If IKEA Made Geeky Furniture Part 14: Home Theater Stage
Of all the items I’ve designed for the Geeky IKEA series, the one that has stumped me the most was trying to create an Entertainment Unit / Home Theater display. This is because my first instinct would be to do a Star Trek view screen display, but I think that works fine as a stand-alone TV. There were a few other ideas, but nothing I really wanted in my living room.
You’ve probably seen those audio video specialists who will set up a fancy “movie theater” system like this in your home for a pretty penny. These designer theaters feature lots of bells and whistles (popcorn machine, theater bucket seats, poster displays, lighting systems) on top of all the state-of-the-art electronic toys. Because of the scope and price of this installation, it’s a luxury few can afford.
But what I want is the stage home theater for the everyman, the average Joe or… Josephine. A basic entertainment unit with a curtain and some mood lights. Maybe a few options like remote-controlled curtains and built-in speakers, but that’s all you need really.
This centerpiece is aimed at film aficionados, gamers, and anyone who likes atmospheric furniture. Having this in the living room will definitely get you thinking about watching films, and will amplify your film-viewing experience.
However if you have a cat that likes to climb curtains, you might want to pass. Also you’ll have that one friend who’ll joke about you operating a puppet show, but you can smack him upside the head.
For those who own a comparable entertainment unit currently, I can’t imagine it being too difficult to affix curtains and lights. A nice little pet project for a rainy day.
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Game Of Thrones Hockey Jersey: The Starks
Note: All hockey jersey offers are now at www.davesgeekyhockey.com.
Lately I’ve been held hostage by all things Game of Thrones. I took a moment to step back and realize all these different Kingdoms could be represented by sports teams. They each fly a banner bearing a sigil, usually depicting a fierce animal - much like a typical sports franchise would.
The above example shown is the Direwolf, which is emblematic of the House Stark. The Starks reign in the north, and their (foreboding) motto is “Winter is Coming”. To me it all screams hockey.
You could probably design several hockey leagues based on the huge number of banners in the Game of Thrones books, though only a few are prominent. The aforementioned Starks are the main protagonists. The evil Lannisters (I may be editorializing a bit) have the sigil of the Lion. The Targareyans fly the banner of the Dragon. Like Milwaukee, the Baratheons are represented by the Buck.
Sale mockup.
I know I frequently design hockey jerseys here, and you might think it’s because I’m Canadian and thus have a one-track mind. The real truth is hockey jerseys are a brilliant canvas on which to showcase a team’s identity. That logo on the chest is like a Superhero insignia. No other sport has a jersey or uniform where the team logo can be so prominent. EDIT: A friend tells me these would look better on a “football kit”. Well I say good day to you sir. GOOD DAY.
EDIT: Got an email from Mark, who says the Stark sigil is a full-bodied silver Direwolf on a white background (white = ice/snow), and that the Baratheon sigil is the Stag, not a Buck. My bad. I won’t make a full-bodied Direwolf, but I’ll fix up the logo a bit:
Bonus art! Using the Tampa Bay Lightning royal blue alternate jersey:
I will design jerseys for the other Game of Thrones Houses eventually, stay tuned!
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Vending Machine Arcade Cabinet Hybrid
The arcade machine is a dying breed, at least in North America. Reduced to being tucked away in the darkest recesses of malls and airports, this endangered species lost it’s luster thanks to home consoles and portable handhelds.
The habitat once populated by these arcade cabinets is now home to another thriving species - the vending machine. Be it soda or chips or toiletries, people love these dispensaries and they are not going away anytime soon. Read the rest of this entry
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Zelda Lamp And Clock Combo
While Ocarina of Time is a celebrated benchmark in gaming, it had a direct sequel that doesn’t get nearly as much attention - Majora’s Mask. Despite the lack of hype, this game did have a lot of memorable imagery, such as that creepy moon that was in the sky, constantly inbound to destroy the planet.
So I thought this menacing backdrop for Majora’s Mask would make for a cool lamp, accompanied by the central Clock Tower as, well, a clock.
The moon lamp would change colors, and the clock would feature all the bell sounds heard in game. Like everything I post, this is just the basic idea. The base could feature a larger section of the town, and perhaps a few figures from the game as well.
Admittedly, the moon is too creepy for many. I do think many Zelda fans can appreciate how this encapsulates the classic game, recreating a pivotal/iconic moment. I’d want one on my desk!
If you like this check out the Ocarina Watch.
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Pinky And The Brain Flag Wallpaper
Here are some wallpapers depicting the official flag of Brain from Pinky and the Brain. At least, that’s what I remember it looking like from memory - can’t find any online reference. If anyone has a screen capture of this flag, please send it to me.
If I recall correctly, this is a flag Brain had used in one of his many schemes for world domination. And if I am wrong, it probably would’ve looked like this anyways. Just a name and portrait, the mark of a narcissist. All hail Brain.
Didn’t set out to do wallpapers, this was for a desktop flag idea. I will post that eventually.
EDIT: updated the images so they aren’t as noisy as the top image
In the meantime one giant widescreen 2560×1600 image, a large 1600×1200 standard-def image, and an iPhone 960×640 image. Click to enlarge:
I really need to grab the DVDs of this show pronto. It featured, among other things, my all-time favorite sound effect: whenever Pinky or Brain got hit (or belted each other), the sound effect was like two phone books being slammed together (or one being slammed closed). Hilarious Foley work.
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NBC Community Blu-Ray Design
As you probably know, I love both NBC’s Community and Parks and Recreation equally. Parks because it has so much positivity and charm, and Community for their band of outcast misfits, which any geek can identify with.
So here is my most vanilla design ever, a basic amaray jewel case. I will probably do a fancy box set later (I have a few ideas already), but for now this basic design will fit the bill.
This case design recreates the prominent locale used in Community, the study room in the library. Using a clear plastic case in tandem with a clear cell jacket liner, the windows of the study room are recreated. The cast image is then placed on either the disc (my preference) or the booklet or both. All of this serves to recreate the main set of the show to a degree.
If you are familiar with the show, then you might appreciate this design, because it echoes the box-like study room where all the madness takes place. The room has two opposing walls comprised of windows and venetian blinds (and doors, but I omitted those!).
This design also echoes one of my favorite package designs ever - Soundgarden’s Superunknown CD (1993). The disc art featured the band in front of a curtain, and when you removed the disc, the back flap of the case featured the same curtain - but no band. Essentially you were relocating the band to your CD player to perform, which is a witty design. Here the cast is also on the disc, in their study room habitat (the case), and you are doing the same thing essentially, but with your Blu-Ray player.
Currently I didn’t use a booklet for this design, not really a fan of those (same with video game instructions). Though an inner liner could be used on the back flap to recreate the study room even further.
Sadly Community has yet to debut on Blu-Ray. Season 1 is available on DVD, season 2 will be released in the next few months.
EDIT: Oops I should have photoshopped Joel McHale into that cast picture. My bad.
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If I Had A Lawn I’d Rent It Out To Bugs Bunny
If I did have a lawn of any kind, I’d set this up. None of that Gnome or Flamingo business! This lawn ornament idea will give neighbors the impression that a certain silly wabbit has taken up residence on your property. For those who do have a lawn of some kind, they could probably get all this at Home Depot today. The mailbox, decal letters, and a wooden post.
Ideally it would be a smaller mailbox, I just used this size so you can see it in the picture! As for the hole, I recommend burying two small stacked black potting plants, so you can remove the top-most one and empty it if need be. A round black stone could also do the trick. I’d also make the mailbox removable for easier mowing. If you want to mess with the mailman once in awhile you could leave half-eaten carrots strewn about near the hole.
Sorry for all the Looney Tunes posts as of late. I guess when I work on one idea featuring LT, they all sort of creep into my head.
