# Entertainment Center



## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

*Built in Entertainment Center*

I took it upon myself to get back into woodworking by building an entertainment center in a TV nook that was in our house. Previously I had done some bookshelves from New Yankee Workshop and they came out nice, but this by far has been the biggest project. There are somethings that I like about it, but somethings were a learning process.

I started the face frame by doing half-lap joints, with Thru-dowel pins holding it together. They came out nice, even though with paint you'd never be able to tell what I did, I thought it would be a great way to practice for future process. I used Particle board for the lower cabinet, trying to cut costs. ARGH, I hate that stuff, used Plywood for the top, because the Particleboard was too heavy, and a pain. I did the panels with Poplar, and custom bead molding in each of the panels, and the doors. Its still not done, we're going to do some paneling in the house to match the entertainment center, so paint will come when all is done.

Had a blast working on it, but at the same time, it has taught me alot, and really stretched my patience.


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Built in Entertainment Center*
> 
> I took it upon myself to get back into woodworking by building an entertainment center in a TV nook that was in our house. Previously I had done some bookshelves from New Yankee Workshop and they came out nice, but this by far has been the biggest project. There are somethings that I like about it, but somethings were a learning process.
> 
> ...


Very nice! I have a space just about the same as yours. Hmmm, been thinking of 'doing something' with it. Wife wants a TV stand, but this really looks sweet!


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## routahgirl (Feb 12, 2011)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Built in Entertainment Center*
> 
> I took it upon myself to get back into woodworking by building an entertainment center in a TV nook that was in our house. Previously I had done some bookshelves from New Yankee Workshop and they came out nice, but this by far has been the biggest project. There are somethings that I like about it, but somethings were a learning process.
> 
> ...


Nice! How deep is the recessed area? Love the lighting.


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Built in Entertainment Center*
> 
> I took it upon myself to get back into woodworking by building an entertainment center in a TV nook that was in our house. Previously I had done some bookshelves from New Yankee Workshop and they came out nice, but this by far has been the biggest project. There are somethings that I like about it, but somethings were a learning process.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the compliments!

The cabinets are 24" deep (the depth of the niche) but when we hung the cabinets and base we just felt it was too deep for our LCD so we put a wall up at about 16" - 18" deep which is enough room to fit my TV with some front and back room. Worked out much better for what we wanted.


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## wwwgreglyonsconstructio (Mar 12, 2010)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Built in Entertainment Center*
> 
> I took it upon myself to get back into woodworking by building an entertainment center in a TV nook that was in our house. Previously I had done some bookshelves from New Yankee Workshop and they came out nice, but this by far has been the biggest project. There are somethings that I like about it, but somethings were a learning process.
> 
> ...


Beautiful work!!! I love the in cabinet lighting, nice touch!!!!


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## NDdave (Mar 7, 2018)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Built in Entertainment Center*
> 
> I took it upon myself to get back into woodworking by building an entertainment center in a TV nook that was in our house. Previously I had done some bookshelves from New Yankee Workshop and they came out nice, but this by far has been the biggest project. There are somethings that I like about it, but somethings were a learning process.
> 
> ...


Hi Luke.

This entertainment center looks great!

I actually moved into a townhome with a similar size "media niche" and was looking to build something similar. I was searching the internet for plans and came across your post…

If you have a detailed plan, would you mind sharing it? I have really just ventured into self projects as I am a new homeowner and certainly appreciate guidance when available.

Thanks in advance!
Dave


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Built in Entertainment Center*
> 
> I took it upon myself to get back into woodworking by building an entertainment center in a TV nook that was in our house. Previously I had done some bookshelves from New Yankee Workshop and they came out nice, but this by far has been the biggest project. There are somethings that I like about it, but somethings were a learning process.
> 
> ...


Dave! I don't have detailed plans for it, I just built it as it went along. It kept growing and growing…

In honesty, having been a DIY home improver/beginning woodworker during this project I would recommend coming up with an idea that you think you would like and making it happen. I made ALOT of mistakes on this project, and it went through so many variations and materials, under the white paint its a mish-mosh of styles, woods, and techniques.

Each one of them taught me something valuable that helped increase my skills. Its a bit daunting taking on a big project, but if you do it in bite sized chunks you can totally do it, and learn from the wins and losses of it.

*Some of my losses:* I primed the entire thing with old paint - and then had to scrape and strip the entire thing from that old paint.
I made it out of home depot poplar - for the same cost I could have gone to a proper lumber yard and made it out of walnut. (That would have saved me painting it!)

*Some of my wins: *I started out with a plastic tablesaw, and a router. I ended with an entire woodshop - because it took me that long to build. 
I built my neighbors entertainment center essentially the same out of maple, for less than I built mine for. And he bought me some tools.
I did half laps, and drawbore pegs, even though I didn't need to at all - but I learned how to do it.
*
What ever you end up doing, make sure you have fun along the way! Its so much better that way.*


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

*Wall Paneling and Mantel added*

Well the entertainment center wasn't enough, so we decided to take the wall that was next to the entertainment center needed a mantel and some pizazz. It was just molded concrete around the fireplace and we never had a place to put stockings during Christmas season and such so we decided to make a mantel to put them on. Initially we were going to tear the concrete surround down but decided it was going to be too much work and we have a baby coming in a few weeks, I didn't want to be in the middle of the project.

Used Poplar and paint grade plywood for the panels. On the Entertainment center I bought 1/4" stock from the BORG and routed the beads from that, but I decided it was too much money to try to buy that much 1/4" stock so rather I bought 1×3 poplar and resawed it on my table saw and beaded the stock and ripped it in half yielding 4 beads per board. A lot of work resawing and ripping and beading but it worked out great!

Definitely the biggest project I've taken on so far, and I had NO JIGS to start with, and it took along time because I had to basically start with no shop to building each jig, router table, zero clearance insert, and cross cut sled from scratch, total blast.

Going to crown mold the top and across the entire room, and then the finish paint.


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## dub560 (Jun 4, 2010)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Wall Paneling and Mantel added*
> 
> Well the entertainment center wasn't enough, so we decided to take the wall that was next to the entertainment center needed a mantel and some pizazz. It was just molded concrete around the fireplace and we never had a place to put stockings during Christmas season and such so we decided to make a mantel to put them on. Initially we were going to tear the concrete surround down but decided it was going to be too much work and we have a baby coming in a few weeks, I didn't want to be in the middle of the project.
> 
> ...


Looking real good


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## Sarit (Oct 21, 2009)

Flocktothewall said:


> *Wall Paneling and Mantel added*
> 
> Well the entertainment center wasn't enough, so we decided to take the wall that was next to the entertainment center needed a mantel and some pizazz. It was just molded concrete around the fireplace and we never had a place to put stockings during Christmas season and such so we decided to make a mantel to put them on. Initially we were going to tear the concrete surround down but decided it was going to be too much work and we have a baby coming in a few weeks, I didn't want to be in the middle of the project.
> 
> ...


Those are paint grade plywood panels from the Borg?
That's better than the "cabinet" grade I find in mine.

Looks great. I really like the beading detail.


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

*Paint is on... almost done.*

Well, the painter has taken the tape and paper down, and all thats left is to put the nobs and hardware back on, and its done!










This project taught me so much, I learned about cutting corners (both literally and cost wise) and I got a new table saw out of it mid way through, painted it, scraped all the paint off because It didn't stick, then built the second half, then decided to add floor to ceiling wainscoting to match the entertainment center, then we decided to build a mantel to go over the molded concrete fireplace surround. All said and done, there are a few things that I wish I would have done differently but I learned so much from this project and now its done.

Man I thought this was going to be a breeze, after all, I've built a few bookcases, what's the difference, it shouldn't be hard, just a few hours in the shop, and some plywood… HA!

Top shelf with recessed lighting, the switch is hidden behind the face frame









The mantel









The Wainscoting









I should say that we plan to put a nice dark slate stone in the fireplace surround, it has a spot that is basically designed for 3 12×12 tiles to be placed there. I think the dark slate color will help offset the vast whiteness.

I don't have it marked as done because we still need to touchup the wall paint around where we caulked it (boy did I learn about calking on this project…)


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