The Picture House plasma and LCD television screen cabinet (online from www.picturehousecabinets.com, prices to order) is a custom-made, motor-powered piece of furniture that hides your giant plasma TV screen until you want to watch it.

How will it change my life?

Big-screen television sets are all very well, but tend to dominate a room. These slimline cabinets render screens invisible when not in use. Push a button and the television rises straight up, ready for viewing, giving you a fiendish satisfaction normally experienced only by James Bond baddies.

Why this one over the rest?

As far as we know, this is a unique product, and since each one is hand-built, it can be made to any design you like, in wood or metal.

Or you could always . . .

Settle for being a show-off, and keep your out-sized status symbol in plain sight.

Verdict

A simple idea, effectively realised, the Picture House cabinet is the gadget for the gadget freak who has everything and wants to hide it from everybody. At around the same price as a plasma screen (depending on materials chosen) it’s not cheap, but it is an elegant solution to a home-furnishing problem that is surely keeping someone, somewhere, awake at night.

Ease of use

Cost

Nigel Kendall