If you are looking for a way to streamline your living room, a media wall could be just the thing for you. Feature walls are nothing new; for decades, we have been adding a pop of colour, a feature wallpaper or even some interesting texture (remember rag rolling?) to specific walls to create a central focal point. But in the age of flat screen TVs and multiple items of technology, from data sticks to gaming consoles, a feature wall needs to do more than draw the eye, it needs to hide a multitude of wires, too. Stand down the TV unit and enter the media wall.
What is a media wall?
If you think that a media wall is a wall with cuttings and pictures on it, in the style of a TV detective, then think again. A media wall is a clever way of hiding wires, fixtures and fittings, and making your appliances fit seamlessly into the room, becoming part of the room’s structure, rather than an add-on. A bespoke media wall will help you to organise your home, declutter your living space, and give it definite wow-factor, creating instant impact as soon as someone enters the room.
Different types of media wall
Some media walls are as simple as building on an existing chimney breast or creating a chimney breast effect to house an electric fire and a television. However, the possibilities of a media wall are really only limited by your imagination.
Identifying your needs
The first step is to decide what you want your media wall to do for you. Do you want your media wall to:
- Be nothing but a feature wall
- Declutter the room
- Create additional storage space
- House a range of technology (speakers, electric fire, consoles etc.)
Prioritise what technology will be held within the wall and you can start looking at design options. If there is lots of tech, you need to make sure that you have sufficient power points, rather than overloading existing ones. Consult an electrician and get additional power points installed before you start (don’t forget, these will need to be accessible so will need to be behind a false wall or shelf). If you want the wall to include a recessed fireplace, you must make sure that the fire you choose is front vented, otherwise all the heat will be lost in the cavity.
Have a look online at different options, then get in touch with a carpenter, who will be able to quote for designing and building your media wall. Although it is important that the wall does what you need it to do, remember that your needs may change – or you may sell your home one day. Don’t make it so specific that, for example, only your speakers and gaming console will fit; leave some room for change.
If you want to create a media wall with wow factor, get quotes from reliable handymen, carpenters and builders on TrustATrader.com. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more great ideas.