Get the Built-In Entertainment Center You Really Want

Built-ins give a house a sense of solidity and permanence. They lend variety and character to an interior, reduce clutter and make the walls appear thicker — which makes the house feel much more substantial. Of those you can add, a built-in entertainment center is one of the most useful. It helps to tame the clutter that springs up around a TV.  When paired with bookshelves, a built-in entertainment center provides ample opportunity to display mementos and books.

An entertainment center wall can also anchor a room and give it a focal point — much the way a fireplace does — clarifying furniture arrangements and warming up the space.

While there are an infinite number of ways to arrange a TV media wall, experts recommend dividing the unit into a base and an upper cabinet, to help break up the unit’s mass and to accommodate varying depths of storage. The base can be fitted with drawers or doors to conceal electronics and accessories.

Cabinetmaker Stewart True of True Carpentry and Cabinetry in Cummings, Georgia, says 36 inches is a good height for a base, while 20 to 24 inches is a good depth — deep enough for board games and electronics. Often the base under the TV will protrude out farther, just to break up the unit more.

“You’re always going to want to vent your components if you put them behind a door,” says Dennis Budd of Gast Architects in San Francisco.  Fit the doors with grilles or speaker cloth, or add ventilation to the toe kick.

Budd likes to make the upper shelves 13 to 14 inches deep (instead of the more common 12). “That will accommodate most books really well,” he says. To prevent sagging, use plywood shelving or thermally fused laminate and keep spans under 42 inches (36 inches is ideal).

A built-in entertainment center generally looks best if they echo the architecture of the home. Matching the trim throughout the house and running matching base and crown molding across the front of the built-in will help tie the custom entertainment center to the rest of the home.

Who to Hire

You can hire an architect, an interior designer, a home audio specialist or have Austin-Morgan Closets design it for you. The advantage of hiring a pro is that he or she will think of things that might not occur to a layperson, ranging from aesthetics to issues of ventilation, lighting and wiring.

Cost Range

It will depend on the project’s size, design, materials and amenities. Using a laminate material will help keep cost down while still giving you the look of real wood.  Laminate material is also durable and easy to care for.  A painted finish or stained wood finish will greatly increase the cost.

Phoenix Area Custom Built-In Entertainment Center Resource

Give Austin-Morgan Closets a call at 623-986-0644.  Our skilled finish carpenter is experienced in the design and installation of custom cabinetry for your custom entertainment center needs.  We serve Phoenix, Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Carefree, Anthem, Peoria, Arcadia, Paradise Valley, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert areas of Arizona.