The entertainment center is the hub of the living room – housing the television, media players, games consoles and more. But with cords tangled everywhere and cluttered cabinets, many entertainment centers end up looking anything but entertaining. Fortunately, there are plenty of innovative ideas to give your living room entertainment a sleek and modern makeover.
From built-ins to smart tech integration, we’ve gathered clever tips and inspiration to transform your living room into a contemporary entertainment haven. Read on to discover savvy storage solutions, chic styling ideas, and functional features that will maximize your space. With these savvy entertainment center options, you can craft a sleek, organized and eye-catching focal point for movie nights and leisure time.
Clever Built-In Entertainment Centers
Built-in entertainment centers seamlessly integrate into the architecture of a room. Custom designed and constructed to fit the exact dimensions of your space, built-ins create a polished look. Recessed media cabinets help reduce clutter by hiding devices and wires completely behind cabinet doors. For a unified aesthetic, built-ins can incorporate the same materials and finishes used elsewhere in the room – like stone, tile or wood paneling.
Consider mounting your television directly into the built-in unit for a smooth, flush fit. Surrounding cabinetry can house speakers, gaming systems and movies. Adjustable shelving allows you to customize storage areas to fit your needs. Concealed storage is key for a clutter-free look. Drawers, cabinets and hidden nooks all keep DVDs, remotes and other media items out of sight but within reach. Integrated electric and cable management prevent messy wires from ruining the sleek facade.
Stylish Low-Profile Entertainment Centers
Low-profile entertainment centers are an excellent modern alternative to bulky behemoth media cabinets. Scaled-down media consoles, floating shelves and wall-mounted cabinets have a lighter, airier aesthetic perfect for small living rooms.
Look for clean-lined media consoles and tables that sit lower to the ground. Floating shelves mounted above are ideal for displaying decor while keeping floors clear. Wall mounted cabinets also maximize space since they don’t take up precious floor real estate. Make sure to choose the appropriate size and scale that complements your room layout and seating arrangements.
Incorporate Smart Technology
As smart home technology continues to advance, integrating it into your entertainment center is a clever upgrade. Smart speakers like Amazon Alexa can be built right into the media cabinetry so you can easily control music, television and other electronics completely hands-free.
Consider a smart voice-controlled assistant like Google Home Hub that can stream shows, play music, control smart devices, and answer questions all with simple voice commands. Mounting a thin tablet like the Amazon Fire TV on the wall or cabinetry gives you easy access to streaming entertainment. A smart TV takes traditional television viewing to the next level, with customized streaming options and voice control capabilities.
Utilize Wall Space with Floating Entertainment Centers
Short on floor space? Consider utilizing wall space for a floating entertainment center. Mounting the television directly onto the wall immediately frees up valuable floor space in a small living room. Floating media cabinets and shelving flanking the television finish the wall-anchored look.
A professional installation ensures your media equipment is securely fastened and stabilized on the wall. Make sure to conceal and organize unsightly wires for a streamlined look. Glass shelving adds an airier, lighter aesthetic perfect for small spaces. Get creative with asymmetrical or geometric hanging cabinet shapes to add visual interest.
Add Artistic Elements for Visual Interest
Incorporate artwork, wall sculptures, prints or photography onto and around your entertainment center to create a focal point in the living room. Mounting a large piece of statement art above the television makes it a real decorative accent.
Arrange a salon-style gallery wall effect, with a cluster of framed prints and photos hung around the entertainment center. Add metal or concrete sculptures on top of media cabinets to incorporate modern art. Choose pieces in metallic hues or vibrant pops of color to contrast neutral cabinetry.
Include Convenient Storage for Gaming Consoles
If gaming is a big part of your entertainment center activities, incorporate specialized storage for easy access to consoles and accessories. Built-in shelving styled with gaming in mind can store consoles upright, along with bins for controllers, headsets and video games.
Vertical racks or slots keep hardware organized and accessible without taking up too much space. Baskets and trays corral loose cords and cables out of sight. Sleek cabinets with doors keep gaming gear concealed but handy when closed. Prioritizing gaming storage ensures your consoles and electronics stay neatly organized.
Incorporate a Pop of Color
Inject your neutral living room palette with a bold pop of color through your entertainment center design. Vibrant turquoise, crimson red or sunflower yellow cabinet doors make the entertainment center a vivid focal point.
Paint or stain the back wall of the entertainment center to contrast with lighter cabinets. Arrange brightly colored decorative objects like pillows, vases and trays on the shelves. Peppering in pops of accent colors enlivens the space while complementing a monochromatic scheme.
| Complementary color combinations | Turquoise and coral orange |
| Analogous color schemes | Different shades of green |
| Triadic color palettes | Red, yellow and blue |
Use basic color theory to select shades that complement each other. Stick to a complementary, analogous or triadic color scheme for visual harmony. A vibrant entertainment center animates the living room while reflecting your personal style.
With their central role in home entertainment, entertainment centers deserve to be more than an afterthought. The innovative ideas presented offer ways to upgrade your living room entertainment with storage solutions and design elements tailored to your needs and preferences.
Clever built-ins, smart technology integration, convenient gaming storage and artistic accents transform traditional entertainment centers into contemporary showstoppers. And don’t be afraid to incorporate a bold pop of color. With some strategic remodeling, your entertainment center can be modern, inviting and uniquely you.
