If the deep discounted prices on these things are any indication of retailers trying to get rid of them...yes I'd say they're going out of style. Now a days you can hang a tv anywhere on the wall, so a unit to hide it in isn't as necessary as it once was. That said, I still see value in the pieces, especially pieces as nice as yours. I think your's could be painted in a sort of french style (middle unit only) and continue to be used as if it was a large amoire. It's really a lovely shape. And then the book cases could be used on another wall for umm books :) Again done in a painted finish, perhaps a distressed black or color....they're really quite lovely pieces, but the days of putting all of that together have sort of moved on a bit I think.

First, let me say that the Macy's entertainment combo is very nice-looking and seems like a pretty good deal.

I see homes sometimes where they have put a pedestal sink in their main bathroom. I love the look. A charming bath with lovely tile, pedestal sink, and pretty little over the sink mirror has such appeal. But it won't work for us. We need cupboards under the sink for storage, I need at least two bathroom drawers for my makeup and hair supplies. I also need a decent sized mirror so I can step back and make sure I'm put together, before I head down the hall to stop in front of the full-length mirror, then, on to the entry to check again in the entry mirror, then, on out to my car to take a quick peek in my rear-view mirror. When I get to work, I sign in to my computer, get out my stuff, then, head to the breakroom to throw a yogurt in the freezer for later. At that point, I whip into the ladie's room and do one more check in that mirror. That's when I usually find that my lipliner is crooked and the foundation just at the jaw-line is caked. Now, if I hadn't had the first good look in a nice bathroom mirror, I'm almost sure that the foundation/lipliner problems would be out of control by the time I get to work.

What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Pedestals are pretty but don't hold anything. And tv stands for the new flat screens are sometimes Very Cool Looking, but I need to store my DVD's, my old VHS tapes, and maybe even some other stuff. I like to use something with additional storage, not just the tv. So I am still buying into the ent. armoire or media center idea.

Red

While some have no problem with it, I hate seeing the TV when I have company. I have to have it behind doors.

I've looked into a more shallow armoire for a flatscreen, but haven't found exactly what I want. My armoire stays for now and I think it looks great.

I liked the Horchow wall cabinets made for flatscreens, but they require a completely professional install so no chords are hanging down to the components.

I have one of those enormous entertainment centers and I go back and forth about whether to get rid of it. It does store a lot, which is important as Red so eloquently expressed. In addition, I also have records and a record player which is kept in my center.
But there is no question that the room would have a larger, airier feel without such a large piece of furniture.

As the media changes, so will the furniture. Now, media units can be as small as a small as a wall hanging cabinet.

In some ways, the entertainment center took over from fireplaces (or architecture) and the focal point of the room (as had the console TV and large radio before it.) I wonder what will replace it.

I don't dislike the unit you have now but think it would look nice painted or stained a darker color.

I like the Macy's one.

I have a large entertainment stand. Don't know if it's in style or not but I'm with Red on the storage space. I'd rather have a place to put DVDs and stuff behind closed cabinets than sitting out on a stand. I didn't intentionally go looking for an armoire. I just happened to find it on CL and really like the look of it.

Here it is together and here a pic of how it's in the room today. It's split up with the middle by itself and the ends together on a different wall.

We normally have the doors open but I can't seem to find pics.
{{!gwi}}

Now
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

I suppose they're out-of-style because television sizes have grown beyond a size that one will contain. That said, we still have one in our Family Room. It holds all of the componentry for the stereo and TV as well as confines CD's and DVD's. Yes, our TV is visable in the room (in a built-in niche though) but the rest is hidden when the doors are closed.

I love wall entertainment centers. They serve as a gorgeous piece of furniture, a place to store things, and have a very attractive look. I am hoping one day we will find something with which to entertain ourselves in this country and there will be a big bonfire of large TVs. I think large TVs have to be the ugliest thing ever designed by mankind. I hope we can get over our obsession with large and trendy, and get back to practical lifestyles and interests beyond the boob tube (boob room as it is now).

Every now and then the powers that be convince us that our old wood furniture is obsolete, so the vultures and parasites can swoop in and buy it up and resell it to our children and grandchildren for exorbitant prices.

I agree 100% with Redbazel (except for the lipstick). I like the minimalist look in places where it looks good, and that might be your house. But not mine. And I need storage more than anything.

Check your local Craigs List to see how many -- and the low costs -- of some of the listed EC units! Here -- on the Dallas-Fort-Worth CL -- there are dozens -- and I've seen some VERY nice ones! :)

I do have one tall EC unit to hold our little old TV and the BOSE (with its much-loved tiny tiny speakers! LOL!) -- and I do like that all of the "stuff" is contained and out-of-sight (thats just ME -- we had the TV and huge speakers sitting out for YEARS until we could afford the EC unit! LOL) I suspect that we will end up giving it all away as the tide turns ....

I do like the new flat TVs -- whether or NOT that the TV itself is hidden -- BUT there is still SOME need for containing all of the accompanying electronic stuff.

And there is STILL the perpetual question of "how to hide the wires!" too ..... :) Personally -- I wish that lamps could be wireless too! I am convinced that some smart kid out there will create a wireless lamp and make billions for his/her parents .... JUST teasing! :)

Maybe someday all of this will be wireless -- and the screen will simply be part of the wall in every room -- and contain all of the computer/TV/communication needs ....

Jan

I think you can do a built in or entertainment center that has an updated look and they're very functional.

I personally am not a huge fan of TV's on the wall. I have yet to come across a room where it doesn't look just odd hanging there all by its lonesome. It's not an attractive thing, so having it just out there is not attractive in my opinion. Plus, you then have to do something with the cable box/DVR and all the cables. Those hanging down the wall is really unattractive so we're talking some wall/wire construction.

I like the fact the cabinet hides all the uglines of the back of the TV, power cords, monster cables etc. whether it's a old tube TV or a 50" plasma flat screen.

I don't care for the ones that look like huge timber beasts, taking up the whole wall. Who knows what lurks behind those closed doors?

But I think it's possible to find units that can encase the TV and accompanying clutter without looking like something you'd see in a Victorian bank.

Another-less-than-pretty sight when TVs become wireless, every mart shopper and teenager with his/her pants below his/her proverbial crack can carry his/her TVs from the hip while carrying on nonsensical conversations on the wireless phone, watching Jerry Springer and Oprah while driving and talking. Shoot me now.

Just because there are many units for sale on CL doesn't mean they are out of style. More likely (like me), people are buying bigger TVs and getting rid of their smaller cabinets (although I thought my cabinet was pretty large, it won't hold the new TV, so someone is going to get it on CL).

Sorry -- I really didn't mean to imply that the ones on CL were there because they ((or ECs in general)) were out of style ..... there are many many reasons for any type, kind of sale .....

Sorry!

((crawling back under my rock ......))

Jan

We had this one in our living room for many years and then when we purchased a large flat panel tv I had to figure out what to do with it. I gave the center section to my daughter and the two ends I put in my craft room. I just love it. The two sections pushed together hold a ton of scrapbooking supplies.

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond but I have been busy window shopping. After much debate I decided on having an entertainment center and here are two of the candidates. I will post a picture of my family room tomorrow. So here they go.

This one is from Pottery barn, and the cost is $3100. Yikes!!!

{{!gwi}}

or in Mahogany

{{!gwi}}

Or The Java from Macys at about $2500, and it will only fit some 50 inch tv's not all. I can't seem to add a picture of this unit. Sorry.

Man, I really like that Pottery Barn piece -- like it, as in, maybe I need to start saving my pennies for it. It looks like it has a lot of storage but is also airy, which for me is the best of both worlds. I have an entertainment unit now, but it is my sense that they're "going out of style." Not that it matters what the "style" is, it's all what you like. But, I also feel personally like it's too heavy and takes up a lot of visual space in my tiny condo.

You don't have to add a picture of the Macy's unit; can you add a direct link?

My SIL has a unit very similar to the PB one that she got from Basset. I imagine the quality it comparable, but I don't know Basset well, so I'm not sure of the cost.

Lovely photos. Pottery Barn does such a wonderful job of staging its furniture.

I didn't want to hide the TV but wanted to anchor it to something substantial. Plus all the bookshelves were much needed!

{{!gwi}}

Grdnchck,
The pb one does look very nice! But, I will tell ya.... I love looking at the magazine but when I go in the outlet I am often very disappointed with the quality of their furniture. I think there is no way I would even pay outlet prices for their pieces.

Do you know of any cabinet makers in your area? Inquire around if you don't. My DH has a 24" cube subwoofer & it made it impossible to find something off the shelf for this dang thing!! I took a chance & found a local cab maker....I upgraded to solid cherry & it was $1200 designed to my specifications. We built it to hold a future bigger TV (ya know men!!) and it works for us. I chose not to use doors b/c I never closed the ones I had before....it is what it is:)

Smiles:)

@johnatemp

That's a really good idea. And, I hate to say it but I agree with you regarding the low quality of some PB pieces.

We have the PB Logan in black and love it. The quality has been just fine actually. I was a bit worried but at the time, we really had no other option. We had just bought our 55" TV (or should I say DH's 55" TV. LOL!) three weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit and bought just a console for the bottom which arrived a week before the storm hit. Thank goodness. We came back to find that we'd had about 22" of water. That piece that came a week before the storm saved the new TV!

Well, we had to refurnish our whole house and I decided I wanted more storage and a bigger piece. I looked at every furniture store in New Orleans for something to house a 55" TV. Everything (at the time) was made for a 50" TV but stopped just short of the dimensions of our TV. But the PB Logan fit the bill. We love it. It's a very nice piece. It's sturdy and has yet to get a scratch or anything on it and we do rotate our TV a bit sometimes.

Hope that helps a bit!

I don't think they are out of style... I think they are being replaced with pieces designed for flat screens, like the PB unit above. We have a 57" screen and we went the cabinetmaker route and had a cherry entertainment center/built-in bookcases made (and added a lot of storage as well). As long as people have a lot of "stuff" to store(which a lot of people do) there will always be a need for things like entertainment centers. They also do a good job hiding the gobblygook of wires that accompany even the most basic of systems(I hate wires!)

Here's ours(undecorated...)