Helping Your Technology Live With You ...

And Not the Other Way Around

Nature shows never looked sharper. Reality shows never looked more ... real. Flat screen TVs are a great technology. But if you tried fitting your new TV into your old entertainment center, you know it doesn't work. Today's wider, sleeker screens need more — and less — space than those traditional cabinets provide. Come to think of it, game consoles, laptops and other electronics have taken a bigger presence in the living room too — along with those cords you keep tripping over! We have great ideas for making the technical more livable in one of the most lived-in rooms of the house.

A Room for You AND Your Electronics

IKEA furniture solutions let you enjoy all the latest must-have electronics and still have a living room that's warm, inviting and fun to come home to. Follow these five steps to help technology fit neatly into your life:

1. Find a place for your TV. Now that the writer's strike is over, new episodes of those shows you love are coming your way this month. It's time to get the TV in place! The new BENNO bench is a perfect spot for flat screens. It comes in five colors (Black-Brown, Medium Brown, Birch, and White & Beech) and has ample storage space for discreetly holding DVD players, speakers, remote controls and other accessories. Renting your place? You can use panels to mount a screen to furniture instead of the wall.
2. Make room for playtime. Don't play in the house was your mother's rule. Now that you're grown, you — or your kids —swing virtual bats, rackets and clubs right in the living room, courtesy of video game consoles. But you don't have to be locked into that one spot directly in front of the screen. The STRIND coffee table lets you easily make room to move around. It's both lightweight and equipped with wheels.
3. Get the laptop off your lap. More than half of American households have a laptop computer, although we prefer to use them on a level surface. The DAVE laptop table is compact and fully adjustable for both height and the angle of the surface. Another perk: It doesn't look like a computer desk. When you put your laptop away, you can use it as side table.
4. Cover up the cords. Even the most enthusiastic technophile gets frustrated by the unsightly cords that make our electronics work. Tackle the tangle with the SIGNUM cord management rack or the RABALDER cable reel. Install a charging station inside a BESTA storage unit and neatly charge all your electronics in one place.
5. Invite friends over to play. With everything in place, your living room is ready for entertaining. The new INREDA line of bar accessories will become available this month. Add them to a BESTA storage unit and host a high-tech party. Or if you have an official reason to celebrate, like a spring birthday, IKEA Gift Cards are a perfect way to help loved ones start working on their own living rooms.