A lot of homes have media niches...I want a built-in! (Houston: new home, buyers)

[the_loper]

About the only thing I don't like about our new home...that the layout of our home has the media nich in the living area that's kind of off-center and next to some windows that face the "water view." Anyways, it was an inventory home.

I've searched online and found a few companies that do cabinets and can fabricate a built-in for us, but I'd love to get some recommendations from people that have tackeled this job. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has tried to do something about these unsightly media niches that are placed in seemingly random spots in the house by builders. I just want something with cabinets on the bottom, a shelf for an LCD television, and some shelving on the top.

After doing a few searches I see there are some cabinet elitists on this board...I'd like a nice balance between price and quality. The media niche is only 5 linear feet wide, so spending 10K seems like a bit much.

[Cbink]

Have you considered doing it yourself? Not that difficult and you'd save a ton of money.
I can't make any recommendations I'm afraid but $10k seems awfully steep to me.

[ChocolateBabz]

This is what we did with ours. We moved the sockets further up the wall, painted the niche an accent colour and installed a vantage point evo system. It is still fairly flat against the wall but holds all the electronics and hides all the ugly cable work. We have had many compliments on it and it comes in different frame and panel colours.

[ToyYot]

nice!

[the_loper]

Originally Posted by ChocolateBabz

This is what we did with ours. We moved the sockets further up the wall, painted the niche an accent colour and installed a vantage point evo system. It is still fairly flat against the wall but holds all the electronics and hides all the ugly cable work. We have had many compliments on it and it comes in different frame and panel colours.

Beautiful. I will do research on this alternative.

My niche is not as wide...so putting a television flat against the back wall will significantly reduce the viewing angle of the screen. The niche is in the corner as well. I want it to be more flush with the wall.

10k was an exaggeration. I've gotten estimates at around 400-500 per linear foot ($2250).

[houstonfan]

Chocobabz: That's really nice and modern looking. Looks better than most built ins i've seen (which are typically boring looking)

[elnina]

Here are some ideas:
Media Niche Design, Pictures, Remodel, Decor and Ideas

[K'ledgeBldr]

Originally Posted by the_loper

About the only thing I don't like about our new home...that the layout of our home has the media nich in the living area that's kind of off-center and next to some windows that face the "water view." Anyways, it was an inventory home.

I've searched online and found a few companies that do cabinets and can fabricate a built-in for us, but I'd love to get some recommendations from people that have tackeled this job. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has tried to do something about these unsightly media niches that are placed in seemingly random spots in the house by builders. I just want something with cabinets on the bottom, a shelf for an LCD television, and some shelving on the top.

After doing a few searches I see there are some cabinet elitists on this board...I'd like a nice balance between price and quality. The media niche is only 5 linear feet wide, so spending 10K seems like a bit much.

How about posting a picture of what you have now-
Visual aids help a lot of people with ideas.
If you have a plain niche like chocolateb, have you considered an armoire? I used to build a few plans that had flanking built-ins on each side of a fireplace. The last couple of years before the crash I had several buyers opting out for the built-ins; instead, they would do matching armoires. It was actually quite nice looking.

[the_loper]

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

How about posting a picture of what you have now-
Visual aids help a lot of people with ideas.
If you have a plain niche like chocolateb, have you considered an armoire? I used to build a few plans that had flanking built-ins on each side of a fireplace. The last couple of years before the crash I had several buyers opting out for the built-ins; instead, they would do matching armoires. It was actually quite nice looking.

I have a gigantic hole cut-out in my wall...5 feet wide by 2 feet deep by 8 feet tall. It's a single niche to the right of my fireplace against the wall that has the water view. The initial intention of this thread was for local recommendations on cabinetmakers/contractors that Houstonians have worked with. I've pretty much decided that I wanted a built-in.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by ChocolateBabz

This is what we did with ours. We moved the sockets further up the wall, painted the niche an accent colour and installed a vantage point evo system. It is still fairly flat against the wall but holds all the electronics and hides all the ugly cable work. We have had many compliments on it and it comes in different frame and panel colours.

Loks nice.