Hiding and otherwise dealing with television

Sunset, Feb, 1989

We love TV, according to our nation's cash registers. Sales of VCRs and color and large-screen television sets are booming now as never before.

But we don't love looking at the equipment. Ideally, we'd like television viewing convenient and comfortable, but with a minimum of electronic clutter.

Here's how architect Richard Elmore of Palo Alto, California, brought the television situation under control for a family with sets in three parts of the house.

In the master bedroom, a sleek bedstead contains a television set that can be raised or lowered by remote control. The built-in storage cabinet is clad in mat-finish, solid-core laminate and has compartments for blankets and extra bedding as well as for the TV.

In the family room, an entire wall has been devoted to books and entertainment. Below the bookshelves, the central cubicle in the cabinet system houses a largescreen TV, while smaller side compartments hold video, VCR, and stereo equipment. The cabinet's plastered exterior snugs right up to the louvered doors.

In a rounded niche near the breakfast area, he scaled 3/4-inch glass shelves to hold a 19-inch television set, A continuation of the niche houses a telephone and message center. Because of the casual nature of the space, the owners don't mind letting this set stay out in the open.