Cables and rear access suggestions please

[dawgfan]

I'm going to make the wall pictured below my TV and audio wall for movie watching. Plan on ripping it all out and building cabinets suited to my 50" plasma and several pieces of audio gear.

I want access to the rear of the electronics for running cables or making changes, etc. There's a standard sheet rock wall with 2x4 thickness in-between.

What's the best way to gain access? Would it be to cut thru the wall and have a cabinet door in the adjoining room or slide out shelving or what?

I'd like to hear your suggestions. Thanks!

[django1]

If you had a door (or two) in the other room sounds ideal to me. Maybe you could also use it to provide ventilation if needed.

If the walls are drywall it would be pretty easy to cut out sections and then just make doors with European style cabinet hinges attached to the 2x material. You could either paint the doors like the wall or do some nice ones in wood. Or if you only need access to bottom, you could install a chair rail and hide the doors in a paneling design on the bottom portion of the wall.

edit.: I noticed you already have a chair rail...

[dawgfan]

I really want to cut out an area behind the electronics with access from the adjacent room. The trick is convincing my wife that I can do it without the panel looking obnoxious. Concealing the area will be key. Hiding the door(s) might be achieved behind a hinged, framed picture. Another idea might be a decorative feature of some sort. Any other ideas come to mind?

[Loophead]

Dawgfan,

Do you have a SketchUp drawing of the two rooms? or maybe a quick sketch?

Sean

[Loophead]

Instead of cutting the wall, why not install something like this in the cabinet?

http://www.raxxess.com/products/rack...ures/ROTR.html

[dvenardos]

Yeah, along with django that was my first thought too. Heck if put a picture frame, poster, wall hanging, etc. you don't even need to put cabinet doors on there. Of course, as django mentioned you could put some nice false cabinet doors on there and that would look good if you did it out of wood.

I really want to cut out an area behind the electronics with access from the adjacent room. The trick is convincing my wife that I can do it without the panel looking obnoxious. Concealing the area will be key. Hiding the door(s) might be achieved behind a hinged, framed picture. Another idea might be a decorative feature of some sort. Any other ideas come to mind?

[dawgfan]

Loophead, my wife should love the sliding rack idea...thanks!

Still fishing for other ideas as well, thanks in advance.

[django1]

Just too illustrate my paneling idea: something like this where the rectangles are doors


Here is one with a stair:

[tthurman]

As an added plus, you would have the coolest house for "hide and seek"!

[]:)

[dvenardos]

"thumbsup:

Just too illustrate my paneling idea: something like this where the rectangles are doors


Here is one with a stair: