A media wall is a specially built dedicated wall in your home that usually houses a TV, other media devices and a fireplace. This type of home entertainment unit is becoming an increasingly desirable feature for many householders. It creates a stunning centrepiece and means you don’t need to choose between your fireplace or your TV as the focal point in your living room or lounge area.

A media wall unit is bespoke and custom-built to your specifications. It looks best when it works with the architecture and interior décor of your home, whether you are using an existing chimney or starting with a blank canvas in a new build or home renovation.

A bespoke stud wall framework or false chimney breast can hide cables and wiring, include storage and display features and incorporate appliances such as an electric fire. Both the TV and fire can be recessed to create a neat, streamlined finish.

Benefits of a bespoke media wall

A bespoke media wall adds character, dimension and presence to an otherwise plain living room. Incorporating both the TV fire into the same unit or wall in your living room will save space and create one fabulous focal point too. It will also eliminate clutter by concealing all the audio-visual equipment wiring and cables. Having a bespoke media wall also gives you the opportunity to have all kinds of features incorporated such as illuminated alcoves where you can showcase your favourite artworks. As every media wall is unique, we can build in shelves, cupboards and drawers depending on your needs and how you envisage the final look. The design possibilities for your own media wall unit are endless.

The perfect TV and fireplace combination

Here are some of the things you need to consider when planning your fireplace media centre project. What is the size of your TV and where will it be positioned? You need to make sure it’s at the right height for comfortable for viewing. One design option is to create a recess for your TV to fit into above the fire with the screen sitting flush to the finished wall. By using a pullout bracket, the TV can be positioned for comfortable viewing wherever you are sitting in the room, then simply pushed back into place afterwards.

Also think about what peripheral devices you’ll want to accommodate in your media wall, such as games consoles, set top boxes or speaker systems. To create a clean aesthetic to your media wall it’s important to know what aerial and audio-visual cables as well as power leads and plug sockets need to be concealed.

Incorporating a fire into your media wall unit

The size and type of gas or electric fire is vital to know when planning your media wall too. the wall. Would you prefer the fire to sit flush with the wall when installed, or would you prefer one that has a decorative frame perhaps? Another option is to position the fire to create an attractive corner fireplace with the flames visible on two sides.

The newest sleek, minimalist electric fires are low in height so the TV can be positioned at the optimum level for viewing while seated. The latest electric fires also replicate the cosy ambience of a real fire with highly authentic-looking flickering flames which can be enjoyed with or without heat all year round.

A gas fire is another option whether you have a flue or not. Installing a gas fire into your media wall requires more stringent safety regulations and specifications, such as building the media wall in the correct materials. We can advise you and also ensure your TV is fully protected from heat. For instance, with a gas fire you could have the TV recessed into the wall or have non-combustible shelf or mantel above the fire to disperse heat away from the fire. The latest, high quality electric fires expel heat from the top of the fire downwards so it does not directly go towards the TV.

Transform your living space with a bespoke fitted media wall by Acorn

At Acorn Bespoke Carpentry and Joinery, we specialise in producing customised, made to measure, built in media walls and all kinds of visually impressive TV and fireplace units. We can explore different layouts with you and produce concept drawings to help you decide on the best layout and design; and then undertake the whole project from concept to completion, including all the associated electrical work. If you live in Surrey or Sussex and are planning to add a media wall or TV unit with integrated fireplace to your room, do get in touch with us at Acorn to discuss your ideas.

Please contact us for a free initial design consultation and no obligation quotation.