Solihull
Bespoke TV Units in Solihull
A television unit sized to your screen and equipment, built or fitted with the same care as the rest of your fitted furniture.
Media Walls for Solihull homes
A bespoke TV unit sits between a full media wall and an off-the-shelf cabinet, giving many of the benefits of built-in furniture — a considered fit, concealed cabling, coordinated storage — without necessarily covering the full width of the wall. It suits rooms where a complete media wall is more than is needed, but a generic stand from a furniture showroom would not do the room justice.
For the family living rooms we see across Solihull, a TV unit often has to double as general living room storage, holding not just AV equipment but books, games and everyday clutter. We plan the internal configuration around that mixed use, rather than assuming the unit's only job is housing a receiver and a games console.
Whether the unit is wall-mounted or built into an alcove changes its detailing considerably. A wall-mounted unit needs its fixings sized to the loaded weight of the cabinet, while a built-in version needs to be scribed to the exact opening it occupies. We discuss the practicalities of your wall and room before recommending which approach suits better.
Television size and future flexibility are considered at design stage, so the unit or aperture accommodates your current screen with reasonable tolerance for a similarly sized replacement, and cabling is routed from socket to equipment without a single visible lead once installation is complete.
Working in Solihull
Solihull's larger family living rooms often need a TV unit that works as general storage as much as somewhere for the television, particularly in households with children's games and everyday items to keep tidy. A bespoke unit lets that storage be planned properly rather than squeezed into whatever compartments a standard cabinet happens to offer.
Design considerations
- Television size and mounting method
- Screen dimensions and whether the television is wall-mounted or unit-mounted determine the opening or shelf design.
- AV equipment storage needs
- The number and size of components to be stored determines cabinet depth and ventilation provision.
- Ventilation for enclosed equipment
- Airflow is planned around any enclosed receiver or console to avoid heat building up during use.
- Cable and socket positions
- Existing power points are surveyed, with cable routes planned through the carcass rather than left visible.
- Drawer and cupboard storage for household items
- General storage needs beyond AV equipment are discussed and sized accordingly.
- Wall-mounted fixing versus built-in scribing
- The wall's construction and the room's layout determine whether a wall-mounted or built-in approach suits better.
What can be included
01
Television aperture sized with tolerance
An opening or shelf sized to your screen with allowance for a similarly proportioned future television.
02
Concealed AV equipment storage
Ventilated cabinetry for receivers, consoles and streaming devices, kept out of view but easily accessible.
03
Planned cable routes
Cabling run through the carcass from socket to screen and equipment, avoiding trailing leads.
04
General storage drawers and cupboards
Additional storage for books, games or everyday items, sized to suit the household's actual needs.
05
Wall-mounted or built-in options
A choice between a fixed wall-mounted cabinet or a unit scribed into an alcove, depending on the room.
06
Open shelving for display
Shelving for books or ornaments integrated alongside enclosed storage.
07
Integrated lighting
Shelf or plinth lighting specified at design stage, with cabling concealed within the unit.
From our work
We survey and measure at the property, then design around the room as it is actually built.
Materials & finishes
Specifications are developed with you during the design stage and sampled before anything is built. Nothing here is a fixed range; we will say so where a material is the wrong choice for the room or the way it is used.
Painted timber cabinetry
Sprayed in a colour agreed and sampled during design, forming the main body of the unit.
Oak and walnut veneers
Grain-matched veneer for the unit's front and shelving, sampled ahead of manufacture.
Fluted and reeded timber panels
Applied to door fronts or side returns for texture, sampled alongside the main finish.
Bronze and smoked glazing
Optional glazed sections for display storage, sampled for tint before specification.
Brushed brass and blackened steel hardware
Handles and trim chosen to complement the cabinetry finish, sampled ahead of the final order.
Acoustic-permeable fabric panels
Used on fronts sitting in front of a speaker or soundbar, sampled for appearance and sound transparency.
How the work is done
Following a measured survey, we agree drawings for either a wall-mounted or built-in unit, manufacture it at our Derbyshire workshop, and install it on site with our own team. Our the process page page covers each stage of the project.
Read our full process
Media Walls in Solihull — your questions answered
Design
- How is a TV unit different from a full media wall?
- A TV unit is a more contained piece of furniture, whereas a media wall typically spans the full width of the wall and can incorporate a fireplace. Our bespoke media walls in Solihull page covers that broader approach.
- Can a TV unit also store books and games?
- General storage for household items alongside AV equipment is a common request, and drawer and cupboard sizing is planned around what you actually need to store.
- Should the unit be wall-mounted or built into an alcove?
- This depends on your wall's construction and the room's layout, and we discuss the practicalities of both approaches before recommending one. Older properties are rarely perfectly symmetrical, so each side is measured and built to its own dimensions while the visible design stays consistent.
- Can the unit include open shelving as well as closed storage?
- A mix of open shelving and enclosed cupboards is common, balanced to suit what you want on display versus concealed. We keep the transformer and driver accessible for future maintenance, and colour temperature is agreed at design stage so it matches any existing lighting nearby.
Materials
- What finishes are available for a TV unit?
- Painted and veneered timber are both common, often combined with glazed or fabric-fronted sections, with every finish sampled before manufacture. We keep the transformer and driver accessible for future maintenance, and colour temperature is agreed at design stage so it matches any existing lighting nearby.
- Can fronts be fabric rather than solid timber where a soundbar sits?
- Acoustic-permeable fabric panels are available for door fronts sitting in front of a speaker or soundbar, allowing sound through while keeping equipment concealed. We keep the transformer and driver accessible for future maintenance, and colour temperature is agreed at design stage so it matches any existing lighting nearby.
- Do you offer glazed display sections?
- Bronze or smoked glazing is available for display storage, sampled for tint before the final specification is agreed. We keep the transformer and driver accessible for future maintenance, and colour temperature is agreed at design stage so it matches any existing lighting nearby.
Installation
- How is a wall-mounted unit fixed securely?
- Wall-mounted units are hung on brackets sized to the loaded weight of the cabinet, fixed into the wall structure or onto blocking installed ahead of time where needed.
- Can a built-in unit be scribed to an uneven wall?
- Scribing allowances are built into the design so the unit can be trimmed and fitted tight to the actual wall on installation day. This is one of the reasons a measured survey happens before drawings are produced, so the design already allows for whatever the wall or floor actually does.
- Do Chester Thomas visit Solihull homes to survey before manufacture?
- A measured survey is carried out in the room as standard, since accurate dimensions are essential before the unit is drawn. Nothing is manufactured until you have approved these in writing, so you always know exactly what has been agreed before work begins in the workshop.
Practical questions
- Will the unit accommodate a future, larger television?
- The aperture or shelf is sized with reasonable tolerance for a similarly proportioned future screen, discussed once you have confirmed your current equipment. Knowing the make and model in advance lets us size the recess and any cutouts precisely, rather than leaving generous tolerance that looks like an afterthought.
- How is ventilation handled for enclosed AV equipment?
- Airflow is planned around any enclosed receiver or console at design stage, so heat does not build up during use. We keep the transformer and driver accessible for future maintenance, and colour temperature is agreed at design stage so it matches any existing lighting nearby.
- Can cables be fully hidden once the unit is installed?
- Cable routes are built into the carcass from socket to equipment and screen, so no leads are left visible once the unit is in place.
Cost & quotations
- What does a bespoke TV unit cost?
- Cost depends on the size and configuration, materials, finishes, hardware, lighting and complexity of the site conditions. We do not quote without seeing the room, so please get in touch through the contact page.
- Is a built-in unit more expensive than a wall-mounted one?
- It varies depending on the wall and room conditions. Get in touch through the contact page and we can talk through what suits your space and budget.
Chester Thomas
- Where are Solihull TV units manufactured?
- Every unit is built at our workshop in Derbyshire before being delivered to Solihull and installed by our own team. We keep the transformer and driver accessible for future maintenance, and colour temperature is agreed at design stage so it matches any existing lighting nearby.
- Have Chester Thomas completed a media project in Solihull before?
- Our project at the projects page/bespoke-media-wall-solihull shows a fireplace, television and storage combined for a Solihull living room, illustrating the coordinated approach we bring to media furniture generally.
Related bespoke services
Bespoke TV Units
A television housed in cabinetry sized to your wall, your screen and the equipment behind it.
Bespoke Media Walls in Solihull
One considered wall bringing together the television, fireplace and storage, rather than three separate elements competing for attention.
Fireplace Media Walls
A fire, a television and a run of storage resolved into one wall rather than three separate purchases.
Media Walls
Television, fire, storage and cabling resolved into one wall with proper proportions.
Bespoke Cabinetry in Solihull
Fitted cabinetry designed to work with your room's architecture, from alcoves and chimney breasts to window seats and display storage.
Cinema Rooms
Panelling, acoustic detailing and concealed equipment for a room that works in the dark.
Speak to us about your media walls in Solihull on 07542 822456, email info@chesterthomas.com or send us the details.
Planning Something Bespoke?
Tell us about your space, what you're looking to create and where the project is located.