Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)When was the last time you bought something, and found it to be much better than you would have expected? Here's your chance. The Bell'o WAVS-341 is a beautifully constructed example of function, style and craftsmanship of a quality that is hard to find at any price. I recommend this unit and the Bell'o brand wholeheartedly, and suggest that anyone who has been disappointed at the quality or aesthetics of the typical box-store television stand give Bell'o a good look. Add to this the fact that you can easily pay more for an unattractive, disposable-quality stand, and this piece is an amazing value.
We picked the Bell'o WAVS-341 television stand after an exhaustive online and brick-and-mortar search for a well-made, solid cabinet with clean lines and a bit of style. After perusing cheap particle board junk at a well-known Swedish furniture outlet we normally like and $1,800 particle board junk in the local department store, and finding nothing that even seemed functional, we found the Bell'o line on the Internet and were immediately impressed.
We liked the solid wood construction and the mid-century modern look of the bent wood frame and legs of the WAVS-341, and found the lowest price by about $100 here on Amazon. We ordered it, and it has exceeded our highest expectations.
The unit came packed beautifully in a large *heavy* box and arrived in perfect condition. As mentioned,it's a big heavy thing (something like 180 lbs.) that FedEx brought to my door using a pallet and pallet jack, so expect to need some help getting inside, or open the box where it is and carry the individual pieces inside.
Assembly took some time and some care, and really requires two people due to some complexity in aligning everything when assembling the bent wood pieces. I managed it on my own, but was lucky not to bung up the finish. However, all of the necessary hardware was included and impeccably labeled, and the directions were crystal clear and easy to follow. Once completed, the table felt like the most solid piece of furniture you could wish for. Everything aligns precisely and locks firmly into place. The only tools I needed were a screwdriver and the Allen wrench included in the package. I used a palm-sized electric screwdriver that also has Allen screw bits that sped things up considerably.
In putting the unit together, you notice first-rate details, like the rotating cams that lock the back panel firmly into place. Even the little monogramed "Bell'o" medallion that is normally out of sight is beautiful and clearly well-made. The cord organization system is simple, consisting of slots in the back panel and two flexible cable keepers that attach to the back of the unit, but it works well and keeps things neat. Bear in mind that this unit is close to the ground, so despite its excellent design, you will have stoop a bit to get all your cords and wires sorted out.
Our 52" LCD television weighs 67 pounds, and does not cause the slightest visible flex in the top shelf of the unit, which I believe is rated at 120 pounds. It looks absolutely great, its rich veneered wood gleaming sleekly but unostentatiously beneath the television. The tv and the new stand looked so good that we felt the need to paint and decorate the living room a little better just to keep up.
As for the price, once you start looking, you realize that 1) you almost can't find anything this beautiful and well-made in a store to start with, and 2) if you can, it's likely to cost much more. I recently saw something similar, but unquestionably less beautiful, in a Scandanavian / modern type furniture store for almost twice the price. Department stores are worse, and will happily charge you two thousand dollars for anonymously styled particle board.
I don't write a lot of reviews on items I buy from Amazon -- and I don't generally gush like this over consumer purchases. But in this case, I was amazed at how difficult it was to find a decent, functional, well-made example of a product that most Americans need, and for that matter, it's difficult to find ANY furniture that is built right out of quality materials, looks good, functions well, and doesn't cost several thousand dollars.
Bell'o not only covers that in spades, but has that even more hard-to-find quality -- the feeling that someone actually designed and built this item with pride, and with a determination to do a good job. And with *artistry*. Style. Taste. Craftsmanship. These words don't apply to many things the average person can buy anymore. I wish these guys made regular household furniture, because I'd buy a houseful of it. I'd like to shake the hand of the man or woman who designed and built this thing, and then agreed to sell it for such a reasonable price. In lieu of that, I offer my humble five-star review of the "Bell'o WAVS-341."
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Bell'O WAVS-341 Bent Wood Audio Video Cabinet (Espresso Finish)
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