What do to with the flat screen TV in a midcentury home? Jeff got creative — and designed and built a custom TV cabinet that holds a 32″ LCD TV, BluRay player, and soundbar. Envious? He’s in the Portland/Seattle area can make one for you, too!
Edited a bit for flow given we had some back and forth, Jeff wrote me:
After looking at hundreds of images of vintage cabinet TVs, I designed and built a retro TV cabinet to house a 32″ LCD TV, BluRay player, and soundbar. It matches my teak credenza, McCobb dining set, and surfboard coffee table. I didn’t work from a set of plans, but looked at a ton of pictures of old TVs and had a pretty good idea of what I wanted it to look like.
I thought your readers might like to take a look at them. Thanks!
I took the photos before Christmas (and before I read your suggestions on taking good pictures!). The red ribbon is because the unit was a gift for my wife, and the show on the TV is from “Christmas with Bing and Frank.”
The basic case is just 3/4 birch plywood with edge banding screwed together with a Kreg jig (affiliate link). I sized the top rectangle for the new TV that I bought — a 32″ 1080p LED TV, and tried to adjust the bottom two openings for visual scale. The unit is about 34″ tall and 30″ wide.
The gold panel in the center folds down on cabinet hinges and houses the Bluray/DVD player. I cut a big oval out of a piece of plywood and covered it with fabric for the bottom rectangle/speaker grille. The soundbar sits behind the fabric and a wireless sub sits behind the TV. I put a power strip inside so only one cord comes out. And, there’s a remote repeater inside, so you can run the unit without opening the front panel. The back is tempered hardboard (Masonite) that I custom drilled for a clean look. The legs are Waddell legs and plates (*affiliate link) from Amazon. The gold bezel that frames the TV is spray-painted hardboard.
I’m glad you like the unit and the look. Perhaps people will be inspired by the project, so let me know if you’d like to share it on your awesome website.
Thanks,
Jeff
Awesome, Jeff. I am personally very inspired. So much so that shortly after we started our conversation on line, I went searching and found a week-long woodworking class to take in April. I will learn all the basics about tools, etc., and make a new woodshop project every day. After the basic class, there’s another week on cabinet-making, and I may need to go for that, too. I’ve always been interested in woodworking — my Dad has mad skills — and Kate also inspired me tremendously. Let this be the year of epic DIY — with no sawed-off fingers, though!
Thanks for sharing all these photos! Fantastic!
To contact Jeff:
Update: Jeff made a website.
Gretchen in Greenwood says
Jeff- get a copyright/patent on this ASAP- you could license this out to a big manufacturer and retire in style! You are a genius!
tammyCA says
So cool!
Thana Fauteux says
I think I have a new weekend project idea for my husband now, I love this!
Carolyn says
This is what I thought was so cool about Mic-Century – all these people survived the Great Depression and WWII, had all sorts of skills or knew enough people to round it out, and euphoric energy. Jeff has adapted then with now and I can’t wait to see others’ efforts in the future.
Jason says
I’ve wanted to do something like that behind the middle sliding door of my credenza, to make it look like a console set.
Jef says
I’m working on a design for a 40″ LCD that is based on this https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/94/db/cf/94dbcfb3646d7c73408b2949f7a02e91.jpg
Haven’t had a chance to prototype it, but it would be nice for someone who wants a little larger TV (and a nice MCM piece of furniture).
The Atomic Fox says
How much do you think that one will cost?
Jeff says
I think it will be about $200 more – larger TV, more materials, and more time. Email me if you’d like know more. Thanks!
Kelly Wittenauer says
Very cool! I don’t think the look would work with a TV any larger, though. And I agree with Dan’s comment about the gold script “Deluxe” or something similar being a necessary finishing touch.
Pam,
Awesome that you’ve signed up for woodworking classes! Hope you will cover that adventure here on the blog.
Carolyn says
As one of the members of the first woodshop class offered in 1974 at my high school (thank you Mr. Dave Davis!), let me give you some hints of woodworking.
Skin your hair back and up past your shoulders – no loose ends. No jewelry – NONE! No loose clothes – if you can wear a teeshirt that’s best.
Let the machine tool do the work, it only needs enough pressure to advance through the material.
Earplugs or muffs – saws sometimes sound really scary but it’s mostly noise. Add in the vacuum and it’s cacophony.
Male teachers often prefer the gals in their class – they don’t take unnecessary risks, they don’t break the tools, and they clean up afterwards.
Have FUN!
Carol says
I’m in total agreement Carolyn. Although I don’t always put on the safety glasses, I do recommend them. I’m also paranoid about losing a finger. I always ask myself this question before I pull a trigger, “where are my fingers?” Accidents happen when the focus is on the project, not necessarily the task in hand.
pam kueber says
Do all your homework and Be Safe / Renovate Safe! I am taking a weeklong woodworking class in April so’s I learn from pros how to do all this safely and well.
Justin says
As someone who collects vintage TV sets(50’s to the 70’s), I like this idea. It doesn’t ruin a vintage set that is restorable. I personally wouldn’t do this myself, since I’m not a big fan of flat panel TV sets and I like my vintage sets. My everyday set is a 1959 Magnavox console.
Suzy says
I love love love this!!! I had a beautiful vintage TV cabinet in the 90s that I had planned to replace the inside guts with a modern TV, but my kids running through the house came around a corner and smashed a hole through the side. My husband has been so great about living with all of my vintage furniture, appliance, etc that I can’t ask him to change the TV. We have a LARGE 65″ TV hanging on the wall, however I do have a vintage school office cabinet below to hold the components, and I replaced the front sliding cabinet doors with glass. YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB!!!
Melinda says
This a great looking project! Nice job, Jeff, and thanks for sharing it with us.