TV unit design in Lucknow

The wall everyone faces.

A TV unit is the one thing in the living room that everybody looks at for hours. It also hides the worst cable mess in the house.

What we plan

Proportion — sized to the wall and the screen, not a standard measurement.

Cable management — conduits and sockets planned before the wall is closed.

Lighting — backlighting or profile light where it suits the room.

Getting the height and proportion right

Screens are mounted too high in most homes, usually because the unit was designed around the furniture rather than around where people sit.

Height — the centre of the screen wants to be at seated eye level, roughly 100cm to 110cm off the floor. For a 55 inch screen that puts the bottom edge somewhere around 60cm to 70cm, which is lower than most people expect.

Distance — one and a half to two and a half times the screen diagonal, back to the sofa.

Width — the unit should read wider than the screen, or the screen looks like it is overhanging. We also leave a planned gap for a soundbar rather than discovering later that it covers the bottom of the picture.

What has to happen before the wall closes

Almost every complaint about a TV unit is really a complaint about cables, and all of it is decided before the wall is finished.

A conduit, ideally 50mm, runs from the unit up to the screen position so HDMI and power can be pulled through and swapped later. Three or four sockets behind the unit is realistic once you count the screen, set-top box, console and soundbar.

A set-top box needs air around it. Sealed into a tight closed cabinet it overheats and fails, so we either ventilate the compartment or leave it open.

A wall-mount bracket needs solid backing behind the panelling. Fixed into decorative board alone, it will eventually pull out. That backing has to be built in during the work, not added afterwards.

Feature wall material and light

The wall behind the screen is usually the most detailed surface in the living room, which makes the material choice worth thinking through.

We avoid high gloss directly opposite a window, because the reflection sits on the screen exactly while you are watching. Fluted and louvred panels look excellent and collect dust in every groove, which is a real consideration in Lucknow. Stone cladding is durable but heavy, and the wall has to be able to carry it.

A screen on a wall taking direct afternoon sun is a losing battle regardless of what the wall is made of. Where the room allows, we place it elsewhere.

Soft backlighting behind the unit reduces the contrast between a bright screen and a dark wall, which makes long viewing easier on the eyes.