Gramophone’s Favorite Things

BDI Sequel Office Furniture - Stylish, Modern, and Functional

BDI doesn’t design home furnishings. BDI is design. By maintaining a  clear focus on style and an attention to detail, BDI furniture unites functionality with an aesthetic display. From the corporate office to the home theater, BDI features innovative engineering. Adjustable shelving, hidden wheels, and a cable management system allow you to organize and seamlessly blend your technology into your space. Contemporary, finished designs offer flexibility for a limitless number of customizable configurations, allowing you to build the perfect setup for any sized room. BDI knows, design is way more than just looking good.

Over the past few months, we have come into work each morning dropping our bags on the desk, flipping through note pads, and proceeding to sit down to the computers to begin the marketing department’s day. We eat our lunch in the office as we work, drink our afternoon coffee, and frequently take the journey to the showroom for the ever-impressing demonstrations of speakers, televisions, and iPod docks. But unbeknown to us, we are still in part of the showroom, in fact, using part of the showroom every single day. That is, the entire marketing office is filled with the line of BDI Sequel office furniture.

Now that we take the time to really pay attention to our desks, drawers, and cabinets, Sequel is definitely as stylish as it is functional. With expansive desktop space to hold stacks of notes and folders, a computer monitor, office supplies, and to not even look cluttered, well, that takes skill. The smooth black glass top is incredibly easy to clean, especially when the all too familiar coffee ring decides to strike. The leg room is significant and the storage is ample. But the best part? Every wire is concealed in the back panel so nothing is tangled and everything is neat. The drawer even has a pull down front so even the largest, clunkiest keyboard can be stored neatly yet accessibly.

So with so much style, how do you make BDI home office furniture look even better? Simple, you add the sound. The MM-1 desktop speakers from Bowers & Wilkins (more well-known as B&W) are a perfect addition to your Sequel furniture. And unlike most compact desktop speakers, the MM-1’s bypass your computer’s audio jack and connect directly to the USB port, delivering unparalleled sound to simply make your work day better.

-Julia and Ela

My First Big Girl Purchase: Home Entertainment Furniture

  
If you live in a really old house, like I do, it’s really difficult to hang anything on the walls without fear of the plaster crumbling.  So, when I bought my first “big girl” TV four years ago (from Gramophone, of course), a 46” flat-panel Samsung with gorgeous red-tinted glass bezel, I was fearful that if I hung it on the wall either the wall would fall down or the TV would crash to the floor.  This fear resulted in my first “big girl” piece of furniture: a BDI Avion 8927.  This piece of furniture is the definition of the term fabulous.  (You know how interior designers are known to overuse the word fabulous? Now I know why.)  From the solid wood, which happens to be the deep, rich espresso color to the built-in DVD (or Blu-ray) slots in the drawer.  A center channel speaker fits perfectly in the slot below the TV, and BDI — smart people that they are — knew to send a mesh insert to replace the glass so as to allow the sound to stream through.

Instead of using the table stand for the TV, I decided that I’d use the universal TV mount that came with the cabinet, so I get the full top of the cabinet for all my coffee table books, and pictures — just like if the TV were mounted on the wall.  The TV mount comes with wire management, so there are no messy wires and cables peaking out from behind the TV, and when I decided to add external speakers to the TV (find out about that purchase in my next post), the speaker wire hid nicely right alongside the TV cables.

Unlike the furniture from my college days, the shelves in the unit have not bowed under the pressure of the TiVo or Blu-ray player; the doors sit straight — as I did not have to build the unit myself with just an allen key and elbow grease; and since the wood isn’t actually particleboard made to look like real wood, the veneer isn’t peeling away.

Note: My puppy’s favorite part is the glass inserts for the doors, where she can bark at her reflection.  My favorite part is the hidden wheels that pop into use when it’s time to clean under the cabinet and then settle back into their grooves when I’m finished with the swiffer.

-Kate

Got A Second?

We certainly hope so. Our Timonium showroom now features performance packages that are value-engineered to bridge budget and quality. It's our commitment to provide the best products and systems which will exceed your expectations, yet are satisfying to your wallet. Several of our most commonly purchased flat panels are now accompanied by digital signs that show you our price compared to our competitors, and will be regularly updated. Why? We want you to know that you can and should shop at Gramophone for better service, support, and experience all at a reasonable price.

Gramophone is excited to offer a full HD experience complete with 46” 1080p Samsung TV and 5.1 PSB Surround Sound system. A Gramophone system would not be complete without a matching BDI home theater stand, WiFi Blu-Ray Player, Audioquest performance HDMI cables and wiring, along with a Furman Surge Protector.

Use your existing furniture or mount the TV to the wall and the whole system is $2999.  For $3999, use our complete system, including the BDI stand, and this saves you $635 off regular prices. To kick off this promotion, for short period of time, we are including 24 Months No Interest Financing.

What could be better? Professional installation starts at $449 for those who are not up to installing on their own.

Surprised? See It, Live It, Hear It at Gramophone Today!

-Andrew Davis

410-308-1650

Make This Year's Father's Day Stand Out From All the Rest.

With only 10 Days until Father's Day, these are some of our top picks!

It is almost impossible to write about the "Top Three Gadgets for Father's Day"  There are far more gadgets that Dad would love to have than just three.  How to decide? Headphones top our list of great Father's Day gifts, but there are also great iPod Dock solutions.  And we didn't limit ourselves to picking just three.  We'll let you figure out which of the following would make this year's Father's Day stand out from all the rest.

Better than a tie, but not quite a set of nice cuff links.

Sennheiser's line of headphones offers a great gift for dad for when he goes to the gym.  The adidas Performance headphones with volume control are portable, washable, and simply the way to go when it comes to athletic headphones. Wired Magazine's Product Review Section says: The Sennheiser/Adidas PMX680s provide "Exceptional sound quality. Marvelous bass. Stays put securely. Water resistant and dog-proof."

Better than the really nice cuff links, but not quite his dream golf club set.

At less than $300, this gift is far better than a set of nice cuff links , but not quite at the level of a really nice set of golf clubs.  For the Dad whose music taste is stuck back in time somewhere, these headphones will take him back and let him relive those days -- without causing the whole family to cringe.

Looking for a review? Wired Magazine's Product Review Section says: Heavenly Headphones Create Symphony Hall for Your Ears

Dad has an iPod?

Actually, this gift will be something an entire family enjoys...if Dad's the sharing type.  Starting at less than $400, you can get dad the B&W Mini-Zeppelin or the "big-daddy" of the two, the B&W Zeppelin.  These two are both iPod docking stations that are easy to use and have great sound quality. He'll love the fact that they have digital signal processing, digital amplifiers, as well as s-video & composite outputs. But in addition to that, they just make his music sound amazing. 

Don't take our word for it: Wired Magazine's Geek Dad Section says: "B&W Zeppelin: Still Soaring Above The Crowd After Three Years"

Dad Deserves Quiet Time.

Noise canceling headphones might just be the gift every dad has been wanting. Sennheiser's PXC310 noise canceling, collapsible headphones might just improve Dad's mood when the dog's barking, the baby's crying, and the kids are squealing with delight.  We won't tell if you use them every once in a while too!

 

Dad Wants To Spend As Much Time Outside As Possible (But he still loves movies...)

There's only one choice for this Dad: Epson MovieMate.  "Epson's MovieMate 60 combines an HD projector, A CD/DVD player, microphone unit, and stereo speakers in one portable unit" (And it comes with parental controls, so the kids can't watch movies you don't want them to see!

For less than $700, you can create your very own drive-in movie theater, have a karaoke night, watch a slideshow of family pictures, and more on a picture that can be 120"!

Want to know more about it?  The Today Show featured it!

Dad Hates Digital Music, But It's Time He Move Into the 21st Century

He needs the Peachtree iDecco. Hands Down. The best thing to do is experience the difference it makes in taking the flat sound of digital music and allowing it to breathe and have depth again.  Certainly, you can read reviews. Or, you can just come in and see how simple it is to make your digital music sing!

Dad Needs To Relax In His Very Own...Motorized Chair.

Sometimes Dad just needs to take a seat.  Oh, and this seat will make him feel like a king!  This chair is available in more than 20 colors of high grade woven fabric, and 25 colors of top grain, aniline leathers. With cupholders for his favorite drink, possible snack table, and cushions that will force his body to relax.  Don't go with the La-Z-boy, go with the VIP line of seating that offers so much more!

Dad Loves The Kids And Wants To Spend Lots of Family Time With Them

Is it time to splurge on Dad & the family at the same time?  Spend quality time with Dad while letting him win Wii Golf, snuggling on the couch as a family watching the latest blockbuster, or cheering on your favorite sports team on a 100" screen.  If this sounds like the perfect gift for Dad, they you'll want to check out the Epson Ensemble HD Theater System.  For $5999, it's an all-inclusive investment in Family Time, and what better time to start that investment than Father's Day?  The teenagers just might stay at home to watch movies with the family every once in a while too, but we won't make any promises on that!

We could offer so many other great ideas, such as:

• the portable, wireless, outdoor speaker Dad can take with him anywhere (tailgating included!). Oh, and it links right up with his iPod!
• the outdoor tv for the Dad who loves watching baseball and early season football, but also wants to be outside with the kids!

You want more? Give us a call. Stop by.  We want Dad to be thrilled!

Sweeter Spaces

    A beautiful home is a person’s most treasured possession.  Gramophone has always been there to help make that idea a reality for its clients.

                In the last few years, Gramophone expanded its Design Department to service a much broader scope of work.  To allow Gramophone to provide complete design services, we have a design team that specializes in making your space into your dream space.  We have accounts with vendors that offer a multitude of products that allow us to outfit your home with a design you will truly love. Our design department has grown and networked with a spectrum of skilled people within the design community.  Most who are familiar with Gramophone are only now starting to realize that we have the capability to be your “one-stop-shop”! 

                What do I add to the Gramophone Design Team?  I started at Gramophone in January of 2007 as a Space Planner and Interior Designer for home theaters, but what I have been doing has exceeded many of the expectations of Gramophone’s clients. I still do home theater space planning and design, but I have left these spaces on many occasions to sweeten many other rooms of our clients’ homes- from the kitchen to the boudoir!   I have my Interior Design degree from Miami University where my focus was theater set design.  Since then, I have worked in residential interiors with home staging, space planning, furniture specification, accessorizing and implementation.

                 With fourteen years of experience, I assist clients here at Gramophone by helping them to create very sweet spaces.  Please stay tuned to the Gramophone blog to become inspired!  We’d love to hear from you. Stop by or give us a call for a personal consult!

-Bethany Johnson

A Flat TV Stand for Small Spaces

So long, armoires. Flat TV stands are the new must-have furniture piece in any home. But what if your home doesn’t have the space to support a huge TV cabinet? Gramophone furniture supplier,  BDI, has a solution for flat TVs in small spaces. BDI’s new REVO line is an unusual-looking stand with a very small footprint so it can easily fit in any smaller space. It holds a flat TV up to 37”, and has the remarkable ability to spin on its base so you can make viewing easy from any corner of your room.

REVO doesn’t leave any detail overlooked: it has sturdy storage space for four or more components; a removable back panel for easy access to wiring; a built-in cable management system and flow-through ventilation to keep equipment cool.

Salamander Jump Seat Ottoman

Wow, is this a clever idea. Salamander (maker of high-end home entertainment seating – we sell it at Gramophone) has just released the Jump Seat Ottoman. Close the lid and it appears to be a leather ottoman like any other. Lift the lid and you reveal storage for video game controls and accessories. Open it all the way up and the ottoman converts to a gaming chair. It’s the easiest way to keep your family’s gaming system from taking over your living room.