High-Tech Corridor

The owner of this Des Moines, Iowa, home really wanted to highlight his high-tech television’s slim profile, but preferred to keep components out of sight. Architect Channing Swanson placed the slender plasma TV directly above the fireplace, where he could “concentrate two big points of focus.” Perforated stainless steel doors hide the components but are acoustically open, explains Swanson, and allow the infrared signal through. By specing a tight pattern of tiny holes, Swanson created an opaque look. The big secret behind these closed doors is that the cabinets are framed in wood and wrapped in stainless sheets—a clever way to give the budget a break. Builder: Dean Paulsen & Sons, Des Moines, Iowa; Architect: Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck Architecture, Des Moines; Photographer: Farshid Assassi.