renovators are also big TV watchers, and so there’s lots of nice options for big flat screen plasma hi-def media centers.
(Aside: what is it with people mounting their flat screens way up above mantels like artwork? You’d have to look up to watch? Freaks me out.)


John
September 19, 2007, 12:16 pm

We have an 1890 Victorian and we incorporated a built-in cabinet for our tv. It’s still not 100% completed, but, even without the doors, it’s much nicer than the typical entertainment center. And, the price wasn’t any worse than buying a fancy, premade one either.


Elizabeth
September 19, 2007, 2:01 pm

I so know what you mean about the TV thing. We have an even larger TV with rabbit ears that we primarily watch for Sesame Street and renting a movie about once a month. I finally broke down and bought a Brasilia credenza from austin modern. I really like it and like the storage, but don’t like that it elevates my TV to be the literal center of the room. Grrr!


Mary-Frances Main
September 21, 2007, 9:01 am

I bought at an auction an old 50′s stereo cabinet (back in those days a turn table, speakers and room to store records). I was going to turn it into a bar (never did) and GASP (still kicking myself) got rid of it.
Kind of like this one: http://www.hallowquest.com/CabinetLeftFront.jpg
I wonder if you could take out the center area and put a TV into it. Or some how put your TV on top and build an extension around it?
NO idea. Very complicated I agree.
So, is there a link to see all your blog posts together since the redesign? I only know how to hit the “most recent” from your sidebar.


paul schuster
September 22, 2007, 5:29 pm

I saw a fun solution for this sort of situation.
check this thread
http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10267
fwiw, LCD tv are getting so cheap that when you think of the cost of sq footage gained it starts costing less than that tube tv.
let’s say cost per sq ft is $150 and that tube TV with target cabinet take up 2-3 sq ft. then your tax man also taxes you on that space taken up by the tuber annually. you can probably find a 32 inch LCD flat panel for around 400. don’t get a plasma, the screen burn is awful.
sorry for being the devil’s advocate.