Although home theatre speakers greatly enhance the sound quality of your movies and music, they can detract from the look of an otherwise well decorated room. Here are some ideas you can use to create innovative speaker shelves that will be a lot more attractive than seeing a black box stuck to the wall.

If you have small speakers, you can camouflage them by painting the walls and the speaker mounts the color of the speakers. Of course, this seriously limits your decorating choices, but if you like the idea of a white, black, or gray wall, this will work. Simply cut a piece of plywood roughly the same size as the speaker that will sit on it. Screw a smaller supporting block into the wall just below where the speaker will sit. Then take your shelf, and screw it into your supporting block. Paint the wall and your homemade shelf to match the speaker.

You can use beautiful decorative wall sconces to hold your speakers. They come in many shapes sizes and styles. You can find wood or plaster sconces with details or cherubs and angels. You can find antique weathered sconces shaped as acanthus leaves. You can also use African motif carved sconces carved from rich ebony wood, or you can choose gilded floral sconces. Any of these will detract from the boring square speaker by drawing attention to it-self.

You can hide your entertainment center speakers. Install them into the wall by cutting out a piece of drywall the size of the speakers. Install a small’s shelf between the studs to hold the speakers. Then hang a lightweight sheer fabric painting over the speaker. You can make such a speaker cover yourself purchasing simple wooden picture frames without the glass and sheer pieces of fabric that can double as art. Staple the fabric into the frame making sure it is taut. You will have instant art and speaker covers at the same time. You may want to use a deep picture frame like a shadow box. You can also hide your speakers by purchasing wall mounted flower baskets and placing the speaker amongst the fake flowers. Just make sure no one tries to water the flowers.

You can show off your speakers by placing them on floating shelves. They are available in many styles form a simple piece of glass, to a plate ledge, to a square block on the wall. There is an infinite number of finish choices that will go well with any design style.

Another option for creating innovative shelving for your speakers is to make it a part of an art collage. It can be mounted on the wall in the midst of sculptures, pictures, and empty picture frames. It can even be mounted inside of an otherwise empty picture frame. A fun idea would be to place it on a shelf amongst a collection of different boxes. Choose wooden boxes, leather boxes and metal boxes to display your speakers along side. Even you will have trouble figuring out which item is your speaker from a distance.

Written by ANDREA HERMITT - © 2002 Pagewise