In the Flat-Screen Loop
Thursday, February 1, 2007; Page H03
Have you hesitated to upgrade to a wall-mounted flat-screen TV because you can't bear to hack a hole in your perfectly painted walls? You are not alone, and the design team at Crate and Barrel has come up with a TV stand that eliminates drilling.
The Loop Media Center, combining a plasma panel ($249) and matching media stand ($349), debuted early last month. Both pieces are made of solid oak with an espresso stain. The plasma panel holds up to a 50-inch TV, and four recessed cubbies stash 48 DVDs. The stand below fits the rest of the various media components.
  The Loop Media Center from Crate and Barrel. (Crate And Barrel Photography) |
"The panel offered a way for consumers to mount their flat-panel TVs, especially those worried that the walls would fall down or renters afraid the landlord wouldn't want them to tear into a wall," says Bette Kahn, a spokeswoman for Crate and Barrel.
It tapped into a need. The Loop Media Center has already made the list of the company's best-selling items for 2007, Kahn says. Now, if only the universal mounting bracket were included.
Jura Koncius
