Media Units Guide | How to choose an entertainment unit
Media units: A living room hero
Media Units are an integral piece of a living space furniture, being the housing for TVs, games consoles, smart devices and all the wiring that comes with them. Though their importance is frequently forgotten when furnishing a living room.
People often focus on the sofa or chairs, yet a media unit can pull the room all together.
Practically speaking, a media unit is often at the focus point of the room, as chairs and sofas are pointed towards it. It’s also one of the larger pieces of furniture in the room. So you want to make sure you choose a unit which you’re truly happy with.
This Media Units Guide gives you the information to make an inspired and informed choice whether browsing or buying. With practicalities, FAQs and LOFT’s interior designers’ top tips, we can help you to choose a media unit perfect for your space.
What are media units?
Media units are pieces of furniture which house televisions and other media equipment, such as games consoles or tv boxes.
They can range from small and discreet, to large built-in main features of a room.
Typically found in the living room, media units can provide much needed storage for bulky items and electronics.
They can also be known as entertainment units, centres and TV stands, although the latter is technically its own thing (find more in the FAQs below!).
Different types of media units
Some of the most popular types of media units include:
- Cabinet: with storage space behind doors
- Floating: these media units are wall mounted
- Open storage: with open shelving for storage
- Built in: custom media units to fit a particular space
- Corner: Designed with 45 degree angles at the back to fit snuggly into a corner
Shop Media Units
LOFT has plenty of media units available to suit different interior styles and budgets. Shop our full range here:
6 media unit interior design tips
LOFT Interior Designers gave their top tips for choosing a media unit to suit your property. These are the opinions of the Interior Design team though, by no means are they hard and fast rules. Just a little guidance if you don’t know where to start.
1. Easy to maintain
As you’ll spend a lot of time looking at your media unit, you want it to look new for as long as possible.
“I always look for a media unit that’s easy to maintain. For me, that means units with scratch resistant finishes. I also prefer their doors to have handles, as the touch open ones can get fingerprint marks very easily.”
2. Use it as a statement
Media units can be a fantastic feature in your living space. They’re the perfect piece of furniture to experiment in interior design styles or punchy colours without overwhelming the space.
3. Consider wood textures
“If you’d like a wooden media unit, a popular style at the moment is the fluted wood look.”
4. Make sure your TV fits
“It can look strange when your TV is bigger than the unit itself.” Make sure the two aren’t on different scales.
5. Legs to make the room seem bigger
As media units can be quite blocky, choosing one with legs will allow you to see the floor below and therefore make the room seem bigger.
6. Door to hide wires
While open shelving can give a minimal, sleek look, consider how it will look once you have all your devices and decorations in situ. Especially if you have a number of electronics – there will be a lot of wires which can impact the aesthetic. Doors can hide a multitude of sins! Make sure to make a note of where the cable management holes may be too.
Ask the Interior Designers
Our Interior Designers are happy to answer your questions about furniture or interior design.
When choosing a new media unit, here are the steps and questions to ask yourself.
Make sure to measure your TV length ways and also take note of where the feet are, so it fits perfectly on your unit. You don’t want it to be precariously balancing or hanging over the edge.
Step 2 -What will it be used for?Think about what you want to keep in your
unit. Do you want to make a statement or practically use it to tidy stuff away?
Again, you can measure the size of your electronics to make sure they fit nicely onto any shelves and that there are enough shelves.
While this may sound obvious, don’t forget to choose a media unit that goes with the style of the rest of your space.
There can be an overwhelming amount of options out there, but if you narrow it down by the type of materials (such as wood type) in your room, you can start from there.
Step 4 - Time to shop aroundMake sure you do some research and look up different types of media units to get a feel for the options out there. You can browse LOFT’s media units here:
Common Media Unit FAQs
Do you need a media unit for a wall-mounted TV?
While not strictly necessary, as the TV is pre-mounted, a media unit under a wall-mounted television can provide practical storage for all its accessories and hiding the plugs. It can also add some visual interest to a space, especially when the TV is off so it’s not just a floating black square on the wall.
Do you need a media unit if you don’t have a TV?
Absolutely not! A media unit can be used for storage similarly to a sideboard. We have some tips from our interior designs on how to style a media unit without a TV below.
What’s the difference between a media unit and TV stand?
Although both a media unit and TV stand are for primarily for housing televisions, a media unit is often a bulkier piece of furniture, often containing. A TV stand is just to support a TV and can be more portable.
In residential interior design, you’re more likely to find a media unit than a TV stand.
How to style a media unit without a TV
If you want to style a media unit but don’t have a television to add to it. It can still look like a great addition to a room. The LOFT interior designers gave their opinions on how to style a media unit without a TV:
“Depends on the space of course, but I’d usually start with a large piece of art leaning against the wall if possible, then add some books, a nice statement vase or diffuser on top, and a few small decorative bits.”
Furniture from LOFT
LOFT has a wide range of media units to suit different properties. Shop here:
You can also shop our full range of living room furniture:
Furniture guides
We’ve written up a number of guides to help you make informed decisions on the furniture and interiors which can really elevate your property:
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