Bespoke Built-In TV Units

Building a television unit into the wall is a different exercise from choosing a freestanding cabinet. The joinery has to be scribed to the actual dimensions of the alcove, chimney breast or opening it occupies, so no two are quite the same width, depth or height once plaster, skirting and coving are accounted for. We take those measurements at survey stage rather than working from a generic template.

The appeal of a built-in approach is the finish it leaves behind. Rather than a cabinet standing proud of the wall with gaps at either side, the unit is scribed to meet the plaster, skirting and any coving so it reads as though the room was designed around it. That takes more care at the drawing stage, and more precision in the workshop, but it is what gives a built-in unit its settled, permanent appearance.

Television size and mounting method are decided early, since they affect the opening's proportions and how much depth is needed behind the screen for cabling and ventilation. We plan an aperture that suits your screen with enough tolerance either side, rather than sizing the opening to the exact bezel and leaving no room for a different television in future.

Either side of the screen, most built-in units include a run of storage or shelving that continues the same datum lines as the aperture, so the whole wall reads as one composition rather than a television with cupboards added afterwards. Door and drawer fronts are usually detailed to sit flush with the surrounding case, keeping the wall's surface as calm as possible.

Cable routes are built into the carcass from the outset, running from the socket position behind or beside the television down to equipment storage, so nothing is left trailing across the finished wall. Where a socket needs relocating to sit behind the screen, that is arranged with a qualified electrician ahead of installation.

We also think about how the unit meets the ceiling and floor. Some built-in designs run floor to ceiling for a genuinely architectural result; others sit as a lower run with a plain wall above the television. Both are legitimate approaches, and the right one depends on ceiling height, room proportions and how much storage the household actually needs.

Finish is chosen to either match existing joinery in the room — skirting, door casings, other fitted furniture — or to introduce a deliberate contrast, depending on what the room already has. Because the unit is built rather than bought, we can carry a paint colour or veneer straight through from other cabinetry in the house.

The result is a unit that looks as though it was part of the original build, not an addition. That permanence is the main reason households choose a built-in approach over a freestanding or floating alternative.

Part of our media walls collection