Turn an outdated built-in entertainment center into built-in bookcases.
With technology changing so rapidly, you may wake up one day to find that your state-of-the-art built-in entertainment center has suddenly become an outdated eyesore. However, you have plenty of options -- some more simple than others -- for getting your room up to date. From ripping out the entertainment center to remodeling or repurposing it, you'll find numerous cures for the built-in blues. Does this Spark an idea?
Resize the Shelves
Since smaller TVs were more prevalent in the past, your built-in entertainment center may not have a shelf or cubbie large enough to accommodate one of today's larger TVs. On the other hand, the big-screen, rear-projection TVs of the past were bulkier than big-screen TVs of today, so you may have a huge, empty cavity in your entertainment center that your new TV cannot fill. In either case, you can have a carpenter resize the shelves to accommodate your new electronic components, whether that means cutting shelves out to make a larger space, or adding shelves to fill a cavernous hole.
Remodel it Into a Bookcase
Because the design of books has remained virtually the same for centuries, built-in bookshelves have much more staying power than shelves that are sized to hold ever-changing technological components. Even if electronic books eventually replace printed books, you can always display decorative items on bookshelves, or use them to store just about any household item. Ask a carpenter about the possibility of remodeling your entertainment center into a classic built-in bookcase. You can place the TV elsewhere in the room, hanging it over the fireplace or perching it on a free-standing piece of furniture.
Rip it Out
Another option is to completely remove the built-in and start over. You could have a new built-in entertainment center made to fit your present electronics equipment, or simply finish out the wall however you like, with textured drywall, paneling or brick or rock veneer, then purchase a free-standing entertainment center that you can easily remove and replace if it becomes outdated.
Repurpose
If a remodeling project just isn't within your skill set or budget, consider finding a new use for your old built-in. For example, with some clever planning, you can set up your old entertainment center to be a bar for entertaining, a craft station or a computer workstation. For the bar, outfit your entertainment center with a pretty table lamp, a wine rack and racks that allow you to hang stemware. Then simply fill the shelves with your barware and bottles of wine and liquor. Setting up a computer workstation is as simple as bringing in a chair and perhaps installing a slide-out keyboard tray. An entertainment center offers plenty of storage for craft supplies. Pull up a chair and use a larger shelf as your work surface.
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