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Projects:  Built-in Entertainment Center
2005 - 2007

I built this large built-in entertainment center in stages over about a 2 1/2 year time frame, beginning when we moved into the house in early 2005 and finished in August 2007.  It involved a combination of wall construction (framing, drywall, etc.) and cabinet making (carcasses, face frames, drawers).  I don't have any construction photos available at this time, but will add them as I find any going back through archives.  

The EC measures approximately 10' wide by 9' high, including the small display areas above the tv and towers.  The television is a 50" that hangs on a wall recess, so that the front of the tv is flush with the surrounding wall.  The cabinetry is made out of birch plywood and red birch trim, both finished with shellac.  The drawer boxes are baltic birch with finger jointed corners, and dado'ed bottoms and dividers.


The entire entertainment center, as seen from the front door and from directly in front.
Notice that there are small accent lights in the ceiling,centered on the two towers.
EC corner view EC front view lighted
EC left tower
The left tower, with all the electronics.
EC right tower
The right tower, with a bank of drawers for CD storage.
EC bottom covered
The storage area under the tv, with dvd racks on the two sides,
and the center speaker and sub-woofer in the middle.
EC bottom uncovered
The covers on the areas under the tv are removable, rather than
hinged.  The DVD areas on the sides use magnetic catches top and bottom,
and the speaker section uses velcro strips.

EC DVD drawers
EC DVD drawers open
EC CD drawers closed
Four CD drawers, with three divided rows in each, 20" wide total.
EC CD drawers open
EC CD drawer open full
One of the absolute nicest features of the entire entertainment center is the accessibility behind the system.  The back side of the EC is inside my walk-in closet in the master bedroom.  You can get to the mounting hardware for the television through cutouts behind a clothes rack, and most importantly, can get to all of the wiring through a cabinet door built into the closet wall.
EC wiring cabinet closed
The cabinet door providing access to the back of the electronics.
EC wiring cabinet open
The wiring nest, including a power strip/surge protector.
EC closet tv wall
The tv is mounted on the wall behind the ties.  Vent holes cut into the top
of that portion of wall also provide access to the tv mounting hardware.
EC final piece installed
Finally, my wife took a pic of me installing the final, FINAL! piece of
the entertainment center, 2 1/2 years after starting it.

Thanks for looking.

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