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RetroVision 2000 AV Cabinet
My collection of vintage televisions, which once numbered six or seven sets, has slowly been reduced to one diminutive little Singer 5 inch portable. The big, wood cabinet Admiral on metal legs that served as the front entryway table in our last house was the longest hanger-on from the collection, but alas, fell victim to our last move.
A lot of people probably consider a brand new Sony 27 inch television a stylish addition to their environment, but for me it was a big ugly plastic assault on my sensibilities. I just can’t shake my affinity for the mid-century sets. I had been toying for some time with the idea of building a custom housing for a modern television, or adapting the cabinet from a vintage set to hold the innards from a modern TV. I decided instead to make a cabinet that looked like an old TV, but held our entire AV stack in addition to the TV itself.
The cabinet is basically a big birch ply box with 3 sections, one up top for the TV, and 2 down below, one for all the other components, and a smaller, vertical compartment for media storage. The top half door is glassed in, and opens for clear viewing, or swiveling of the large turntable that holds the TV. The bottom panel including the mock control panel is a single inset door, covered in radio grille cloth which I ordered from grillecloth.com
The base is kind of a Heywood Wakefield inspired job made of solid rock maple. An old set of rabbit ears completes the motif.
yowch! thats a keen lurkin’ telebishion set………. i think the “bel air” is the crowning touch…… whats the story behind that?? keep up the good work Eeore!
Vlad,
Yeah the script is an important element indeed. I wanted to find an old Crysler Imperial. but they are harder to come by. The bel-air is cool, but everybody does recognize it as a 57 chevy script. Imperial would have been a little more esoteric.
Cheers,
Steve
Hmmm…. Imperial would be cool…. keep looking on ebay or consult yer local crazy junk-man….
there were a lot of doggy 1970’s imperials out there too…. hopefully some of the doggy ones had good script!
cheers,
-comrade Vlad
OK, here goes. I just happen to have a beautiful floor model RCA TV cabinet just waiting for someone like you. This was from the mid to late 1950’s. Mahogany I believe and has two doors. It would probably hold a 25″ Tv. Gimme a shout if you decide you gotta see it.
Bill,
Although I am giddy with excitement at the thought of aquiring your TV, I am trying to refrain from making any bulky aquisitions…. That being said, where are you located?
steve
I have an RCA tv from the 70’s with beautiful wood which I hate to dispose of. Do you know of any site that will tell me how to remove the picture tube safely so I could possibly use this as a bookcase or storage cabinet?
Your website may have changed my life.
I want to build things, too.
You don’t happen to cook do you? If so, there should be some easy ways to cook stuff on here, too.
I would get fired from my job because I would never leave this site.
So nevermind about that cooking thing. I need work.
Stay gold,
James
Beautiful work! Great Design! Where can I see more? Do you have more pictures, maybe some in progress shots?
Also do you have any more details on this or other like projects?
I have been thinking about this for awhile but you are a real inspiration… now I just need some talent!
Cool!
My brother built a fishtank out of a circa 1970s wooden television set. It worked before he hacked the electronics out of it.
It really is nice, though. We joke about it being stuck on the “nature channel.”
Seriously, if you decide to sell one of these or make them custom, I’m payin’! Email me at christiane at erwinhouse dot com!!