HOME THEATERS
15 July 2008
"For a Few Dollars More"
Yesterday we discussed the possibility of commissioning a home theater, as opposed to simply purchasing a ready-made entertainment center and bringing it home. Home theaters, of course, exist in all sizes and shapes, and it is not my intention in this blog to promote those that are too aggressively higher end, but I would like to discuss a few that are made by a company that advertises itself as one which makes higher end furniture.
Tyme Furniture Studios is an East Coast artisan woodshop that specializes in high-end furniture and architectural interiors, which I chose for this discussion, frankly, because my partner and I are on the West Coast! But also because they perfectly illustrate the point I most want to make, which is that for just a few dollars more you can obtain far more than an entertainment center. You can get something no one else has.
Given that it is more cost effective to simply customize an existing entertainment center, is it really worthwhile to spend the extra money for a commissioned home theater or entertainment center? I think the answer’s pretty clear. It depends.
Custom work is more than, “Hey, lady, what style door do you want? We got ten to choose from.” It’s being able to get what you want to fit a certain corner or hold a particular object. It’s being able to actively participate in the design so the finished project makes a statement all your own. It’s being asking a hundred questions by an artist who pays close attention to the answers and then, when necessary, designs something that never was, because in a well-designed piece, form follows function, and an unique form is sometimes just what is needed to best function for a particular client’s needs. It’s a more expensive way to go, and it’s not for everyone.
If you are perfectly content with placing a television set in a standard cabinet and have no particular need for anything beyond the standard storage requirements, you probably will not be able to bring yourself to pay more for a custom project. Nor should you, because you will always feel you paid too much.
But if you have custom storage needs and are willing to spend enough time to properly convey your needs to the custom woodworker, if you’re the type of person who appreciates quality workmanship, who wants an item for longer than the passing moment, who appreciates the gentle sheen of a hand-rubbed oil finish—then I would like to encourage you to commission your dreams with your local cabinetmaker.
Joseph
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