TV & media furniture

A TV unit has an incredible power to make or break a living room design. It can be a trim detail that ties your room together in a neat look. Or it can be statement piece, unashamed of its size and scale. Either way, it will provide a fine pedestal for your television. Or at least be an elegant home for your screen, blinking wi-fi router or your collection of game consoles.

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a TV unit for your home. If you know just what you need, some of our units can be combined to create a tailor-made solution that suits you and your appliances best.

How to choose your TV unit height

When deciding which TV unit to get, a key consideration is which height you need. And what height you need is dependent on the size of the TV. And this is, of course, is dependent on the height of, and distance to your seat.

Here’s a quick guide on how to think about TV and TV unit size, and how to measure your home.

How to find the right size TV

You can’t choose the right TV unit without first considering your TV size and your seating arrangement. For the best possible viewing experience, you want to have your screen further away the larger the screen (and vice versa). And this will be true whether you’re trying to optimise your home cinema installation or just want a nice piece to support a smaller screen.

To figure out what size TV you need (or where to place your seat) do the following:

1. Measure the distance (in inches) between your seat and the place where you want your TV
2. Divide the number by 1.6
3. Round off the resulting number to the nearest screen size

For example, if you sit 2.5 metres from TV, that equates to 98 inches. Divide 98” by 1.6 and you get 61.25. The recommended screen size of your new TV would therefore be 60". Or, if you already have a 32-inch screen, you should probably move your sofa about 40 inches closer. 

How high up should you place your TV?

The middle of the TV should ideally be aligned with your eye line. Because, if you place the TV too high or too, you’ll strain your neck tilting your head to compensate. When sitting in your regular watching position, you should be able to keep your neck neutral while watching.

Because we all come in so many wondrous heights, shapes and sizes, the ideal height is going to vary a bit for all of us. But a good way to approximate your eye-level when in your preferred watching position and try aligning the middle of the TV accordingly.

Once you know this, the height and size of your perfect TV unit should be a lot easier to choose. Maybe you find a unit that’s the size and height for placing your TV on top. Or maybe you discover that you should to wall-mount your screen, which allows you to get a smaller and more discrete TV unit just for storing your appliances.

TV units that go above and beyond

Now that you know how much space you have to work with, we get to the fun part – designing the space! So, how do you visualise your perfect TV set up? Do you see a large, solid piece of furniture that supports a large TV? Or do you picture a light, floating, wall-mounted unit?

Floor-based TV units

When it comes to floor-based TV units, we offer plenty of styles and designs to choose from. A piece with visible legs can be a nice addition to your decor if you match colours and materials to other details in your room. A piece without legs can give a more solid, unified touch to your room, as the legs won’t disturb the view. Both types of units offer storage solutions and can handle the weight if you have a larger TV.

Wall units

A TV wall unit creates a clean and minimalistic look It's also easier to vacuum under, just a quick sweep and you're done. But here you have to consider what kind of wall you’re planning to mount it on, as the wall itself must handle the weight of the cabinet. Especially if you’re planning on putting the TV on top of it. If you’re worried about this, we’d recommend you mount your TV to the wall with a wall bracket, and use the TV wall unit simply for storage or style. 

Combined solutions

If you’re in dire need of storage, why not go with cabinets above and below your TV for maximum capacity? There’ll be enough room for your home cinema system and digital boxes, and you can add your personal touch with home accessories and decorations.

A combined solution like this can also help frame your TV if you have a larger model. It can create an elegant wall installation, that’s just as eye-catching with the screen turned off.

Open or closed TV cabinets?

Some of our TV units have open shelves, while others hide the storage behind cabinet doors. Depending on what you want to display, you can go for one or the other. If you’ve got your wires and cables built into the wall, then open shelves can be a cool option. That way, you can showcase your beautiful interior details. Open shelves are also a good idea if you play video games, as the game console might need space for ventilation to not get overheated.

If your wires and cables are visible, a unit with doors might be a good idea. That way, you can just hide them and pretend they don’t exist. It’ll also give you the option to hide your digital boxes and such if you don’t fancy showing them off. Just remember, not all units can handle the signal from a remote control if the cabinet door is in the way. And you’ll have to open the door when you’re playing video games. Otherwise, you’ll soon start to wonder who turned up the heat without telling you...