New at market: Home entertainment

By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 23, 2003

• All prices retail • In-depth stories on case goods introductions will appear in Furniture/Today's opening-day issue •

• Plasma starts to flow: A big push is on to create furniture for the plasma and other flat-screen TVs that are starting to sell at electronics stores.

• Family hearth still warm: Large wall units with numerous configuration options are getting plenty of air time.

• Creative consoles: Widescreen formats require furniture bases that are wider than the standard television stand. New versions of these will be on display in many showrooms.

Aico IHFC G-777

• Tresor, a French formal design with exquisite carvings in a rich sherry finish, includes an entertainment wall.

• Additions to the Brittany collection, an English Country design in English Truffle finish, also includes an entertainment wall.

Ameriwood C&D 9th floor

Each of four new flat-pack collections features entertainment pieces. The new patterns include two transitional styles, one in light maple finish and the other in medium walnut finish; a French Country design in medium walnut finish, and a Euro contemporary design with four pieces featuring unique construction and design.

Bush Furniture IHFC W-546

Flat-panel and projection TV furniture takes center stage, with new products ranging from contemporary chrome-and-glass looks to traditional styles, all designed to integrate flat-panel and projection TVs into the home.

• With minimalist lines of silvery metal, the Millennium video base accommodates a freestanding flat-panel TV, or suspends it on a matching hutch. Featuring a sleek curved front, tempered glass shelves and an open back for easy cord access, the video base with hutch is $299.

• Accommodating flat-panel TVs up to 50 inches, or standard TVs up to 36 inches, the Edgewood video base provides an exceptional amount of storage for audio equipment, DVD player, games and accessories. Flat-panel TVs can be suspended on the matching hutch, sold separately. Finished in cognac maple, the video base features adjustable shelves, tempered glass doors and drawers for concealed storage, at $299, matching hutch, $99.

• In the Contours Collection, an elegant projection TV wall system, finished in cognac maple. Gracefully curving bridge adjusts to accommodate projection TVs up to 65 inches. Piers, with curved glass doors, glass shelves and recessed curio lighting, echo the soft curves of the bridge. Three-piece system, $499.

Canwood 220 Elm 216

New solid-pine ready-to-assemble pieces include a fully functional corner entertainment center with plenty of storage for media, peripheral components and for a large-screen TV.

Carina Carina Building, Wrenn and Russell

Big Sur, a line of entertainment centers designed for wide-screen plasma, LED and conventional TVs, each capable of accommodating very wide and very heavy sets as well as four to eight additional electronic components, with storage space for tapes and disks. The textured paint finish is scratch- and chip-resistant, requiring virtually no care. Big Sur doesn't use glass shelves, responding to consumer concerns about safety. Pieces from $149 to $199.

Club 8 220 Elm 310

• Offering high-style contemporary at affordable prices, company debuts Inbound, a comprehensive collection that includes entertainment pieces. The structured lacquer finish over medium-density fiberboard gives the look of veneer at a fraction of the price.

• Adding two entertainment pieces to its Occa collection, available in cherry, oak, wenge or black finishes, with glass and smoked-glass accents.

• Expanding the Basic 3D collection with bedroom, dining and entertainment pieces in new wenge and oak finishes, with the additional enhancement of finished sides.

• Expanding its retail and studio concepts, presented to consumers as Bo Concept, already a winning retail program in Europe.

Concordia Furniture The Profit Center

Two finishes available on a series of contemporary entertainment centers, $599 and $699. The expandable wall unit can accommodate large and small TVs.

Creative Elegance PCH Center, 135 S. Hamilton St.

• Visions, three tables and two entertainment pieces added to existing group; modern/minimalist style in rift-cut oak, 10 finishes; three tables at $3,000.

• Matinee Media Center, modern/minimalist style in rift-cut oak, geared for plasma TV market; 10 finishes; at $4,000.

French Heritage 422 N. Wrenn St.

The Louis Philippe collection, in light blond antiqued and waxed cherry, includes an entertainment center.

Hooker IHFC W-1047

• Expecting plasma TV sales to take off this year, company is offering two furniture solutions: consoles and home theater walls to accommodate plasma monitors. At $1,499, the 66-inch wide plasma consoles come in two contemporary styles and three finishes; left and right wraparound doors and a center glass door, with storage for speakers, media and components, along with wire management. Also for plasma TV technology, home theater walls have shelves and back panels that have been added to 10 home theater groups. The back panel can be adjusted to any depth on the unit and provides a finished, built-in look behind the plasma TV.

• A series of entertainment centers, with a new cabinet format designed to adapt to changing technology, will house existing 36-inch TVs and also newer, wider models in the 16:9 HDTV format, including 34-inch direct-view models, 42-inch rear-projection tabletop models and even some of the 42-inch plasma TVs. Cabinet has double-hinged pocket doors, so bookcases/walls can be placed flush against either side of the cabinets. The same cabinet, available in five styles, is available with computer cabinet function.

Keller IHFC W-747

The 1895 Collection, which includes an entertainment unit, celebrates Keller's 100 plus-year history of heirloom quality furnishings with a rustic solid-oak design.

Laneventure IHFC C-867

• The Mango collection includes an entertainment center, constructed from mango wood and accented by reeded aspects, part of an effort to introduce exciting oversized items to enhance the homes of younger adults.

• New marketing programs include a national ad in Living Room this spring.

Madellegno Moveis SP 4240

• This Brazilian producer of ready-to-assemble furniture is debuting the Memphis home entertainment center for TVs up 60 inches, with storage for additional components. Available in mahogany, maple and alder colors at $171. Surfaces have been finished via a laser-driven "roller paint system" used in all Madellegno furniture, giving the look of natural wood.

• Also new is a larger home theater unit in colors of mahogany, ivory, alder and maple, at $339.

Martin Furniture NFM 702

Two home theater collections:

• Mount Vernon is a high-end cherry design with transitional pieces, from $399 to $2,999.

• The West Bay collection features an island shutter look in a warm, worn finish.

Natale 400 English Road

The Beverly Hills entertainment wall unit is a casual contemporary design with an ivory lacquer finish. The angled drawer fronts and brushed metallic pulls add dimension to the design, and other features include a lighted bridge, lighted piers and tempered glass doors, $1,499.

Riverside IHFC C-302

The Extraordinaire dual-purpose armoire can be configured for office or entertainment, $999. Engineered for either use, this cabinet will satisfy both the home office customer and the entertainment customer, as well as the customer who wants flexibility. Point-of-purchase literature is available to explain its multiple uses to shoppers.

Sauder Woodworking 220 Elm 218

Entertainment is an area of focus this market, with tech-friendly, stylish furnishings that accommodate the latest "must-have" gadgets, including flat-panel, projection and large-screen TVs as well as surround-sound systems.

• The Entertainment Solutions collection was created to address some of the complications that arise when trying to mesh entertainment components with home decor. A new media wall accommodates a hanging flat-panel TV and includes hidden cord management, as well as accessory storage, while new entertainment credenzas and entertainment centers easily accommodate 40-inch televisions. Contemporary finishes, inlaid designs, veneers and sliding doors add a touch of European styling to the veneered items.

• A variety of entertainment furniture for large-size TVs and components in some of the company's other best-selling collections, including Harbor View, Willow Falls and Lockport.

Sharut Furniture 305 S. Hamilton St.

A remote-controlled, height-adjustable mechanized display system for plasma TVs is at the heart of the new entertainment wall called Plasma In Motion. This modular wall system can be sold by retailers and installed in the consumer's home by Sharut's trained technicians. The patented lift mechanism allows users to raise or lower the plasma screen to the desired height with the push of a button.

Stanley IHFC C-1158

• Collections feature new entertainment cabinets designed for TVs with screen sizes from 27 inches to 43 inches, and a home theater wall with room for TVs with screens of up to 73 inches.

• A new plasma TV console has a mounting panel that holds 42-inch and 50-inch plasma screens and speakers at optimum viewing heights without permanently attaching the TV to the wall, while providing storage for components.

• Provincia is a European traditional collection with Louis Philippe touches, crafted of maple solids and rogue maple veneers in an Old World style. Collection includes entertainment centers or armoires of various sizes, including a unit designed for a 43-inch screen. Each cabinet also has plenty of flexible storage space, with built-in shelving that can be configured for a range of uses, including home theater components and DVD storage. Armoires range from $1,495 to $2,195.

• Urban Comfort combines contemporary and traditional elements into a relaxed collection of cherry solids and veneers with a light finish. Includes four entertainment units for a wide range of screen sizes. Flexible designs include an armoire that can be configured either for a TV or a computer.

• A low-profile entertainment wall designed for the new big-screen TVs is scaled down in height to accommodate new screen configurations.

• A plasma TV console eliminates the need for professional installation or permanent attachment to a wall with a unique mounting panel; entertainment center cabinet, $1,495.

Superior Furniture 310 N. Hamilton St., third floor

New entertainment centers, which also can be used as secretaries or for home office, include a mahogany model that can house TVs up to 36 inches.

Tvilum-Scanbirk 220 Elm 330

Cubic, a complete adult and kids bedroom line in contemporary cherry and maple, includes a multifunctional entertainment center, $299.

Wynwood Furniture PS 4th floor

New entertainment pieces include additions to lines.

• Hampton Cove and Hartwick Pines collections, cottage-style lines in warm pine and parchment finishes, with entertainment walls from $1,499.

• Bristol Bay, transitional collection in washed oak, with entertainment walls from $1,499.

• San Lucia and Martinique collections, bombé-styled groups in cherry and sandstone finishes, with entertainment walls at $2,999.

• Vintage, five entertainment walls with expandable oak cabinetry for conventional 36-inch TVs and 60-inch rear-projection models, from $1,499.

• Aberlour, five expandable entertainment pieces in traditional cherry, from $1,499.