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Buffet or Dresser as a Plasma TV Stand?

baseballmom94
13 years ago

I've been searching for over a year for a nice piece of furniture for a plasma TV in my family room. The family room is large with a 2-story ceiling and currently we have a tall armoire which holds the TV. I want to buy a console and just place the TV on top but the problem I've run into is that all the consoles are too short and I think they would look out of place in a room with such tall ceilings. I recently found a bedroom dresser at Haverty's furniture store which is exactly the type of piece I have in mind. It has drawers as well as 2 center doors with shelves behind them so that I could place our stereo and DVD equipment. I'm not sure where I would put the cable box but I can figure that out. The dresser is 40 inches high. Does this seem too high for a TV? We'll probably buy a 42 or 46 inch TV.

Comments (19)

  • dianalo
    13 years ago

    We have our plasma tv on an antique dresser. The drawers are good for putting the game controllers and remotes in.
    I like looking slightly up rather than low for the tv.

  • gobruno
    13 years ago

    That sounds perfect. We have our t.v. mounted on the wall and could have chosen any height. We went with 44". The room is large and our farthest couch is about 12' from the t.v. Also, with it being a little higher, you can see the t.v. from other rooms.

  • Bethpen
    13 years ago

    Baseball Mom,
    I'm in the same boat! We are starting to think about renovating our master bedroom and bath. Our bed is iron and has a tall footboard. We'd like to mount a TV on the wall, but will need a cabinet to put the satellite box on. I think it is a great solution. I've seen some really nice buffets too, and some of them are fairly thin, which is something I will need.

    I'd love to see what you end up with!

    Beth P.
    '

  • sewlutions
    13 years ago

    My son and I remade our old tv armoire and it looks great. It is oak and plywood. Removed the top and molding, cut off the sides,replaced the top and molding, painted it black, glazed with brown, then 3 coats of polyurathane. As for the doors, routed out the centers and put in seed glass so the controlling "stuff" could be accessed easily. I like it much better than anything I've seen. Cost was @ $100, as I didn't do the routing or glass work. Also need to drill holes for ventilation in the back, or mount a vent on the back. Height is @ 36".

  • DLM2000-GW
    13 years ago

    I prefer tv height a bit higher than what is recommended so I think your solutions sounds perfect and is certainly going to be better looking than most 'tv stands'

    sewlutions do you have a picture?? That's sounds really interesting - would love to see what you did!

  • jejvtr
    13 years ago

    bb

    As we advance with technology, we are forced to integrate said advances into good looking home decor.

    That said - placement of LCD is tricky for many reasons - glare, lighting, cords management etc.

    Optimal height is eye level in the seated/reclined position you will be in to view. Typically that would equate to 30-32" -

    Here's c/p that may help
    Mount a Flat Screen TV at Eye Level

    Bedroom flat screen TV wall mount heightThe second popular opinion regarding the best flat screen TV wall mount height is to hang it at eye level. There is no exact height measurement for this, as it will depend on where you will be viewing it. For example, if you want to mount a flat screen TV in your bedroom, you may want to place it at a height you will be able to view while reclining, which would be rather high and tilted downward. If you want to mount a flat screen on your living room or den wall you may prefer a lower height, since you will likely watch it sitting down.

    To find the best height for your flat screen, have one person hold a piece of cardboard the same shape and size as the flat screen TV. The other person should then sit or recline in different seats or locations in the room while the first person holds the mock flat screen TV up to the wall. The best height will be one that suits the room and yet allows you to enjoy your flat screen TV without craning your neck!

    P

  • sewlutions
    13 years ago

    I'll try to take a picture and post it, if I can figure out how.

  • cardamon
    13 years ago

    Hi BaseballMom, Not sure if this pertains but I have a mahogany antique dresser in my family room. Our plasma sits on it and I like it. We keep the DVR and cable box in back of the dresser on a stand that is hidden. We have an eye that reads the remote control for the t.v.. It works out great for us because I didn't find any furniture I wanted to buy and this piece if always useable if plasmas become obsolete.

  • baseballmom94
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for encouragement to try this! Sewlutions, your idea sounds great! I'm planning to move my armoire to another part of the room and reconfigure it for storage.

    I think I'm going to go ahead and purchase the dresser. I think that there is some type of device that you can buy so that a remote will work through closed doors so I may try to explore that option!

  • tinam61
    13 years ago

    Sounds great! We actually saw one recently in an antique store, it was an old library table, I believe, and had been painted black. They had it displayed with a flat screen.

    We have two of our tv's in vintage armoires - one in the great room and a smaller armoire in our master bedroom. My hubby reconfigured the shelving to accomodate our needs.

    tina

  • happyintexas
    13 years ago

    No plasma here yet, but I do use a vintage oak buffet for our TV stand.

    Here's a photo from today...the kitty was having a cozy nap.

    Sigh...what is it about photos that make all the 'stuff' show up more??? Gotta figure out what to do with some of that 'stuff' on the floor...except for the big fossil. That's too cool....or maybe it needs a table to go on.

    Anyway, the buffet works for us...hides lots of components.

  • lydia1959
    13 years ago

    We just set up a new tv in the basement and are using a antique buffet ($50. Craigslist find) to hold the dvd player, movies and games. We ran all of the cable and power cords behind the wall. The 32" tv is mounted on an adjustable arm. It seems like the tv is mounted kind of high, but while relaxing on the sectional it works well.

  • DLM2000-GW
    13 years ago

    happyintexas that kitty is just adorable! And the oak buffet is nice, too ;-)

    lydia that'a a beautiful buffet - it makes so much sense to re-purpose these old pieces in that way and there's no way you'll get that kind of impact (or quality!) from anything made currently

  • jlc712
    13 years ago

    Our flat screen is on an antique blanket chest. It's about 33" tall and we love it. The height/size is perfect. Our problem is the Dish/DVR, DVD player, & stereo-- currently stacked on a small table next to the chest. I really don't like how it looks, and have been on the hunt for something else. All the consoles are sooo low, I'm afraid my son would destroy the TV running around & playing.

  • baseballmom94
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Love the unique stands for your tvs, HappyinTexas and Lydia! Thanks for the inspiration pics! Jlc712, we have our TV in our master bedroom on an antique travel trunk and it works great, too.

    Lydia, where do you store the cable box for your plasma and how do you control it? Also, do you know what size your tv is and how high it is mounted on the wall (the bottom of the TV to the floor)?

  • lydia1959
    13 years ago

    The cable box is on the upstairs TV, so no cable box. If I had one though I'd put it on top of the dvd player. The TV is 32" and is about 5' from the floor maybe? My husband thinks it could move down about 6". Being high though and on the adjustable arm means we can also see it from other areas of the room which is a plus.

  • haley_comet
    13 years ago

    We purchased our buffet on CL and I love it so much. I find it a bit higher then a traditional dresser which makes it perfect. I love this piece so much - it is actually comes from an old nuns convent!

    So I would say aim for a buffet rather then a dresser. :)

  • baseballmom94
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Haley, that is absolutely gorgeous!

  • redbazel
    13 years ago

    My very favorite furniture is the sideboard or buffet. I only have a 1900 sq.ft. house, but have one in the dining room, one in the entry, one in the living room, and one remade into a sink vanity in the bathroom. When I get a flat screen t.v. someday, I will haunt Craigslist to find one like those pictured in all the lovely settings above...

    Nice job everyone!

    Red