A-Z of DIY & Building Guides Cool Media

Date Published:

27/05/2008

With TVs and technology being more affordable than ever, design savvy builders are realising it's not the size of your TV, but what you do with it that counts.

Plan Technology into your Home

When building or renovating it's easy to think of technology as just final fix extras - in reality, the earlier you plan in your home cinema, music systems and TVs, the smoother and more integrated they can be. Believe it or not, the latest home technology originates in yacht building (yes, as in boats), as they've been squeezing in and hiding luxury extras for years. The same principles can be used in our homes - with hidden speakers, TV lifts inside cabinets and wire-free networks, making living spaces both more glamorous and harder working.

Living Wall

Truly stunning design - the Living Wall by Listone Giordano is an ultra-contemporary wood panelling system that integrates the TV and hides speakers and messy cabling. It comes in a range of wood types, colours and finishes to suit your style.

Cost: from £330 per sq m.
Contact: www.studioav.co.uk

TV on a Lift

Bring your new-build cabinetry into the 21st century by incorporating a TV lift into a fitted sideboard or shelving system. Perfect for small spaces, bedrooms and any rooms you don't want to be dominated by the telly, because at the touch of the remote control the TV can appear or disappear at will.

Cost: from £449.
Contact: www.integratedcinema.co.uk

Projector Lift

Unless you're adding a dedicated cinema room you might not always want a projector on show. The Wiebel 150 projector lift lets you hide it away in the roof cavity (you only need 15cm of roof space). Link the remote control with a home network so at the touch of a button the projector drops down, your automatic screen unrolls and the lights dim.

If you're feeling flash you can even automate the curtains to close as well.

Cost: from £1,300.
Contact: www.armourhome.co.uk