Where people start
- The television, the soundbar, the console and six cables are all visible.
- You have seen media walls online and cannot work out what they actually cost.
- The chimney breast is in the wrong place and the room has no natural focal point.
- You want a fire but not a flue, a hearth or a chimney sweep.
Where they end up
- The television sitting flush in the wall rather than standing off it.
- Every cable, box and plug hidden, with access left for when something needs swapping.
- An inset electric fire with no flue, no hearth and no annual service.
- Panelling, shelving and lighting designed as one thing rather than bought separately.
How the job runs
Step by step, and nothing owed until step three.
- 01
Working out the wall
Arshdeep checks what the wall is made of and where the sockets and aerial points are, then works out how deep the build-out needs to be for your television and your fire. Depth is the decision everything else follows from.
- 02
The layout
Screen height is the thing people get wrong. Sitting down, the centre of the screen wants to be roughly at eye level, and a fire underneath pushes it up. We draw it against your sofa position rather than to a rule.
- 03
First fix
Frame built out, cable routes and socket positions set, fire aperture formed. This is the stage where a change is easy and after which it is not.
- 04
Panelling and finish
Fluted or flat panelling, shelving, lighting and the fire installed, then filled, sanded and painted.
What we work with
- Fluted and reeded oak, walnut and painted panelling
- Inset electric fires, linear and traditional
- Flush TV mounts and concealed cable conduit
- Floating shelves and glass display shelving
- Warm LED wash and shelf lighting on a dimmer
The guarantee
12 months on the joinery, the fitting and the electrical work we carry out. Fires and televisions carry their own manufacturer warranty and we register them for you.
Insurance
Fully covered by public liability insurance.
Depth is the whole design
Everything about a media wall follows from how far it comes off the existing wall. A flush television needs about 100mm. Add an inset fire and you are at 200 to 250mm. Add shelving that has to clear the fire’s heat output and it grows again.
That depth comes out of the room. In a small living room, 250mm across a whole wall is noticeable, and it is worth deciding whether the fire is worth it before anything is framed.
The access panel nobody thinks about
Media walls get built beautifully and sealed shut. Then the router dies, or the console gets replaced, or a cable fails, and somebody has to cut into the panelling.
Every wall we build has a way back in, usually a removable panel behind or below the screen. It costs nothing at the framing stage and saves a great deal later.
What does a media wall cost?
Most of the media walls we build land between £1,500 and £4,000. Where yours sits in that range comes down to three things.
- Depth and height. A straightforward panelled wall with a flush TV mount and every cable hidden is at the bottom of the range. A full-height, fluted build-out is at the top.
- The fire. An inset electric fire pushes the wall out to 200 to 250mm and adds the aperture and the fused spur. Without one, the wall is shallower, cheaper and quicker, and the space underneath can be a run of drawers.
- Shelving and lighting. Lit display recesses, floating shelves and LED wash all add making and wiring time.
The fire and the television are usually supplied by you. There is no VAT to add, because the company is not VAT registered, and most walls take three to six days on site. You get one written price after the free home visit.
Common questions
Asked often enough to answer here.
How much does a media wall cost?
Most land between £1,500 and £4,000. A straightforward panelled wall with a flush TV mount and hidden cables is at the bottom. A full-height fluted build-out with an inset fire, lighting and shelving is at the top. The fire and the television are usually supplied by you.
How long does it take?
Three to six days on site for most walls. The framing and first fix is the first day or two, then panelling, then filling and painting.
Do I need an electrician?
For new sockets behind the screen, yes, and we bring one in and coordinate it. An inset electric fire usually runs off a standard fused spur, which is far less work than people expect.
Can you build one over an existing chimney breast?
Yes, and it is a good use of one. The breast gives you depth for free. If the flue is still open it needs to be dealt with properly rather than sealed and forgotten.
What if the TV needs changing in three years?
It will, so the mount and the cable route are built to take a bigger screen and the aperture is sized with that in mind. There is always an access point, because a media wall you have to dismantle to change a HDMI cable is a badly built one.
Does the media wall price include the fire and the television?
Usually not. The £1,500 to £4,000 range covers the build: the frame, the cable routes, the panelling, shelving, lighting and the finish. The fire and the television are normally supplied by you, and we fit them into the wall.
Is there VAT on top of the price?
No. Signature Kitchen & Bedrooms is not VAT registered, so the figure you are quoted is the figure you pay. A 10% deposit books the dates and the balance is due when the wall is finished.
Which areas do you build media walls in?
Across West London and the Home Counties, about 50 miles from our base in Hayes, including Hounslow, Ealing, Harrow, Uxbridge and Slough. There is no travel charge anywhere inside that.
Can you do it without a fire?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Without a fire the wall gets shallower, cheaper and quicker, and you can use the space underneath for a run of drawers instead.
The next step