For homes with limited wall space, hanging a flat-panel TV on the wall or building a huge wall unit for entertainment components can be tough to implement. Enter the lowboy. Less than 2 feet tall, they take up little vertical space, but provide plenty of storage for TV and all the gear that goes with it. They were all over the place at the CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Assocation) Expo this week.

Furniture manufacturer Madison Fielding offers units in a variety of colors and finishes, while with speakers and subwoofer built-in. All you provide is the TV. Brownstone Furniture, meanwhile, has developed a line of lowboys with accommodations for optional ventilation fans and Monster-brand power conditioning equipment. Doors that provide access to the backs of A/V equipment are integrated into units that come in a variety of wood.

Even manufacturers of flat-panel wall mounts are offering more traditional furnishings for equipment. OmniMount, for example, offers its new Link Series. Also in a lowboy design, the series features three pieces that can be configured to your liking and the design of your audio/video setup.

Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.