Tv Furniture

What a TV unit does

A television unit holds the screen at the right height and hides everything that plugs into it.

• Sets the viewing height : the screen centre roughly at eye level when seated.

• Takes the boxes : set-top box, console and router need somewhere to live.

• Manages cables : openings at the back keep leads out of sight.

• Adds storage : drawers or cupboards either side of the equipment.

• Low and wide : proportioned to sit under a screen rather than beside it.

Sizing to the screen

The unit should relate to the television, not just to the wall.

• Wider than the screen : a unit narrower than the TV looks unstable even when it is not.

• Screen size is diagonal : measure the actual width of the set, not the advertised inches.

• Check the weight : a large screen on a stand puts real load on the top.

• Allow for the feet : wide-set stands need more top surface than a central pedestal.

Cables and equipment

Most of what a TV unit does is out of sight, and that is the part worth getting right.

• Ventilation : closed cupboards need airflow if a console lives inside.

• Cable routes : cut-outs at the back save drilling later.

• Reachable sockets : leave access behind rather than blocking the wall outlet.

• Remote control line of sight : glass doors let signals through, solid ones do not.

Height and comfort

Viewing height decides whether an evening in front of the television is comfortable.

• Eye level when seated : measure from your sofa, not standing up.

• Too high is worse than too low : looking up strains the neck more than looking down.

• Consider the sofa height : a low sofa needs a lower unit.

• Distance matters too : the further back you sit, the less critical the height becomes.

For open shelving beside a screen, see our bookcases. For closed storage in the same room, our storage cabinets come in three widths.