Tossing around ideas - when your given lemons make lemonaide

Don Baer

Moderator
Staff member
LOML has announced since (hopefully) my son and his wife will be moving out soon that we need to do something with the wall that their wide screen occupies. She has it in her head to buy a flat screen 36-42" and wants me to build a book case (?) to put it on. Now while most of use are thinking entertainment center I didn't just fall off of a turnip truck and after 40 years of marriage I know she is thinking simple. So my first instinct is to built something and hope she will like it. I have plenty of time to do this so we can over design this thing to death. Hear is my first pass at a design. This is simple but well different.
 

Attachments

  • bookcase.jpg
    bookcase.jpg
    31.1 KB · Views: 57
Last edited:
We started off thinking that direction, too, Don. That's why I'm in the middle of my credenza build. However, we realized it would be far better to put the TV on a wall mount and free up the top of the credenza for display.

For cable concealment, I cut a hole in the wall just under the wall mount and a matching hole at normal outlet height below it. Our credenza will hide the cables behind it, of course, and I'm incorporating cable management into the interior of the cabinet.

As to weight, we have a 55" LG and it weighs all of 52lb.
 
Now while most of use are thinking entertainment center I didn't just fall off of a turnip truck and after 40 years of marriage I know she is thinking simple. So my first instinct is to built something and hope she will like it.

Happy Wife == Happy Life... No turnip trucks here either, Don! ;)
You've done some nice Maloof stuff, haven't you? I think I'd pull out my copy of "The Furniture of Sam Maloof" and do some browsing to see... maybe one of his dressers or sideboards could serve as a starting point.

I don't have a flat screen (yet) so I don't know about the whole wall vs table mount argument. The wall mount does give you some height and free up the cabinet top, but it does also pretty much lock it into place. On the other hand, TVs don't really move that much.
 
I would still fasten it to the wall.
I'm with Bart , when we got our flat screen I really wanted a bigger one - but no the entertanment center had to stay . I would have wanted a bigger set to go on the wall myself . And I could have build something to go under it for eye off-set if she had wanted it .............MB
 
OK after throwing out a few Ideas to SWMBO and getting "the look" I know she definitly won't be happy if I get carried away. she has her mind made up so it's gotta be a bookcase so here's take two.

Interesting... are you planning on plywood, Don? As I would think these joints would be tough with solid wood.
I do like the look of it, though.
 
Your son and his wife didn't read the fine print when they moved in; the flat screen stays :D. I really like 'take 3'. I have a saw till design with those "half captured tenons" and really like the look. Simple, interesting and stylish. This thing is coming together :thumb:
 
Your son and his wife didn't read the fine print when they moved in; the flat screen stays :D. I really like 'take 3'. I have a saw till design with those "half captured tenons" and really like the look. Simple, interesting and stylish. This thing is coming together :thumb:
I saw that joint sometime back and have been wanting to find a place to use it. I have been looking for a place where I could use it on a piece of furniture. I haven't seen it used here on the forum and figured that this would be a good place to introduce it to those who have never seen it. I am hoping that it will prevent racking, if not I'll put a piece of 1/8 BB on the back.
 
I forgot to give a thumbs-up on square pegs too. I think with the arch upper and lower ends of the side pieces, those shelf to side joints accented with square pegs would be great. Your design is really feeling good. Have you picked a material yet? This is gonna be a nice one.
 
I like your latest design, Don. I'd still hang the TV on a wall bracket to free up the top shelf for display. I looked at a lot of different wall-mount brackets and was discouraged about the price of some but found a great bracket at Walmart.com for $40 that included a couple of HDMI cables, had better specs than most others and had all the hardware needed for a safe installation.
 
I forgot to give a thumbs-up on square pegs too. I think with the arch upper and lower ends of the side pieces, those shelf to side joints accented with square pegs would be great. Your design is really feeling good. Have you picked a material yet? This is gonna be a nice one.
I will white Oak since most of the other furniture is that. I thing the square pegs are the last touch unless other have any ideas. hmmm square pegs don't show up to well in the picture. Oh well
 

Attachments

  • Bookcase 4.jpg
    Bookcase 4.jpg
    49.6 KB · Views: 14
Top