VisionArt Helps Keep Plasma Hidden in History

Electronics installation firm eLifespaces used a VisionArt system that conceals a plasma TV behind decorative wall art when not in use. Credit: eLifespaces

A VisionArt system is used to hide a 50-inch Pioneer plasma in this 18th-century Charleston, SC, home's bedroom.

It isn’t a cozy living room in colonial New England. This historic charmer is part of a master bedroom suite looking out over the bay in Charleston, SC.

The owners knew that they wanted a TV in the bedroom of the 18th-century mansion, so Fred Fabian, chief designer at Charleston, SC-based electronic systems contractor eLifespaces, took it from there. Fabian set up a stealth system that would deliver the latest technology without disturbing the room’s charm.

The electronic designers prescribed a VisionArt system to hide the Pioneer TV when it’s not in use. The owners provided their own art. VisionArt converted it to a Giclee print and built a frame around the canvas that sits over the 50-inch plasma.

Surround-sound speakers from Jamo were mounted inside the plaster walls on the front and rear walls of the room, with the frames and grilles painted to match. The contractor of this major remodel cut out a space to the side of the fireplace to hold a slide-out rack for electronics.

Fabian wired the system to the main music and video server stored in the media room so the owners could retrieve music and movies without fiddling with discs. “This is one of those rooms I wish I had,” he says.