Get an Entertainment Unit

July 12, 2008

The family room or den can benefit enormously from this single item

By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward

No matter how large your home is and no matter how big your family is, like most people, you probably feel as though you never have enough storage space. While many catalogs and stores offer a variety of solutions that can help, here is one way you can keep your family room or den better organized and make it more functional, since it is probably the most used space in your home:
Think about using the open vertical wall space you have instead of drafting several low pieces of furniture to store your audio and television equipment, CDs, and DVDs. One large and tall piece — an entertainment unit — is a great investment because it will give your room a cohesive look in addition to freeing up precious floor space, plus it will hold a lot of other things. Many people don’t realize how useful these units can be for storing items that aren’t necessarily intended for “entertainment.”

Most ready-made units provide lots of open shelving but not much closed storage. That’s fine if you have only books and family photos you’d like to display. But if you need space for other items you’d rather not keep on view — files, extra candles, silver, even table linens, vases, wine and liquors, or glassware, you might want to consider having a unit custom-made to suit your particular needs.

Aside from keeping your DVDs and CDs hidden in drawers or behind closed doors where they will be easily accessible, one large open shelf or a row of niches should be designated for your audio equipment. And if you’re having the unit built, make sure the section for your TV has a big open area on the wall if you are planning to hang a flat panel television on it, or just leave a large expanse of horizontal space in the middle section where a plasma or LCD TV can sit on its pedestal.

© Lauri Ward, 2006.

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