Built-in media walls: how we hide the TV without losing the room
· Inspiration · 4 min read
Media walls have replaced the awkward corner TV unit. Here's what a properly designed one actually looks like.
Five years ago, the TV sat on a corner unit and the room was organised around it. Today, half the lounges we fit have a built-in media wall: a single fitted run from skirting to ceiling that holds the TV, the soundbar, the streaming kit, the books and a couple of pieces of art.
Done badly, a media wall looks like a black box stuck on the wall. Done properly, it makes the TV almost incidental — the eye reads the joinery first.
Things we always do: recess the TV slightly so the bezel sits flush; vent the AV cupboard properly so streaming boxes don't overheat; route every cable through a hidden trunking so the room reads tidy from any angle; light the open-shelf sections with low-key warm-white LEDs on a dimmer.
Materials matter. Painted MDF reads as built-in architecture; veneered ply reads as furniture. Both are fine; pick one and commit. Our most popular spec is matt cashmere paint with brushed brass detail, but ink-blue with oak open shelves is the one that gets the most photos.