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NEWS & LIFESTYLE
E
ven though it has been a feature for only a few decades, the TV lounge is often the defining social space in most homes. When TVs were large, boxy appliances, it was easy to make them the focal point of the room, and they dictated the layout of the furniture accordingly.
New media
With shifts in technology first slimming down TV sets and then diverting viewers to the additional screens of laptops and tablets, however, the old order is no more. Media consumption has become increasingly fragmented and, as a result, designers are rethinking the traditional TV room entirely to provide solutions more in line with how we live today.
A designer take on media consumption at home WORDS: CHRIS REID
Neighbourhood
25 OCTOBER 2015
IMAGES: CASSINA & STUDIO BOUROULLEC
There are two main responses designers have taken towards changing media habits. The first accepts the new viewing habits and designs new pieces of furniture as a result. These can take the form of personal pods and modular designs, but the more mainstream pieces simply integrate additional features into existing silhouettes. The MyWorld sofa by Philippe Starck for Cassina, for example, hides tech accessories and charging cables in the arm of the piece for easy access when you want to move from one screen to another. The more reactionary approach, however, has been to reimagine what media technology can be. Here designers seek
to bring TVs back into the centre of focus rather than relegating them to the wall or corner. The new Serif concept TV, by the Bouroullec Brothers for Samsung, does exactly that. By giving the device weight and sculptural presence, the designers compensate for the slimming down of technology and justify the set’s prominent placement in a room. As the media landscape continues to evolve, these two approaches to spatial design will become more prominent in the coming years. The one individual homeowners choose to align themselves with is a matter of personal preference, but the space is evolving and the challenge is for designers to keep up.
SEE FOR YOURSELF: Cassina South Africa afritaly.com 021 418 5382, 011 447 7062 Samsung Serif samsung.com/global/seriftv
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