Contemporary TV Stands: The Front Does the Work, Not the Shape
What Makes a TV Stand Look Contemporary?
Three things, and none of them is the silhouette. First, no applied hardware: a contemporary console is opened by a recessed groove along the top of a drawer, a dish carved into the face, or a push catch, so nothing sticks out to break the surface. Second, the front reads as one plane - drawers of matching width, hairline gaps, no frames or beading. Third, the case is lifted, either on a recessed plinth that puts a shadow under the wood or on legs set well in from the ends, so a long, heavy cabinet looks like it is hovering rather than sitting.
What you gain is practical, not just visual. Without handles there is nothing at shin height to catch a foot or a vacuum cable, and nothing to work loose over the years. A recessed plinth is easier to clean around than four legs. And with no carving or moulding to break up the surface, the grain is the only thing on show - which is exactly why this style only works in real timber. These run 55" to 79" wide and 16" deep at 20" to 24" high, with one model running out to 86" and 92"; match the width to the screen and go lower if the television is wall-mounted.
| TV stand | Front | How it opens | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Drawer Band | Four wide drawers, one continuous band | Recessed groove along the top | Rounded supports inset from the ends |
| Shelf Over Drawers | Open shelf above three flat drawers | No carving, no applied detail | Floor-standing case |
| Architectural Linear | Wide drawer each end, stepped-back centre | Flush fronts | Dark recessed plinth |
| Block Form | A drawer at either end, open bay between | Flush fronts | Dark set-back plinth |
| Folded Slab | Storage pushed back into a deep recess | Recessed opening | End panels folding to the floor |
| Open Shelving | Four open compartments, one closed end | Sliding cabinet door | Plinth, corners rounded |
| Bay and Drawer | One open bay, one drawer | Round dish carved into the face | Four sculpted legs curving outward |
| Sculptural Leg | Three plain drawers | Plain fronts, grain the only decoration | Two pierced curved legs |
All eight are handcrafted from natural solid wood in Oak, Walnut, Brown and Black tones, 20" to 24" high. Seven come in 55", 63", 71" and 79" widths at 16" deep; the sculptural-leg model adds 86" and 92" widths.
Solid Wood TV Stand – Wabi Sabi Media Console with Deep Natural Grain
The entire front is given over to four wide drawers set one beside the other, with no applied hardware anywhere: a recessed groove runs along the top of the drawer band and serves as the grip. Chunky rounded supports sit inset from each end, so the case appears to rest on softened stone. Four widths, 55" to 79", 20" to 22" high.
One continuous groove instead of eight handles is the cleanest solution here, and the most practical - nothing protrudes into a room where people walk past with drinks. Four matching drawers also make it the easiest of the eight to organise.
Handcrafted Solid Wood TV Stand with Full-Length Open Shelf and Hidden Drawer Storage
A long, plain console with an open shelf running the whole width beneath the top and three flat drawers filling the space below it. There is no carving and no applied detail: the figure in the timber is left to do all of the work. 55" to 79" wide at 22" to 24" high.
The full-width shelf is where the players and the router live, ventilated and reachable, while the three drawers below take everything that would otherwise sit on top. The plainest front of the eight.
Solid Wood TV Stand – Modern Architectural Linear Design
Reads as one continuous horizontal line rather than a row of separate boxes: a wide drawer anchors each end, and the centre steps back into an open recess with two shorter drawers tucked beneath it. A dark recessed plinth runs the length, so the wood appears to hover slightly above the floor. Four widths to 79".
Stepping the centre back is what stops a 79" cabinet from reading as a wall - the shadow in the middle breaks the mass without breaking the line. The recessed bay suits a soundbar exactly.
Solid Wood TV Stand – Modern Architectural Block Design
A substantial block-form console built as one thick mass with a drawer at either end and an open bay held between them. A dark plinth is set back under the case so the heavy body appears lifted off the floor rather than planted on it, and the figure across the top and drawer fronts carries the whole design. 55" to 79" wide.
This is the most solid-looking piece here, and the plinth is the reason it works - without that shadow line a block this heavy would look like it had been dropped in place.
Handcrafted Solid Wood TV Stand with Thick Top and Curved Side Legs
Built so that the thick top and the two end panels read as one continuous piece of timber folding down to the floor. The front edge of the slab is left in its natural line, and the storage is pushed back beneath it into a deep recess. Four widths, 55" to 79", 22" to 24" high.
Pushing the storage back under the slab means the outline stays a simple fold from any angle - the console you want if the room is seen from the side as often as the front.
TV Stand with Open Storage and Sliding Cabinet Door in Natural Solid Wood
Most of the front is open shelving and only one end is closed. The open section is divided into two columns and two levels, making four compartments sized for books and equipment, with a plinth beneath and every outer corner rounded into a soft radius. 55" to 79" wide at 22" to 24" high.
A sliding door rather than a hinged one matters in a tight room: nothing swings out into the walkway when you open it. Four open compartments keep everything that needs airflow in the open.
Solid Wood TV Stand – Wabi Sabi Media Console with Warm Natural Grain
Splits its front simply in two: an open bay on one side, a single drawer on the other. The drawer is opened by a round dish carved into its face, the only detail on an otherwise plain front, and four sculpted legs curve outward to give the case an easy, lifted stance. Four widths, 55" to 79".
The dish grip is the neatest of the handle-free solutions - you can see where to put your hand without anything projecting. The most open and the lightest-looking of the eight.
TV Stand with Sculptural Curved Legs in Natural Solid Wood for Living
Three drawer fronts left completely plain, so the grain running across them is the only decoration, carried on two sculptural legs pierced by a teardrop opening and joined by a shallow arch. All the drama sits below the case rather than on it. Six widths from 55" to 92", 20" to 22" high.
The widest option here by a long way - at 86" or 92" it holds a full media wall on its own. Putting the shaped work in the legs keeps the front as plain as any console in this list while the piece still has something to look at.
🌿 Why Natural Solid Wood?
A contemporary front has nowhere to hide. Take away the handles, the frames and the mouldings and what is left is a large flat plane of timber with hairline gaps in it - so the grain has to be worth looking at, and the drawer fronts have to stay aligned, because a gap that opens up by a millimetre is visible across the room. These are handcrafted from natural solid wood with boards matched for figure, which is the only way the plainest version of this style holds up.
Flush fronts are also the hardest thing to build in veneered board. The edges are the weak point: every opening is a place where the printed face stops and the core shows, and a recessed groove grip means a hand runs along that exact edge several times a day. In solid timber the groove is cut into the same material as the face, it wears to a sheen rather than chipping, and a scratch anywhere on the console is the same colour all the way through. Years later the top can be sanded and re-oiled instead of replaced.
Judge a contemporary media console by three things: how it opens, whether the front reads as one plane, and what happens where it meets the floor. A recessed groove or a carved dish beats any handle, matching drawer widths beat a mixed front, and a set-back plinth beats four legs for both looks and cleaning. Then match the width to the screen, and pick a lower case at 20" to 22" if the television is wall-mounted. Every console here comes in Oak, Walnut, Brown and Black tones. Browse the full TV stand collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between modern and contemporary furniture?
Modern usually refers to a specific mid-century period; contemporary means what is being made now. In practice, contemporary consoles share handle-free fronts, flush surfaces and a lifted base.
How do handle-free drawers open?
Three ways here: a recessed groove running along the top of the drawer band, a round dish carved into the drawer face, or a recessed opening under the top. Nothing projects from the front.
Is a plinth better than legs?
For this style, usually. A set-back plinth puts a shadow under the case so it looks lifted, and there is one straight line to clean along instead of four legs to work around.
What height should a contemporary TV stand be?
Twenty to twenty-four inches, which is what all eight of these are. That suits a wall-mounted screen and keeps the top of the console below the picture.
Which of these suits a soundbar and a games console?
The architectural linear model has a stepped-back centre recess, and the open-shelving model has four ventilated compartments. Both keep equipment in the open where it can breathe.
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