All posts by Salamander Designs

AV Cabinets, Elevating The Furniture Experience, Furniture, Theater & Media Seating

Elevating The Furniture Experience – Media Cabinets & Entertainment Seating

April 14, 2015 Salamander Designs 2 Comments

Elevating Style

The Chameleon Collection of AV cabinets offers an evocative selection of sophisticated designs and decorator styles – including deep textured options – to enhance any decor. These customizable media consoles confidently express the fusion of art and technology. View the entire collection.

Download or request a printed brochure of any Salamander products. Find the nearest dealer showroom here.

Elevating Choice

Synergy System takes the concept of customization to the highest level. This fully modular system allows you to define an attractive, highly personalized piece of furniture that can handle any combination of electronic gear and technology. See all Synergy cabinets and design your own solution with our DYO Synergy Configurator.

Elevating Comfort

Entertainment seating is a critical element for any media room. Each of our custom home theater chairs is constructed with the highest degree of strength, style and support. Superior ergonomic engineering and luxurious covering options ensure optimal comfort throughout the longest double feature. See all premium seating collections and try our Custom Seating Configurator.

Elevating Performance

Our professional grade products are engineered to enhance the AV experience, and designed to integrate seamlessly with the latest technology. Custom seating offers fully-adjustable, quiet, wall-away motorized reclining mechanisms. At the heart of each custom cabinet is a unique aluminum chassis that provides a strong and flexible furniture platform. From active cooling to IR repeaters, cable management to multi-media storage and much more, you’ll love the way our furniture performs. See the wide variety of accessories we offer.

Elevating Value

Introducing AV Basics by Salamander. This stylish, high-quality line of media cabinets and chairs provides an alternative price point to our premium, highly customizable furniture. Thoughtfully designed and packed with performance-enhancing features, AV Basics arrives at your door fully assembled. View the entire line of consoles and home theater seating.

Questions? Contact us … and our customer experience staff will be happy to help you.

AV Cabinets, Special Offers

Special Savings On AV Basics Cabinets

April 8, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

For a limited time, consumers can enjoy a 20% discount on AV cabinets in Salamander’s AV Basics Collection, with four new models now available (see press release), and seven total to choose from. These stylish, high quality cabinets, along with AV Basics Seating, offer a lower price point to compliment our premium, highly customizable media cabinets and chair collections.

The four newest models include one contemporary, two transitional and one traditional style. Solidly built with premium hardware, these cabinets are designed with remote-friendly glass doors, allowing IR pass-thru for remote control of electronics. Built-in ventilation louvers keep your gear cool while removable rear panels and cable raceways offer simplified cable management and concealment. Every AV Basics cabinet is fully assembled and quick-ships within days.

Elevating the Furniture Experience

“When we launched AV Basics by Salamander we wanted to offer a new class of cabinets and seating products to reach new customers,” said Sal Carrabba, President of Salamander Designs. “Our company is best known for highly customizable, built-to-order furniture made in Hartford, CT. However, we understand that for many consumers, customization is not the highest priority. They’re looking for high-quality, stylish audio/video furniture at a competitive price point. The AV Basics range provides just that, offering simplified, thoughtfully designed products – in stock and ready to ship. Our customers and dealers need look no further than Salamander for a complete range of furniture solutions to meet every need and budget.”

Limited Time Offer

20% retail discount runs from April 1, 2015 until Jun 30, 2015, or while supplies last. For complete details, including downloadable brochure, visit our our AV Basics Cabinet page. And to locate the nearest Salamander dealer, check out our Where To Buy page. Questions? Our customer experience team is ready to help! You can use the comment section in this blog post, or pop over to the Contact Us page for online and phone options.

Audiophiles, By The Numbers

Salamander By the Numbers: 80 Durometer

March 31, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

The neoprene gaskets we use in our Archetype audio and amplifier stands are 80 durometer hardness. Neoprene, a man-made rubber, is available in soft to firm hardness. We tested several varieties to find the perfect balance of structural strength and vibration damping, because we’re as obsessed with audio as the most ardent audiophiles are. And that obsession drives us to design and build the best AV furniture available…stylish furniture engineered to enhance the performance of your electronics.

Audiophiles will love Archetype, an innovative, infinitely adjustable modular shelving system that’s available in three attractive hardwoods (Cherry, Maple, Walnut) or Matte Black Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) panel.

Enhances sonic performance by isolating A/V components from vibration
Flexibility of infinite vertical adjustment
Open architecture means superior component venting and simple cable management
Modular, stackable concept allows easy adjustment and retrofitting as needs change
Accessories provide additional storage options and functionality

Built in the USA, quick-ships from our Connecticut factory with a lifetime warranty. Learn more about Archetype here. Locate a Salamander dealer near you here.

AV Cabinets, Product Spotlights

Product Spotlight: Chameleon Denver AV Cabinet

March 25, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

This spotlight is on a textured beauty – the rustic contemporary styled Salamander Denver AV cabinet, with deeply embossed, horizontal grains that evoke images of wheat stalks. Denver, one of 11 styles available in our Chameleon Collection, is offered with medium walnut or natural oak doors, complimented by a chocolate brown glass top, matching smooth side panels and espresso low-profile wood feet.

Denver, like its Chameleon siblings, is all about style. Whether you’re looking for a speaker integrated, corner, wall hanging or pro audio AV cabinet, there are up to 20 configurations to choose from so you have the perfect furniture solution to fit your exact space, needs and taste.

Engineered to Perform

In addition to great looks, Denver has a lot under the hood, including the C-frame, a unique, high grade aluminum chassis designed to provide a stong, flexible furniture platform. This internal structure permits a wide variety of bolt-on options and accessories. Features also include:

Premium hardware
Quality hardwoods
Infinitely adjustable interior shelves
Built-in ventilation louvers keep equipment cool
Soft-close door dampers
Removable rear panel allows easy access to components

Denver is highly customizable, with these accessory options:

Integrated speakers
Accent lighting
Active cooling
Extended rears
Footing & wall mounting kits
Interior storage
Pro audio rack rails
shelves
TV mounts
IR repeater system
Power conditioner kits

To learn more about the Salamander Denver AV cabinet, or any of its Chameleon relatives, go here. To find a Salamander dealer near you, visit our Where To Buy page. And if you have any questions or comments about Denver or any of our highly customizable, premium AV furniture solutions, leave a note here, connect with us via Facebook and Twitter, or visit our contact page for fast, friendly assistance from our customer service team.

Salamander Designs is a designer and manufacturer of premium, highlly customizable AV Furniture and Home Theater Seating. For commercial AV furniture solutions, visit SalamanderCommercial.com.

Audiophiles, Customer Experience, Salamander Difference

Customer Experience Spotlight: Synergy 703 Audio Tower

March 16, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

We love getting feedback from our customers! It’s one of the keys to our innovation process, since the more we learn what people like and dislike about our products, the more we can develop new audio visual furniture products that meet the needs of AV enthusiasts. And the more we learn about the end-to-end customer experience, the more we can look for ways to improve that experience.

With that backdrop we wanted to pass along this kind note Sal recently received from a customer named Duane, who wanted to share his experience after purchasing and assembling a Synergy 703 Audio Tower. We trust that Duane is sitting comfortably in his man cave right now, enjoying good music, good wine, and a happy retirement!

Salvatore,
When my wife and left our California home after many decades to move to a retirement community in Scottsdale, AZ, I brought with me my old stereo equipment: turntable, cassette player, CD player, tuner, and JBL Studio Monitor speakers. My wife outfitted my ‘man cave’ with good Ethan Allen furniture so I started a search for a cabinet for my equipment, but most of the things I saw were cheap or glass/chrome, etc., and not up to the other furnishings. Someone tipped me off that if I wanted top of the line I should check out Salamander Designs, which I did. I found your local dealer, Dedicated Audio, LLC here in Scottsdale and called them. A most friendly and competent salesman, Matt Wyatt, took my call and order over the phone. To save shipping expense he thought I’d like to assemble the cabinet. Normally I’d decline but the money made the decision for me.

I charged the $1,835 and waited only a couple of weeks before the two boxes arrived, weighing 200+ pounds. I’m ‘retired’ and decided that Matt’s comments of “a couple of hours to assemble” might apply to a more handy, younger man than I … and what the hell, I’m supposed to be retired so I decided to take my time. I did just that! Think two weeks.

I was impressed with the quality of the materials and the excellent and clear assembly instructions. I got to the last step and realized I didn’t have the top four bolts to secure the top piece. I called your factory rather than the dealer and talked to Joe. He couldn’t have been nicer and somehow we established that we both had a Syracuse, NY connection. Central New York folks take care of each other! Anyway, Joe said that he’d send the missing bolts via 2nd Day Air. Would you call that SERVICE? Got them and finished the job, and here’s the proof:

I normally wouldn’t take the time to write such a wordy note, but I was impressed with your “Dear Valued Customer” card that came with the bolts. I spent my working life in sales/marketing so I respect good operations when I experience them. You have an excellent distributor in Dedicated Audio and you sound like a helluva executive of a quality company.

If you ever get out to Great Scottsdale, give me a call and come by and listen to my stereo while I pour you a glass of wine and thank you and your company in person.
Ciao,
~ Duane W.

——————-

Read other Salamander stories that have been shared here, and share your own. Haven’t experienced the Salamander Difference yet? Visit a local Salamander dealer and start writing your story today …

Some details on the Synergy 703 Audio Tower:

Snap-on hinges fully extend doors, remove easily for better in-cabinet access
Doors have soft-close dampeners
Solid wood door frames with perforated steel panels permit IR signals, add ventilation, mask speakers
Infinitely adjustable shelves
Anodized aluminum support skeleton
Removable rear panels permit easy access to components and wiring
Heavy-duty, non-marking, leveling feet
Various accessories allow for great design flexiblity
Lifetime warranty

Company Happenings

Blizzard Closure

January 26, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

With the impending arrival of what’s being termed an “historic” Northeast/New England blizzard, the Bloomfield, CT office and manufacturing facilities of Salamander Designs will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday January 27th. We hope to be fully operational Wednesday, January 28th, Mother Nature permitting, and will provide updates as we dig ourselves out.

Safe travels and best snowbound wishes to all affected by this storm!

AV Dealers

D-tools MVP Partnership Renewed

January 6, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

We’re pleased to share that we recently renewed our participation in the D-tools Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) program for another year. This partnership will benefit AV integrators who utilize D-Tools System Integrator for detailed product specifications and related information in their system design, proposal and estimation activities. In addition, Salamander dealers using D-Tools can be better equipped to accurately define our complete collection of premium AV furniture offerings by providing access to an expansive and easily utilized product library.

“Salamander Designs residential and commercial product lines give our System Integrator software users outstanding AV furniture to use in specifying and designing their projects,” said Adam Stone, President and CEO of D-Tools, via their blog. “We are delighted to have them continue their participation as a valued MVP partner and look forward to their continued membership in the years to come.”

With more than 4,500 users, the D-Tools MVP program provides systems designers, specifiers, integrators and installers up-to-date and detailed partner product information in a format that can be utilized in a cross-functional capacity for maximum workflow efficiency. Additionally, the program affords manufacturer partners, ourselves included, key insights and a direct connection with the D-Tools user database. This helps build customer loyalty by ensuring that existing dealers have the important information they need to recommend, specify and install our products. Our participation should also send a clear signal to Salamander dealers that we are committed to the absoulte best in customer support.

About D-Tools, Inc.

D-Tools, founded in 1998 and based in Concord, CA, is a worldwide leader in accessible, highly accurate system design and documentation software platform. The company’s flagship product, System Integrator™ (SI), is a robust solution that utilizes Autodesk® AutoCAD and Microsoft® Visio to facilitate comprehensive system design, documentation and project management. D-Tools enables residential and commercial integrators to streamline business processes and increase revenues while reducing the time and cost associated with the installation and integration of low-voltage electronic systems. More than 4,500 leading companies currently use the award-winning D-Tools platform to reduce time, costs and to streamline the system integration process. Learn more at www.D-Tools.com.

Salamander Difference

Four Reasons to Choose Our AV Furniture

December 23, 2014 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

If you’re an AV integrator or enthusiast, there are a number of furniture brands to choose from. But if you’re seeking the absolute finest furniture products to complete and enhance your audio/video system experience, Salamander Designs is the clear choice.

You could call it an obsession. At Salamander, we are relentlessly focused on the needs of our customers, and producing products that are uniquely shaped by their needs. Creating functional furniture that seamlessly integrates lifestyles with today’s technology is our mission. We consider our design philosophy to be the perfect fusion of visual design, functional engineering and solid craftsmanship. With that in mind, here are four reasons to choose our AV furniture:

Design Your Own (DYO) – Each AV enthusiast has a unique space and personal vision. Our extensive variety of styles, materials, sizes, finishes and performance options empower you to choose a design solution that fits your system and room perfectly. Design your own from the ground up, or choose from pre-designed furniture solutions. An innovative digital “DYO” process, including our award-winning Custom Configurator, assist in selecting the style, configuration and functional features that align perfectly with your desired use. And if you need customization assistance, we can help design a perfect solution.
Built To Last – We’re in a class by ourselves when it comes to building furniture, and that confidence is backed by a lifetime product guarantee. Only the finest materials, craftmanship and advanced construction methods are used to produce premium AV entertainment furniture and accessories. Careful attention is paid to each component to achieve a balance of function, durability, comfort and style. We’re obsessed with the structural integrity and flexibility of our systems. It all begins with a unique, precision-engineered aluminum chassis. With material selection, we prefer what we call “honest” materials – real and natural – for their inherent strength and beauty. And all of our finished, customized AV cabinets and seating are hand-made and built-to-order in the USA.
Engineered To Perform – Many of our customers express a “love at first sight” experience with Salamander furniture. But it goes far beyond visual appeal. Our professional grade products are designed to perform and integrate seamlessly with the latest, most advanced technology. From performance enhancing, custom AV cabinets to luxurious home theater seating, our products are engineered to perform. To comprehend the full breadth of the Salamander brand, take an inside tour of any of our products. That’s where we integrate many of our performance-enhancing features, like vibration dampening, active cooling, pull-out turntables, media storage, charging stations, cable management and more.
Superior Service – We’re committed to meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of our customers. Salamander’s professional, customer-focused team is here to help you each and every step of the process, from initial ordering to the lifetime care of the products you choose. We realize your time is valuable, and our lean manufacturing system ensures timely delivery. With our Quick Ship program, most AV furniture cabinets and seating will ship from our facility within just a few days of order, so the time between falling in love with our furniture to enjoying it in person is as minimal as possible.

Salamander Designs is a leading manufacturer of premium quality, highly customizable furniture for residential and commercial audio/video integration. Our premium, custom AV furniture lines include the Chameleon Collection, Archetype System, Synergy System and theater/lounge seating solutions. We also make a wide variety of accessory products that enhance and complement our furniture. Most products are built to order in the USA and quick ship within days. Our AV Basics line offers a pre-configured, quality selection of value-packed cabinets and seating producs. Contact us online or call (888) 650-5289. International callers, dial (860) 761-9500.