After I wrote about Jeff’s DIY mid-century modern TV cabinet, I heard from other readers who had completed similar projects. Chris’s design is super ingenious: A professional at a architectural firm and with serious design skills, he created a curvalicious cabinet that would hold both a vintage 1955 television and a new flat-screen TV. The flat screen TV can be hidden behind a fold-down panel when it’s not in use (as shown above). Chris spent a year researching and planning his project, and then, two months to build the unit. The effort shows — it’s gorgeous!
(Edited to combine several emails) Chris writes:
Hi Pam!
I recently read your story on Jeff’s mid-century modern TV cabinet he made for his flat screen TV and was inspired to write you about a similar experience — I also tackled the issue of how to hide a modern flat-screen TV in a mid century living room.
Almost two years ago, my partner and I were lucky to purchase a 1955 modest mid-century time capsule ranch complete with original furniture, pink bathroom, circa-60’s remodeled kitchen, and even a Tretchikoff print (!) in the living room. Being our first home, this worked out great because we didn’t have a lot of our own furniture. It was perfect for us and we were very lucky to find it.
Though one item we did have, a 1955 GE TV, we knew definitely needed to be displayed in the living room of our 1955 ranch. But this caused an issue, how do you have a vintage TV for when you’re in the mood for the Twilight Zone, and also have a flat screen TV for when you’d like to watch Netflix? This sent me on my adventure into woodworking and furniture building.
With my problem in mind, I designed and built a cabinet [not the one shown in these photos] that concealed the flat screen TV behind doors when not in use and looked good next to the 1955 TV. Long story short, it worked, but I wasn’t in love with the results. I decided I could do better and that this served as a great learning experience, being my first real exercise in building a piece of furniture.
So, for the next year, I scoured the internet for images of mid-century credenzas and cabinets for inspiration and slowly accumulating a Pinterest page of different possibilities. I was inspired by the simplicity of Paul McCobb’s furniture and used it as a jumping off point. I knew I needed to design something that would discreetly hide the flat screen without it being obvious what was behind its doors, so the doors couldn’t be too big, and they needed to fold away so they wouldn’t impede the view of the flat screen TV.
I work as a project manager for a local architecture firm so I drew up multiple options in AutoCAD looking at different designs and playing with the proportions to see what size flat-screen TV looked best and worked within the design. The flat screen needed to be discreetly hid without it being obvious what was behind its closed doors so the doors couldn’t be too big. Another lesson I learned from building the first TV stand was that the doors needed to operate easily and fold away so they wouldn’t impede the view of the flat screen TV.
When I thought I was happy with the design, I even built a full size card-board mock-up of the TV stand, because I knew I wanted to be sure this would work and I’d be happy with it knowing how much time, energy, and money I’ll be putting into it. After months of planning I was ready to get down and dirty and start building. This inspired me even more and the design changed further. I made more tweaks in AutoCAD and finally felt I was happy with the design. It was time to get down and dirty with construction.
Two months later I finished the project and I loved the results! I designed and built it myself – it was a great experience!
The design features a spot for our 1955 TV and conceals the flat-screen TV behind two folding doors that are disguised as drawers. Because the old TV was so deep, and the flat screen so shallow, the design features a shelf that perfectly fit one of our ceramic panthers which further helped disguise the flat screen TV when not in use. Below the shelf in the lower section of the cabinet is two sliding doors that we use to hide all the TV equipment for both TVs. One side of the cabinet has the equipment for the flat screen TV (Bluray player and Ninetendo Wii) and the other side has the equipment for the 1955 TV (RF modulator and DvD player).
The cabinetry is actually built very similarly to how Jeff built his TV cabinet. I used birch plywood, edge banding and the Kreg jig (affiliate link) (I actually fell in love with the Kreg jig and highly recommend it!). You can see the MccCobb inspiration in the legs, which areMcCobb furniture legs from tablelegs.com, and the hardware, which is from myknobs.com.
It definitely isn’t easy, but well worth it in the end! This was a great experience for me, and as Jeff mentioned, if you’d like to share it to inspire others with their mid-century projects, that would be great!Thanks!Chris
Thank YOU, Chris, for sharing all your work. This is really inspiring — I’d say your design is ready for Design Within Reach! I’m taking a weeklong Woodworking 101 class in April, this is definitely getting my juices going, although I am not sure I should be trusted around power saws.
Shelley says
Beautiful! The whole room is lovely, as a matter of fact – I love everything I can see in the photos!
Ranger Smith says
Wow! What an amazing piece of furniture. The birch wood is beautiful and the design is perfect from a functional as well as aesthetic perspective. Impressive work.
Kristen says
Woooooooooooooow! Truly a work of art. I would think it is an original. Way to go!!!!
sarah says
I love how you made the TV cabinet the same height as the window sill. It looks right at home in that room!
Christine says
That is one beautiful piece of furniture! What a great job you’ve done.
(I see alot of Chris’/Christines been busy lately, ha ha)
Julie says
Amazing job–love it! I want to see more of the house and the furniture that came with it!
Jeff says
This is stunning! I’m the Jeff from the original post about cabinet TVs, and this will inspire me to really up my game! Pam, I hope we get to see more of these projects–I absolutely love this one. Chris, if you’re out there, would you mind telling me what size TV you eventually chose and the stain/finish combo you used? You really nailed this: a beautiful piece of furniture first, and a media cabinet second.
Chris says
Hi Jeff! Thanks for the compliments! The TV we’re using is a 32″ TV though I designed the cabinet to hold up to a 39″ TV. When I looked at using a TV larger than 39″ the cabinet started getting too tall. I experimented a lot with different stains. Because I understand birch sometimes stains unevenly, I ended up using a sanding sealer first, then two coats of Minwax Cherrywood gel stain, then finally two coats of Minwax Polycrylic in clear satin.
Carolyn says
See if woodsmithshop.com would be interested in not only your plan but to spread the mid-century word – ?
Remember Popular Mechanics and all the cool stuff folks could make? this is really reminiscent of those times.
Dan says
Looks like a true vintage piece, the best compliment I can think of. I didn’t think old TVs like this could be used anymore. How does that work?
Chris says
Hi Dan! That was my goal – thanks for the compliment! The old TV works though not perfectly – like anything old it has its own personality and occasionally requires some fiddling. There are restoration shops for old electronics that would restore a TV like this and have it up and running perfectly like new. One day I mean to send out for something like that but until then we enjoy it as it is – which only ads to the experience!
Dan says
I thought that old TVs could not translate, if that is the right term, today’s modes of translmission. I assume you use it with an antennae. Do you need any other sort of electronic doodad? As you can tell, the wonders of electronics are a mystery to me.
David in Marietta says
You actually need to get a converter box to convert the digital waves to analog waves for the older set that goes between your antennae or cable hook up and the tv itself. You then change the channels thru the box.
Chris says
Hi David and Dan! That’s correct. I actually have our TV hooked up to a DVD player which first goes through a convertor box then into the old TV.
Nina462 says
Same here – when my Motorola was in working condition, it went through a converter box. I hired a local TV repairman who still works on retro sets (his whole store is a throw back to the late 60’s – 80’s, LOL).
I’ve since replaced my old tv with my newer older tv (not a flat screen). The TV guy came out, removed the guts of the old tv and disposed of it (ecologically).
Some day I’ll post a pic of my tv in it’s retro cabinet too.
But yes…..there are still TV repairmen who do this work! Give them your business 🙂
C.D. Ellis says
That is one beautiful cabinet–what a talented architect!
Karin says
Wow!