What to Think About Before You Build One
A good media wall is mostly decided before anyone cuts a board. The TV, the cables, the storage and the lighting all have to be planned together, or you end up with a nice looking wall that is a pain to live with.
I have been building fitted furniture across West Sussex and Surrey since 2010, and media walls are now one of the most common things I get asked about. This post covers what I talk through with clients at the first visit, so you know what to think about before you get in touch with me or anyone else.
What a media wall actually is
A media wall is a fitted unit built around your TV, usually running wall to wall and often floor to ceiling. Instead of a TV sitting on a stand with wires trailing down the wall, the screen sits flush in a framed panel, with cupboards, shelves and sometimes a fire built in around it.
The difference from a freestanding TV unit is that it is made for your room. It works around your chimney breast, skirting, sockets and ceiling height, and it hides everything you don’t want to see. Done properly, it looks like part of the house rather than furniture you bought.
Start with the TV, not the wall
The first thing I ask is what TV you have, or what you plan to buy in the next few years. The opening in the wall is built to suit the screen, so if you upgrade from a 55 inch to a 75 inch later, the wall might not take it. I usually leave some room around the screen so there is space to go up a size.
Height matters more than most people think. The most common mistake I see is a TV mounted too high, often above a fire, so you spend every evening looking up. For most living rooms I aim to have the middle of the screen roughly at eye level when you are sat on the sofa. I will measure your seating before I draw anything.
If you have a soundbar or speakers, we plan where they go now. A soundbar can sit on a shelf under the screen or in a recess with an open or fabric front. Surround speakers can be built into the side panels. Sorting this at the drawing stage is far easier than trying to fit it in afterwards.
Cables, heat and getting to your kit
Hiding cables is the whole point for a lot of people, so I plan cable routes from the start. That means a clear run from the back of the TV down to the cupboard where your Sky box, router or games console lives, with room to add another cable later without taking anything apart.
Electronics get warm, and a closed cupboard full of boxes will cook them. I build in ventilation, either through gaps at the back or vented panels, so the air can move. I also make sure you can still reach the back of everything. If your router needs a restart, you should be able to open a door and do it, not unscrew a panel.
Sockets and aerial points often need moving or adding. I will tell you where they need to be early on so your electrician can do the first fix before I fit.
Storage, shelving, lighting and fires
Most media walls are a mix of closed and open storage. Low cupboards along the bottom take the clutter: remotes, games, DVDs, the router. Open shelves above are for things you want to see, like books, photos and the odd plant. I find a balance of the two looks best. All open shelves can look busy, and all doors can feel heavy.
Lighting makes a big difference in the evening. LED strips set into the shelves or around the TV recess give a soft glow without glare on the screen. I route the drivers and wiring into the unit so you never see them, and they can go on a dimmer or a smart switch.
Electric fires are popular in media walls, and they work well if you plan for them. The fire needs to suit the depth of the unit, it needs ventilation, and the TV needs to sit far enough above it that you are not craning your neck. If you want a fire, tell me at the start so I can design the wall around it.
Materials and finishes
Most of my painted media walls are built from MEDITE MR, a moisture resistant MDF. I have used it for years because it is consistent sheet to sheet, machines cleanly and takes a spray finish really well. That consistency means less filling and sanding before painting, and a smoother result on the faces and edges.
Moisture resistance matters more than you might expect in a living room. Homes change with the seasons, and a cheaper board can swell or move over time, which shows up as cracked paint at the joints. MR holds its shape much better.
MEDITE recently featured one of my projects: a 5.1m wide media wall in a West Sussex living room, with lit shelving, a low cabinet with a timber top, and concealed cable management. You can read the case study on the MEDITE website.
For finishes, I spray most media walls in a colour of your choice, either to match your walls or as a contrast. Timber tops, shelves or a full hardwood frame are also an option if you want some warmth in the room.
How I work
I run the business on my own, so you deal with me from start to finish. There is no showroom, no salesperson and no subcontracted fitting team.
- Site visit. I come out, measure the room, look at your TV and seating, and talk through how you use the space.
- Design. I draw up the wall to scale so you can see the proportions, storage and where the TV sits before anything is made.
- Workshop build. Everything is made in my workshop and sprayed there, so the finish is clean and consistent.
- Installation. I fit it myself, scribe it to your walls and ceiling, and make sure every door and drawer lines up.
Thinking about a media wall?
If you are in West Sussex or Surrey and want to talk through a media wall, get in touch. Send me a photo of the room and a rough idea of what you want, and I will let you know how I can help.
