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A media wall display is a functional and visual addition to any space. It’s perfect for showing off your TV as the focal point and other features such as your favourite movies, photos, artwork or even fireplaces. These displays can be made out of many different materials like wood, metal, glass, tile, paper, or fabric. In this post, we’ll give you some ideas on how you can create a media wall display in your home. Let’s get started!
What’s a media wall?
A media wall is essentially a feature that houses all of your media in one location, resulting in a focal point that instantly captures the attention of people entering the living room.
It is more than a way to mount your television. It’s is a bespoke design that is created to brighten your home. It’s a way to organize your media collection in a space that is functional and attractive. For example, along with keeping a neat housing for the TV and hiding the cables, the wall might be used to hold an extensive music collection as well as a DVD collection, or it could be a great spot for holding and displaying all of your photography collections. A fully designed wall could even include recessed shelving, drawers or cupboard space for some added storage spaces.
As with everything in life, the design will include other qualities such as functionality and convenience. It may also have a particular colour or material used on its elements.
The Design Considerations You Should Think About
You should maybe ask yourself questions such as; what is the purpose of your media wall? Where will you put it? What material will you use? How big should it be? Here are the main points that you’ll need to consider before creating the entertainment centre with a potential fireplace.
Size and Layout
The first thing you need to think about is the size and layout of your media wall. There are two things you need to take into consideration: how big it will be and how many shelves or sections you want. You can make the display as large or small as you want. If you have enough space, a really large display can be really cool, but it might be a lot more difficult to create. For example, if you wanted a six-foot-tall display with three sections on one side and four on the other, that would require some serious measuring and cutting.
Size of the TV
TVs are an integral part of many homes. But, unlike many other things we buy, there is no ‘standard’ size for televisions. The size is largely determined by what is available for a particular area – a larger space can accommodate bigger screens, but not necessarily better quality pictures.
If you’re thinking about incorporating storage into your media wall, you’ll need to consider how much room there is. Will you need to incorporate your TV into the wall itself? Is there enough room to incorporate extra storage and a TV? These are just some questions you’ll need to ask yourself.
If you want the best experience and you want a device that compliments a fireplace that may be positioned below it, then purchase at least a 50-inch TV. If you’re thinking of getting a bigger TV then you’ll need to factor that in before you start designing.
Other Devices
Next up, consider the kinds of other boxes you have that you want to be connected to your entertainment system. Do you need to accommodate TV services? How about gaming devices, smart home devices, media entertainment or speaker systems?
You’ll want to keep your gaming console as accessible as possible. That means making sure they’re out in the open where everyone can see them. Your TV will do just fine if it’s not in a place where children can get to it or get their hands on it. Your Wii, Xbox, Switch or Playstation might all be best kept in a cabinet if you have kids and pets.
Set-top boxes might require a recessed shelf or a bracket to support the remote controls.
Management of Cables
You don’t want to run out of space for the audio-visual equipment you want to use. It’s important to consider the best way to plan for this in the space you’ve got before you install the equipment. Make sure you have a clear plan to route any cable runs that are needed in advance of installation.
You’ll need sufficient power sockets to hook up your media equipment. In general, the power supply should be located in a spot that’s easy to reach and has enough sockets so you don’t have to run extension cords around your house. They could be recessed sockets or surface-mounted for speedier installation as they will be hidden within the media wall.
Building a Media Wall with a fireplace
It doesn’t need to be complicated. You can usually get away with using the old sockets if they are in a good location but make sure that if you are looking to add more then hire a qualified electrician.
To add that extra element of style, you could consider adding an electric fireplace that can really bring out the room. This will add to the cost, but there is a great range of electric fireplaces available to buy.
Someone who likes doing their own DIY work would happily take up the task of creating a Media Wall and there are plenty of online how-to videos to teach you how to do it.
Once you’ve decided where to locate the fireplace, you can build the timber studwork framework at a specific height. Once the firebox is built and the fireplace is set into place, it’s time to start assembling your media wall centre. You can then clad the frame and paint it, or you give it a finish of plasterboard and skim.
If you don’t feel confident in your skills or you simply don’t have the time or money, another option would be to hire a carpenter who can build the unit for you. This can be a good way of ensuring you get exactly what you want. Also, it would essential to get a qualified electrician for the media centre and sockets.
The cost of the supplies needed to create a room and the installation with a fireplace is an important consideration. The average price for a media wall with a fireplace is around £2,300-£3,500, depending on specification and size.
