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High Point — The latest generation of video electronics is reshaping entertainment furniture — literally.
Driven by the rapid growth of high-definition television, rear-projection sets, widescreen formats and flat-screen monitors, furniture producers have developed an expanded menu of television stands and home-theater centers.
To put all the changes in a nutshell: The tall wall is no longer king.
To be sure, the familiar pier-and-bridge systems still have a place in the market, especially since 32-inch and 36-inch direct-view analog televisions continue to be top sellers. But the lower profiles of today's widescreen TVs — in direct-view or rear-projection models — has created a new opportunity for consoles, midheight walls and audio racks.
Showcasing the equipment
While wall units with wide monitor cavities and long consoles work fine with these units, several furniture manufacturers introduced new units this spring that offer more dramatic storage options for the unique shapes of the latest video technology.
In fact, many of these new furniture pieces are not designed for storage so much as display. Some of the most striking examples of these new entertainment formats are designed so that consumers can show off their fancy new televisions.
And in the case of flat-screen monitors, a category that includes plasma and liquid-crystal displays, consumers now can show off their new sets even when they store them. Because these flat screens are so thin and relatively light, a couple of companies — Century and Hooker among them — have developed motorized cabinets that raise or lower the screen with the push of a button.
For more dramatic and permanent displays, some of the new entertainment centers create distinctive backgrounds that accentuate the thin profile and dramatic shape of the flat screen.
"We've tried to put more emphasis on design, without sacrificing function," said Kelly Cain, Stanley Furniture's vice president and product manager for home entertainment. As part of an aggressive round of entertainment introductions at the April High Point market, Stanley offered a selection of lower-profile walls and entertainment consoles featuring what Cain called a more sophisticated look.
"People want to be able to see these TVs when they buy them," he said.
The sleek almost industrial design of flat screens seems to favor a contemporary look, and the latest entertainment centers and consoles designed for these systems primarily follow that path.
"People who make this (flat-screen) purchase are going to want furniture that accentuates the design of the television," said Steven Kayne, president of Excelsior Designs, a contemporary case goods specialist that showed a striking new display wall for plasma in High Point.
Of course, flat screens are not incompatible with wall units, especially those designed with wide rectangular television spaces rather than square cavities. The latest wall units tend to be shorter than previous designs. Several new tall walls were on display around High Point, but the new widescreen televisions don't require furniture to tower over the room as much as the big screens with the 4:3 aspect ratio.
Consoles draw attention
And wide consoles with underneath storage received considerable attention in High Point, at all price points — from promotional flat-pack to the most exquisite high-end cabinetmakers.
For example, Palliser's EQ3 line debuted the Saga collection, a retro Scandinavian design that consumers can customize for their particular TV. With two wide bases and shelving and cabinet options, Saga can be configured in numerous ways to create a colorful contemporary storage solution that's affordable, with retail price points from $299 to $699.
"Although it's not specifically designed for the depth of a plasma monitor, it's a flexible solution that works well for widescreens as well as flat screens," said Nathan Dick, sales manager.
Several of the most memorable television commercials for flat-screen monitors show how these units can be mounted on the wall. For consumers who choose to do that, audio racks figure to be a likely furniture accessory to house DVD players, sound systems and media.
"We're already seeing that," said Shawn Maley, product market manager for Bush Furniture. "If they want to mount (the monitor) on the wall with nothing underneath, audio racks are going to be more and more popular."
For those who don't want to hang a 100-pound, $3,000 appliance from their walls, Bush has developed a series of new consoles with mounting hutches to create the look of midair suspension.
The new shape of things in televisions is not just an opportunity to redesign entertainment centers. It also may add up to a strong sales prospect for furniture producers and retailers.
"A lot of the cabinets that are currently out in the market and in people's homes are not going to accommodate the new widescreens," said Stanley's Cain. "We have an opportunity to grow with this category."
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