TV & Media Units

Sizing up to your screen

The most useful rule here is that the unit should be a little wider than the television, which keeps the proportions comfortable and gives you room either side for a speaker, a plant or a stack of books. Small, standard, large and extra large designs run through ranges including Gotham, Raven, Hamilton, Hapton and Wilpshire, so there's usually a size that lands right.

Height is worth a thought too. As a general guide, the screen sits most comfortably when its centre is roughly at eye level from the sofa, which tends to favour lower, wider units over tall ones. If floor space is genuinely tight, the Kelby range offers a large TV cabinet that can be wall mounted or set on legs, in finishes including mango, dark almond, blond oak, misty oak and noir.

Corner units, entertainment units and open shelving

A corner unit turns an awkward angle into the natural home for the television, and Cuban, Hamilton, Daventry and Wilpshire all offer one. It's a particularly good answer in a square room where the obvious wall is taken up by a window or a fireplace.

Full entertainment units go further, combining screen space with cupboards and open shelving for consoles, boxes and games. Eclipse, Montrose and Canyon all have designs, and the Ingot range offers an entertainment unit in a cupboard style or an open style depending on whether you'd rather see the kit or hide it. For more open storage nearby, bookcases and shelves is the place to look.

Pulling the room together

Because the finishes are shared across the wider collection, a TV unit will usually pair with a matching coffee table or sideboard, which is the easiest way to make a living room feel considered rather than assembled.

A few pieces are designed to work either way round, such as the Cuban and Daventry coffee and TV tables, which is handy in a room that might get rearranged. Furniture by collection shows which ranges belong together, and our living room ideas show the finished effect.