Photos by Marc LaBossiere
The existing entertainment wall of shelving is breached to accommodate a big-screen TV.
With the shelving populated and the 65-inch TV installed, no one will have to squint to see the Jets’ playoff glory.
The possibility the interviewer could become the interviewee made this project much more enticing.
Gordo Fryfogle and his wife Cathy needed an upgrade to their entertainment wall of shelving, to accommodate a large new flat-screen TV they had not yet purchased — but so desired. After a couple of on-site meetings, the design had been refined enough to allow the work to commence.
Throughout the process, I kept a secret — I knew this would be a fun way to reverse the scenario with long-time friend and veteran on-air radio personality Gordo Fry — having been interviewed countless times on 92 CITI-FM, and on Gordo’s show The Buzz regarding my music and album releases in the ’90s, this was my chance to finally flip it around on him.
The entertainment wall of shelving consists of several short vertical walls that protrude from the back wall at a perpendicular. The outer edges of these butt walls are adorned with light maple trim and rosettes, in keeping with the trim throughout the rest of the house. Within the cavities between each of these butt walls, light maple shelves at equal spacing create horizontal lines, which in turn tie in the built-in drawers and cupboards on the lower portion of each cavity. The widest spacing between any two butt walls was nowhere near wide enough to accommodate a big TV. As such, the plan would entail a breach of some sort to make way for a new TV, all the while attempting to maintain consistency with the existing trim when completed.
When asked what prompted this modification, Gordo replied, "I always wanted to buy a big-screen TV for the family room. But when I first bought the house 17 years ago, the built-in bookshelf only had room for a 40-inch television. I thought that after a few years, when the TV eventually broke down and had to be replaced, I would have someone redesign the bookcase to make room for a jumbo screen. However, the 40-inch Toshiba I had originally bought never broke down (a testament to the way televisions were once built), which made it a very long and unexpected wait. This year, I wanted to make sure I would be able watch the Jets playoffs run without squinting."
After carefully measuring and calculating the size potential, it was determined that a 65-inch flat screen would fit nicely between the first and third of three of the short vertical walls, if the middle wall were to be cut away.
Gordo elaborates: "I knew that I wanted to put in a 65-inch or 70-inch television, and had a rough idea on where it should go within the built-in bookcase, but didn’t really have a plan other than to hire someone that knew what they were doing — someone who could design something for me that would work with what I had in mind. After reading several Reno Boss articles in the Winnipeg Free Press, I decided to call my buddy Marc and get his opinion on the project (and if nothing else, reminisce about old ‘LaBossiere’ performances, and all the times I had Marc on air when I was working at 92 CITI-FM and hosting such shows as The Buzz and Friday Night Live at Night Moves Cabaret). The design Marc came up with was brilliant — I’m so glad I called him!"
The design consists of a rectangular framework, which protrudes two inches out from the inside edges of the first and third short walls of the entertainment shelving being affected, while passing horizontally above and below the middle wall respectively, which is cut out precisely to accommodate the introduction of the required framework for the new TV box. To minimize any obtrusiveness the edge of the new box could present, the framework was constructed with two-by-fours laid flat, allowing the narrow inch-and-a-half edge of the lumber to form the outer edge of the TV box. Always compensating for the eventual installation of half-inch drywall, the framework was affixed into position to the existing butt walls on either side, and to the back wall. And once the framework was fastened, the drywall was then secured to all sides of the exposed framing, which resulted in a two-and-a-half-inch perimeter edge for the TV box.
The mudding, taping and corner bead process took a few days, due to the dry times required between each of the four or five coats that were applied. Luckily, Mr. Biscuit (the family dog) kept me very occupied between coats — that boy loves his ball! On the final day, the cavity was painted with matching SICO paint and primer in one, and the trim was re-applied to the outer edge of the middle wall. Shelving (no longer being used) was recycled by securing shelves within each cavity at the top of the TV box, and the bottom of the box to perpetuate the horizontal lines of the light oak, found throughout. Once access holes were drilled at the back of the TV box cavity, Gordo and I prepped the electronic components for the installation of the 65-inch flat screen within the new TV box cavity.
"It turned out better than I imagined. Everyone who has seen it has commented on how great Marc’s work is. Cathy and I just love it! It looks like the TV was there from the time the bookshelf was first built, and not like we just chain-sawed a hole in the middle of the bookshelf to make a bigger television fit. We’re extremely happy with Marc’s workmanship and professionalism. Now, if (when) the Winnipeg Jets go further into the Stanley Cup playoffs, we can maximize our enjoyment," Gordo gleefully explains.
Recently my girlfriend, Carole, and I went back to snap a few more photos of my TV box creation — Gordo mentioned that with the shelves fully populated, it really looks finished, like it’s always been that way. Carole and I spent just under an hour waiting for the harshness of sunbeams created by the family room sky-lights to move away from the entertainment wall. Truth be told, I was also hunting for highlights of Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild to be on the screen as I snapped my pics, which also gave us a chance to play with Mr. Biscuit — the poor little guy was so tuckered out from all the excitement, he was fast asleep when we left.
And no squinting was required while staring at that new 65-inch screen — Go Jets Go!
BossEnterprise@outlook.com
