A traditional wall unit serves as a media center in a family room.
The decorative characteristics of traditional furniture span several design eras. Wall units fabricated in traditional style have the look and feel of an antique piece, while authentic, traditional wall units can easily become heirloom treasures in home design. Besides traditional furniture elements, traditional also applies to the usual function of wall units as large furniture pieces coordinated with the decor theme of the room. Does this Spark an idea?
The Traditional Style
"Traditional" denotes what was common yesterday, and it becomes a broad term defining anything that's not contemporary. "Traditional" also transcends what would be customary among people and in particular places, even if the style is rather new. And so the style of a traditional wall unit could be of a particular influence, such as French, English, Gregorian, or even the Shaker and Mission influences.
Common decorative features used to dress up a traditional wall unit include arches, turned legs, claw feet and intricately carved wooden molding and accents. These features might display a single design influence or might be an expression of several traditional styles in one furniture piece. Traditional wall units might be authentic, original pieces or replicas of an old piece of furniture.
For Display
One of the main functions of a traditional wall unit is to display home decor. The unit's open shelving makes ideal, protected settings for fine collectibles, souvenirs, vases and one-of-a-kind pieces as an alternative to leaving them packed away in storage. Plants often are placed on its open shelves for visually interesting color and texture.
For Book Storage
Books occupy a lot of space, but easily find a suitable home in a traditional wall unit. Using the shelf space offered by the wall unit can be as simple as lining the shelves with the books or arranging them in stacked groupings that look like accent decor themselves. When the display shelves house books along with decorative accent pieces, they enhance the appearance of the unit. A mix of book spines that attract onlookers toward the wall unit can make the room feel as though it's a comfortable place to curl up with a book.
Multimedia Housing
Traditional wall units make an ideal location for multimedia equipment. Newer replicas of traditional wall units feature compartments for the equipment and some are even outfitted with electrical, cable and internet connections. The center of the wall unit is dedicated to the TV, and side compartments with open shelves and closing cabinet doors are designed to house stereo, computer and gaming equipment.
Even authentic, traditional wall units have ample shelving to house current multimedia pieces. Especially for models with adjustable shelving, the space offered by the wall unit is suitable for any piece of equipment along with the other book and decorative items stored on the wall unit.
Traditional Placements
The placement of a traditional wall unit is in itself a tradition. Wall units function best in a living room, dining room as a china cabinet, family room, den, library, multipurpose space or an office. Because it's typically large, traditional wall units are not used in bedrooms unless the room is also large and serves several purposes. In each of these rooms, the scale of the wall unit easily makes it the focal point or one of the focal points of the space.
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