The Little Things: Radios
Designer Monthly's Little Things column places a spotlight on those household pieces that are often overlooked, and we'll show how they can be improved to make a world of a difference. Our pursuit is to enhance the decor through economical yet aesthetically superior measures.
Often when people are thinking about getting new electronics for the home,
they look at price, function, the reputation of the manufacturer, price,
the warranty conditions, and price. Did we mention that price is often a factor?
But unless the buyer is a professional interior designer — and indeed, sometimes even then — only once the item is in the home does the question arise about how it will fit in to the home's style.
To prevent the experience of hauling a new electronic toy out of the box only to realize it just doesn't fit with the look of the room, a little research is necessary before you go shopping.
First, consider the look you're aiming for in the room. Today, there are televisions, radios, CD players and other gadgets to go with just about any style, from Victorian to sleekly post-modern.
The "wall unit" has become one of the most popular ways of camouflaging electronics. Similar to a free-standing bookcase, these units have a built-in cabinet, which when closed can look tidy and elegant, and when opens reveals the television and other audio/visual equipment.
You can also find such a cabinet in other styles, such as those styled on Chinese cabinets or those made in a Shaker style.
But what about the equipment itself? The new flat-screen televisions have the advantage of being thin enough and, in the case of the smaller ones, of having a small enough "footprint" that they can easily fit on one shelf of a bookcase, with the VCR, cable box or other equipment on the shelf below. For the most part, these televisions are so simply designed that they virtually disappear, blending in easily with just about any style of decor.
For audio equipment, there are also several models of radios and CD players that have all the advantages of the latest technology, but which are created to look old-fashioned, so they fit in with more old-fashioned design styles of rooms.
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