As much as we try to deny it, a big part of modern life is the television and our interactions that surround it. When it's time to restyle your home, you may want to make room for a big screen TV, but your layout may not allow it. Large televisions often have bulky profiles, but Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions solve that problem.

LCD TVs are becoming popular in many homes, not only because they create brighter, crisper, and higher contrast images, but because when they are mounted on a wall, they become part of a room instead of part of the furniture. This provides a greater flexibility in organizing and designing spaces, and it also adds a couple of square feet where it would otherwise be lost.

The quality of early LCD TVs was horrible, although the technology was revolutionary and rapidly improving. Most people didn't think that they would be worth the investment, especially considering the $30,000 – $40,000 price tag they used to carry. In larger versions, faster moving images were harder to see than on other types of televisions, although in recent years the technology of LCDs has improved dramatically. In 2004, television manufacturers Sony and Samsung collaborated to build a factory that would produce upwards of 60,000 screens for the LCD TV industry. This showed their confidence in the LCD TV market. Other competitors tried to disprove the quality of these televisions but they eventually succumbed and created their own models.

A technological marvel of our times, the LCD television solves space problems brought forth by new urban housing designs. As a result of space limitations in heavily developed areas of cities, more and more developers have been using house and condo designs inspired by Japanese and European models of efficient living. This means that rooms are small and spaces are tight and as a result have to be utilized well with flexible and space-saving furniture. A large rear projection or common picture tube television would simply not fit due to its depth and bulk. The last thing you want to see when you enter your 600-square-foot condo is the side profile of a 51-inch rear projection TV. Imagine putting two fridges in your living room; it's somewhat of a similar effect.

In small condominiums and odd-shaped rooms, the LCD or plasma TV becomes a solution due to its low profile, allowing for design freedom as it can be placed where traditional TVs cannot, such as above a fireplace, inside shallow cabinets, or on a narrow room wall. Its display allows viewing angles of up to 160°, which means that you can watch TV from anywhere in the room, unlike with traditional rear projection TVs.

In an article written by Fardid Biglar for Asian Wave Magazine, he outlines how LCD TVs can be hidden behind screens in multi-functional rooms. When formal, the television is hidden from view, and when it's time to relax, the screens slide open and the room changes into an informal place where you, your family and friends can lounge, watch TV or play your favorite video game.

As the kitchen becomes more and more a contemporary gathering space for friends and family, the TV becomes increasingly an important part of it. Last year for the Interior Design show, Kenneth Ho surprised the kitchen industry by designing a modern kitchen with a 42" Panasonic Plasma TV integrated right into a shallow contemporary hutch. Wood trim matching the cabinets created a seamless integration of the television and cabinetry. It's great when having company as well as when spending hours preparing a gourmet meal.

A well-designed room not only looks good, but is a pleasure to live and work in.

This article was provided by BiglarKinyan Design Partnership. Kenneth Ho is a partner at BKDP, a design and construction firm specializing in creating extraordinary projects on realistic budgets. For more information about the work of BKDP and their special promotions, please visit their website at www.BKDP.ca .