Residential AV integrators are responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining complex audio-visual (AV) systems within a home, ensuring all components like TVs, speakers, lighting, and control systems work seamlessly together.
Incorporating technology into the living environment is the next step. This often requires AV integrators to apply tricks of the trade to “hide” their good works – specifically using motorized lifts to discreetly conceal unsightly black screens, boxes, and cables.
For affluent homeowners, maintaining a carefully curated aesthetic or preserving million-dollar views is essential, and there is no room for visible electronics to disrupt the harmony. At the press of a button, they want these devices to appear seamlessly and vanish just as effortlessly, leaving no visible evidence of their presence.
Let’s be honest, affluent homeowners secretly enjoy the “Wow Factor” as well. When homeowners seek to dazzle their guests, hidden TV lifts make any viewing feel like a cinematic event: at the tap of a button, the TV elegantly moves from its secret hideaway for the big reveal.
The good news is that motorized lifts today can be tailored to meet almost any requirements. Even as large-screen televisions exceed 100”, there are clever ways to hide TVs and other electronic devices discreetly within ceilings, walls, floors, kitchen counters, furniture, beneath beds, or even behind artwork.
For outdoor setups, such as backyard speakers and TVs, lift mechanisms can make even the largest screens seamlessly appear from behind a row of shrubs or at the edge of an infinity pool.
Still, while exceptions exist, most wealthy homeowners rarely request a motorized lift directly. Instead, it is typically the AV integrator’s responsibility to evaluate the room’s layout, design, and views, and provide thoughtful recommendations.
“Homeowners aren’t always aware that using a hidden TV lift is a possibility. Once you tell them what is possible, they become quite excited,” says Stephen Lane, Owner of California Automation. A longtime residential and commercial AV installer based in San Diego, CA, Lane serves the affluent neighborhoods of Rancho Santa Fe and La Jolla.
He adds that AV integrators should “do their homework first” and have a working knowledge of the options in motorized lifts as well as preferred suppliers.
“Normally, all the cabinetry and other final touches are completed before we install any electronics,” explains Lane. “So now everything’s very precious. If you are going to suggest installing a 300-pound lift, you have to know it can be done.”
Lane says one area where homeowners frequently want a TV but prefer it to be hidden when not in use is in upscale kitchens.
This can be accomplished in several ways, including integrating hidden TV lifts into kitchen islands. In one home, California Automation was able to install a lift that raises the television out of a cutout in the middle of the granite countertop of the island. The television can be rotated using a remote towards the person cooking or the seating area.
“The solution is functional but elegant and doesn’t destroy the design of the kitchen,” says.
Another alternative is a Pop-Up TV lift, which can be integrated into kitchen cabinetry. When installed in an island, the touch of a button slides open a drawer and the TV rises and swivels to the perfect viewing angle. This method can also be applied to cabinets, dressers, or other types of furniture with drawers in various rooms of the house.
Under-the-bed TV lifts are an effective solution for keeping televisions hidden until they are needed, says Lane.
In the past, he has installed several Dream Machine Lifts from Valencia-based Auton. The lift fits under the bed frame and operates with a wireless remote. Since 1978, Auton Motorized has been a leading designer and manufacturer of custom audio-visual concealment systems.
With the press of a button, the TV smoothly slides out from under the bed and elevates to the user’s preferred viewing position within seconds. The TV can rotate a full 360 degrees (180 degrees in either direction), enabling clear viewing from anywhere in the room. With a single click, it seamlessly returns to its concealed position beneath the bed.
Unlike wall-mounted TVs or other TV lifts, the under-the-bed TV lift requires no installation. At 6.5” high, it rolls under any standard king, queen, full or twin-sized bed frame and plugs into a standard outlet. No tools, attachments, assembly, construction, or modifications are necessary, as the lift does not need to be secured to the floor or bed.
“The homeowners may want a TV in the bedroom, but not want to see it on the wall. They may have a floor-to-ceiling window and do not want anything to block the view, or any furniture at the foot of the bed. In these cases, the best place to put a TV is often under the bed,” says Art Walker, CEO of Auton Motorized Systems.
According to AV integrator David Schiffer, Sole Proprietor of Superior Sound & Vision in upscale Orange County, CA, he installed Auton’s Dream Machine in a home on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. This exclusive area is known for its views of the harbor and the larger Newport Bay, and the homeowner wanted to preserve the “million-dollar view” from their bedroom.
“The homeowners wanted to ensure their view of Newport Bay wasn’t blocked by a television when they weren’t watching it,” explains Schiffer, adding that they also had a television on their upper deck, which Superior Sound & Vision discreetly concealed within a standalone cabinet using a motorized lift.
Today, luxury homeowners also often incorporate high end electronics and sound systems in their outdoor living spaces. To accommodate the installation of massive outdoor LED video “walls” up to 24 feet wide and 10 feet tall, companies like Auton Motorized Systems now offer specially designed, exterior-grade lifts. The LED wall remains hidden under ground until it is raised to its full height at the push of a button.
To ease transport and installation of these giant LED video walls, the OEM is finalizing a design that will allow the lifts to be placed in containers and shipped anywhere on an almost “plug and play” basis.
When selecting a lift, Schiffer says he often relies on Auton for their expertise.
“The lifts are essentially made to order for the application. If engineering is required, the manufacturer [Auton] will help. I have been to their factory on many occasions, where they made necessary adjustments and modifications on the spot,” says Schiffer.
Key among the concerns is specifying a high quality, durable lift that continues to function as expected with little to no maintenance for many years.
“I’ve been installing these lifts for a long time now. I’ve never required a service call with Auton, so I’m confident that it’s going to work,” says Schiffer.
Utilizing skillfully hidden mechanical lifts for TVs can quickly transform a room whether the goal is to impress guests or preserve a home’s aesthetics. As the field continues to evolve, AV professionals that utilize customized lifts and mounts will have a substantial advantage in terms of both surprising and delighting guests and improving the home’s aesthetics and function.
For more information, call 1-661-257-9282; email info@auton.com; visit auton.com; or write to Auton at 24856 Avenue Rockefeller, Valencia, CA 91355.
