As homes evolve with ever-changing technology and electronic gadgets our sound systems and gaming consoles accumulate. The need for a more robust entertainment center is becoming a popular must-have for new or remodeled homes. 

A beautiful new construction home with a built-in entertainment center around the fireplace.

Design by Megan Dent, Allied ASID, NKBA of Michels Homes, Twin Cities, Minnesota. Photography by Alyssa Lee. 

A built-in entertainment center (sometimes called a “media wall”) is one of the most useful cabinet built-ins you can add to your home. They add character and beauty to a primary living space while helping to reduce clutter.

How to Customize An Entertainment Center

Customizing your entertainment center cabinets to fit your specific needs will help ensure the best results.  It’s important to consider your lifestyle and how you and your household plan to use the room and electronic equipment.

Design by Studio M Kitchen & Bath, Twin Cities, Minnesota. Photography by SpaceCrafting Photography. 

It’s crucial to analyze the variety of electronics you wish to incorporate into your media wall cabinets. Will you have a surround sound system? Multiple gaming systems? Do you have cable or satellite TV equipment to store?… Ascertaining the assortment of electronic equipment you will use regularly will help to determine your storage needs.

A stunning white paint and gray stained built-in entertainement center with a coordinating gray stained fireplace mantel.

Dura Supreme entertainment center and fireplace mantel designed by Kristen Peck of Knight Construction Design, Inc., Chanhassen, Minnesota. Photography by Mark Ehlen of Ehlen Creative.

Consider Devices That Need Airflow 

Does your electronic equipment need to breathe? For example, if you have a large gaming system like an X-Box or PlayStation, closing it tight in a cabinet may cause the unit to overheat. How do you hide it out of sight and protect your equipment at the same time? Dura Supreme has cabinet doors that are designed to allow airflow in and out of the cabinet. For spaces that need to breathe, consider using a Louvered door, wire mesh inserts, or speaker cloth inserts. 

Metal Wire Mesh insert on a cabinet in an entertainment center to help electronic equipment breathe.

Dura Supreme Cabinetry showing a custom Wire Mesh Insert. Design by Megan Dent, Allied ASID, NKBA of Michels Homes, Twin Cities, Minnesota. Photography by Alyssa Lee. 

Add Power Where it’s Needed Most

While entertainment technology is evolving, so is cabinetry tech! Power up your entertainment center drawers and create a docking station for laptops, phones, tablets, and more with a Charging Station Drawer or a Power Station Drawer. Or add a Power Station to a Roll-Out Shelf to power larger devices. 

A cabinet drawer with a charging outlet inside the drawer for charging and powering electronic devices.

Dura Supreme’s Drawer Charging & Power Station. Design by Kitchen Design Partners, Inc., Northbrook, Illinois. Photography by Dennis Jourdan Photo and Video, Inc.

Improve the Functionality of Your Entertainment Center

Cabinet storage accessories can help cleanse the clutter and improve the day-to-day functionality of your entertainment center. Here are my Top Four favorite storage solutions for the entertainment center.

1. Roll-Out Shelves

Roll-out media shelves from Dura Supreme Cabinetry work well for gaming systems and AV equipment. 

A flat, roll-out media shelf from Dura Supreme Cabinetry (ROSF)

2. Toe Space Drawers

Our Toe Space Drawer can be hidden at the foot of your entertainment center cabinets. This handy solution gives your gaming controllers and accessories a home, keeping your living space clutter-free and your equipment easy to access. Also, consider any other miscellaneous items that could find a home in this extra space. For extra organization, add a Cutlery Divider to create a dedicated place for storing arts, crafts, and homework supplies. Creating a home for all your spare cables, cords, and batteries you might frequently need access to near the TV, prevents a cluttered eyesore or jumbled mess in your entertainment center cabinets. 

Plus, who doesn’t love a bonus storage space?

Miscellaneous items can find a home in a Dura Supreme Toe-Kick Drawer hidden at the foot of your entertainment center cabinets. This handy solution can give your gaming controllers and accessories a home, helping your living space clutter-free and your equipment easy to access.

The Toe Space Drawer from Dura Supreme Cabinetry (TSDWR) is shown with a variety of gaming controls and a WI Fit station.

Miscellaneous items can find a home in a Dura Supreme Toe-Kick Drawer hidden at the foot of your cabinets.

The Toe Space Drawer from Dura Supreme Cabinetry (TSDWR) is shown with a Cutlery Divider used for children’s art supplies for when the family is feeling crafty or when homework needs to get done!

3. Pocket Doors Keep Things Concealed Beautifully 

Pocket cabinet doors can hide so much! Think of hiding the TV, a home office desk space, a bookcase, a large collection of board games, or a home bar. 

These pocket doors in an entertainment center beautifully hide a full home bar workstation for mixing and serving drinks when the homeowner has guests to entertain. Design by Studio M Kitchen & Bath, Twin Cities, Minnesota. 

4. Drawer Partitions & Dividers

A simple drawer partition or divider can be used to create custom-organized space within a drawer or roll-out for taming all of those items that could create a cluttered mess. For example, keep your collections of DVDs, CDs, and gaming discs sorted in neat rows with a partition fit to just the right size. 

Keep DVD's CD's and Gaming disc boxes in orderly rows with drawer partitions for entertainment center cabinets.

A drawer with Drawer Partitions specified to fit orderly rows of DVD cases. 

Coordinate Your Entertainment Center Seamlessly with Your Fireplace

Oftentimes, the fireplace and entertainment center are placed on the same wall. With Dura Supreme’s Fireplace Mantel program, you can design both a mantel and a built-in entertainment center that coordinate beautifully together. 

Living room design by Witt Construction, Inc., Saratoga Springs, New York. featuring Dura Supreme Cabinetry. Photography by Morgan Stanhope.

Display Your Decor on The Media Wall

The entertainment center isn’t just for the TV anymore. Show off your decor or your prized collection of books with your choice of open shelves, floating shelves, glass, or wire mesh accent cabinets. 

Dura Supreme Cabinetry entertainment center design by Anissa Swanzy of SKD Studios, Newport Beach, California

Find Inspiration for your Custom Entertainment Center

The entertainment centers shown in the photo gallery below are just a few examples of the many different looks that can be created with Dura Supreme’s entertainment cabinetry. The quality construction you expect from Dura Supreme, with all of our cabinet door styles, wood species, and finishes, will create a one-of-a-kind look that perfectly complements your home and your lifestyle.

Click the arrows on the photo gallery below to see some inspiring Entertainment Center ideas using Dura Supreme Cabinetry.

Designing an Entertainment Center For Another Room

Entertainment centers are not just for the living room. They can be applied in a home office, a bedroom, a dining room, or anywhere else in your home where you’d like to store your TV and entertainment accessories.

Click the arrows on the photo gallery below to see some inspiring Entertainment Center ideas using Dura Supreme Cabinetry…

Built-in cabinetry is a great investment in your home and will help improve your day-to-day life in the space by adding function and beauty to your home. Stop by your local Dura Supreme Showroom to learn more about our entertainment centers and get a quote. 

 

Mandi Juskiewicz the Senior Design & Marketing Specialist for Dura Supreme Cabinetry. A content developer and blog author for the company.

Mandi Juskiewicz is the Sr. Design & Marketing Specialist for Dura Supreme Cabinetry with 20+ years of experience in graphic design, web design, multi-media communications, photography, online trends, and social media technology along with 10+ years of experience with Dura Supreme Cabinetry.  Her accolades include the distinction of being named “Kitchen Cabinetry Marketing Specialist of the Year 2019″ in the 2019 Content Creator Awards held by Corporate Vision Magazine (CV Magazine) and achiever of the Houzz Influencer Award.

Her role at Dura Supreme allows her to curate the “best of the best” designs, cutting-edge products, and fabulously functional Dura Supreme kitchens across the country and feature them here for inspiration and design ideas!

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