See How TVs Are Passing the Designer Test
Better-looking televisions and electronics come out of the armoire, into the room's design
Home electronics design has come a long way from the boxy tube TV and giant loudspeakers of yesteryear. Flat screens and panel TVs are already the standard choices, but today's savvy hardware makers are taking a lot more into account than just the thinness of a TV and the fact it can be mounted on a wall.
The consumer electronics industry had already come to accept the idea that women play a significant role in approving a large electronics purchase. That was called the "wife acceptance factor." Now companies are beginning talk about the role designers play in whether or not consumer electronics are allowed into the home.
Enter the "designer acceptance factor."
This was the phrase used by Jennifer Bernards, a marketing manager at Runco, makers of high-end home theater equipment. When I spoke with Jennifer at an event for custom electronics installers, she was enthusiastic about new product designs, but also about the new ways hardware manufacturers are interacting with the design community. "Designers are creative people who deal with technical constraints. They are the voice of the customer," Bernards said. "We used to have the 'wife acceptance factor'; now it's the 'designer acceptance factor'."
More: Where to Put the TV?
The consumer electronics industry had already come to accept the idea that women play a significant role in approving a large electronics purchase. That was called the "wife acceptance factor." Now companies are beginning talk about the role designers play in whether or not consumer electronics are allowed into the home.
Enter the "designer acceptance factor."
This was the phrase used by Jennifer Bernards, a marketing manager at Runco, makers of high-end home theater equipment. When I spoke with Jennifer at an event for custom electronics installers, she was enthusiastic about new product designs, but also about the new ways hardware manufacturers are interacting with the design community. "Designers are creative people who deal with technical constraints. They are the voice of the customer," Bernards said. "We used to have the 'wife acceptance factor'; now it's the 'designer acceptance factor'."
More: Where to Put the TV?
The advent of flat screens gave rise to console tables and media cabinets. This freed up space and allowed for airier, lighter rooms. At the same time, better-looking TVs made it more acceptable to keep them out in the open.
Flat screens gave way to panel TVs, and mounting them on a wall became more than a space-saving device. The TV itself began playing a role in the room's design. Here it looks like a piece of art, perfectly complementing the other pieces in the room.
Séura Entertainment Television Mirror
This screen from Seura turns into a mirror when turned off. Another option is to select a still image to display and turn the TV into something more like wall art.
Runco Vistage Ultra Thin Flat Panel Displays
Runco's Vistage series can be customized with color or wallpaper to better blend in ... or stand out.
Runco Vistage Ultra Thin Flat Panel Displays
Not everyone mounts the TV on a wall. Placing it on a stand or counter is a better solution in some rooms, but that leaves the rear of the TV showing, in all its basic black, unadorned glory. This is one area where manufacturers are responding to designers and offering color solutions to complement a room's décor.
Runco Vistage Ultra Thin Flat Panel Displays
This TV became décor when the homeowner applied these floral appliques to the rear of the screen. It matched other objects in the room and the client's design aesthetic. DIYers note: These units from Runco are made to be customized, with a special film on the back of the TV that covers any visible vents while allowing the equipment breath. Don't go adding wallpaper to an electrical device — it's a fire hazard.
OmniMount Karim Collection
Furniture and accessory designers have gotten into the act themselves, creating pieces like this media stand by Karim Rashid for OmniMount.
Runco Vistage Ultra Thin Flat Panel Displays
Even components can be camouflaged. These projection boxes are used in home theaters to send images to a large retractable screen or a blank wall. They need to be mounted to a ceiling or wall in the rear of the room, so having the option to customize them helps keep the boxes as unobtrusive as possible.
Runco Vistage Ultra Thin Flat Panel Displays
If unobtrusive isn't your style, let the box stand out. The mural-like scene on this Runco image projector softens the hardware and adds an unusual element to the room.
Conversations like these are transforming what electronics companies bring to the marketplace by encouraging them to work with designers rather than making designers work around their products.
More: Where to Put the TV?
Working Your TV Into Your Design
Conversations like these are transforming what electronics companies bring to the marketplace by encouraging them to work with designers rather than making designers work around their products.
More: Where to Put the TV?
Working Your TV Into Your Design