Designing and Building an Entertainment Center
Housing electronic equipment, routing wires, storing CDs and dealing with that big TV are all part of the challenge.
Summary: A description of an entertainment center designed for a television, audio equipment, and CD or tape storage. The author has a number of general design tips as well as details on one particular cabinet.
The first extendable TV turntable I installed in an entertainment center was a surprise. This slick hardware, rated to hold 200 lb., seemed to be an engineering coup. I smiled as I helped my customer set his new 32-in. TV in place. But as he extended the turntable, I started to worry: The TV bobbed up and down alarmingly. The bobbing worried my customer,too. He never again pulled the TV out from the cabinet — the image of his $900 TV on the end of a diving board was too disturbing.
I run a one-man shop where custom entertainment centers are my main business. Years of handling the whole process—designing, building and installing, have taught me to avoid such gaffes as flexible turntables.
Most entertainment centers revolve around the TV
Designing an entertainment center begins with a visit to the client’s home. I measure the space, see where the TV will be most easily viewed and verify the presence of electrical and cable outlets. Sometimes there is a radiator or heat vent in the way, and the client needs to be reminded to call the appropriate contractor to move it.
I build freestanding and built-in units. My techniques apply equally to both types. Because I work alone, I build entertainment centers in modules. One large cabinet would be difficult to handle, but I can move smaller modules by myself and join them together on the job.
The design of most entertainment centers revolves around housing a 27-in. or 32-in. TV. Such large TVs are 2 ft. or more deep. Although the dimensions don’t vary much among TV manufacturers, I always measure the set before designing the cabinet.
Depending on the final height of the TV shelf, I fill the space below it with two or three full-extension drawers to store CDs, audio tapes, videocassettes and accessories.
I divide my standard deep drawers into 5-in. rows that accommodate media. The front two rows are the full width of the tapes, while the back row holds several rows of four tapes lengthwise. Reversible blocks inside the drawers hold aluminum bars that divide tapes and CDs when set one way, and video-cassettes when set the other way.
For more detail and photos, click the View PDF button below.