Residential AV integrators are responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining complex audio-visual (AV) systems within a home, ensuring all components like TVs, speakers, lighting, and control systems work seamlessly together.
Incorporating technology into the living environment is the next step. This often requires AV integrators to apply tricks of the trade to “hide” their good works – specifically using motorized lifts to discreetly conceal unsightly black screens, boxes, and cables.
For affluent homeowners, maintaining a carefully curated aesthetic or preserving million-dollar views is essential, and there is no room for visible electronics to disrupt the harmony. At the press of a button, they want these devices to appear seamlessly and vanish just as effortlessly, leaving no visible evidence of their presence.
“Homeowners aren’t always aware that using a hidden TV lift is a possibility. Once you tell them what is possible, they become quite excited,” says Stephen Lane, Owner of California Automation. A longtime residential and commercial AV installer based in San Diego, CA, Lane serves the affluent neighborhoods of Rancho Santa Fe and La Jolla.
Lane says one area where homeowners frequently want a TV but prefer it to be hidden when not in use is in upscale kitchens. This can be accomplished in several ways, including integrating hidden TV lifts into kitchen islands. In one home, California Automation was able to install a lift that raises the television out of a cutout in the middle of the granite countertop of the island. The television can be rotated toward the person cooking or the seating area, using a remote.
Another alternative is a Pop-Up TV lift, which can be integrated into kitchen cabinetry. When installed inside an island, the touch of a button slides open a drawer and the TV rises and swivels to the perfect viewing angle. This method can also be applied to cabinets, dressers, or other types of furniture with drawers in various rooms of the house.
Under-the-bed TV lifts are an effective solution for keeping televisions hidden until they are needed, says Lane.
In the past, Lane has installed several Dream Machine Lifts from Valencia-based Auton. The lift fits under the bed frame and operates with a wireless remote. Since 1978, Auton Motorized has been a leading designer and manufacturer of custom audio-visual concealment systems.
With the press of a button, the TV smoothly slides out from under the bed and elevates to the user’s preferred viewing position within seconds. The TV can rotate a full 360 degrees (180 degrees in either direction), enabling clear viewing from anywhere in the room. With a single click, it seamlessly returns to its concealed position beneath the bed.
Unlike wall-mounted TVs or other TV lifts, the under-the-bed TV lift requires no installation. At 6.5” high, it rolls under any standard king, queen, full or twin-sized bed frame and plugs into a standard outlet. No tools, attachments, assembly, construction, or modifications are necessary, as the lift does not need to be secured to the floor or bed.
Utilizing skillfully hidden mechanical lifts for TVs can quickly transform a room whether the goal is to impress guests or preserve a home’s aesthetics. As the field continues to evolve, AV professionals that utilize customized lifts and mounts will have a substantial advantage in terms of both surprising and delighting guests and improving the home’s aesthetics and function.
For more information, contact Auton: call 1-661-257-9282; email [email protected]; or visit auton.com.