In Search Of: Non-Revolting TV Stands

Sometimes dudes can be such stereotypes.

When my boyfriend and I moved into our new place last month, he insisted on buying the giant-ass TV of his dreams. He selected a 55-inch model, probably because he wanted to get something roughly my size in case I ever left him. Instant replacement!

Anyway, we didn’t own a piece of furniture large enough to support the television (it weighs SEVENTY-FIVE POUNDS), and I couldn’t find anything I liked. So, right now, we have it rigged up in the crappiest way possible. I have this old storage cube from Pottery Barn I got in high school that is strong enough to support the TV’s weight, though not wide enough. So we found an abandoned plank of wood to set on top of the cube and added a folding table from Ikea to put the cable box on. It looks AWFUL...and crazy...and will certainly fall and kill me or my dogs at some point.

Any of you who have tried to find a suitable piece of furniture for gigantic TVs know that everything moderately attractive is sized for smaller TVs and everything for bigger TVs is from like, Best Buy and is made of black plastic and glass and screams “bachelor pad” so...no thanks.  

But here are some things to maybe/sort of consider:

This “Printer’s Stand” from Pottery Barn can hold a 55” TV in the large size. And it (BONUS!) even comes with an OBVIOUSLY fake story about how they came up with the design while wandering around in the basement at an estate sale. Plus, from the picture, you’re supposed to enjoy your media stand while drinking two glasses of brandy all by yourself, you drunk. From $829.

DWR Muro Media Storage - this thing only goes up to 50” so I’m shit out of luck, but it’s a pretty cool concept--it comes unfinished so you paint or wallpaper it to match your walls and then it looks sort of like you have one of those rich people TVs with the cords inside the walls. Also this looks like a thing you could make yourself if you are a craft-type person, because $650 for something made out of MDF is ri-dic-u-lous.
Room and Board - This Anders media center will set you back a couple thousand, but it won’t fall apart like crap from Ikea.

Ikea - this crap from Ikea is actually a Trollsta sideboard, but it can hold 110lbs and is 72 inches long, so it should be able to support a pretty hefty TV. They used to sell it in a cool bright yellow as well, but they don’t anymore, which is crying shame for those of you that are happy-n-shit. You can usually find one on craigslist, which would make it even cheaper than the $349 it's being sold for in the store. 

CB2 Hudson Media console. This thing says it can only accommodate a TV up to 46," but the console is 60” long, so you could probably wedge something bigger on there if you're willing to be a rebel. And for $400, it might be worth a shot. 

TV Stand Showcase - This Entertainment console, described as both "retro" and "vintage" could be kind of interesting if you have a really REALLY good imagination. Try and picture all of the inexplicably ugly vases replaced by your own attractive decorative objects! Or books! So when one of those awful people who tries to make you inferior by being all “Oh, I don’t watch tv, I READ” comes over to your house, you can gesture to the bookshelf/tv stand and just be like “Well, I read and watch quality educational programming because I am an exceptionally well-rounded person with many diverse and intellectual interests.” All that for $354.06.