Custom build TV unit....need inspiration PLEEEAASSSSE

[kjacko]

Hi all,
been deliberating over this for a while, even posted on AVforums and no one was interested in helping

I'm looking for inspiration in the way of ideas for my tv unit.
Basically i have a LG 42 PQ6000 plasma wall-mounted 1.2m from the ground to the bottom of the tv.
Its centred of the width of the 3m long wall.
So, currently the cables just hang down and look god awful. I just cannot find an appropriate unit or cabinet to suit due to the height of the tv on the wall. It needs to be as it is so we can see the tv over the mid height partition wall in the kitchen.

Doing a fake/floating chimney breast type thing is fine, but would need to be very shallow with add-on shelves to hold AV kit rather than recessing them. The reason for this is i don't want the tv 300mm away from the main wall otherwise, again, it messes up the view from the kitchen.

Was thinking of just building the framework around the tv, plaster boarding it, skimming and painting the same colour as the wall (chocolate truffle )
Alternative would be to use MDF i guess, then just paint it.

Ultimately the add-on shelves, or whatever i use, will house a BD player, wii and possibly a centre speaker with the sub on the floor.
I trailed speaker cable underneath the floating floor so have the capacity for 7.1 should i want it later. The tv unit doesn't 'have to' incorporate placements for front speakers, but i'm open to ideas.

So.... any inspiring ideas out there please?

 

[big-all]

i would build a floor standing unit about 14 to 16" deep
some where between the tv width and the full opening and 1/2" clear off the tv

assuming the hifi/dvd recorder/freeveiw box ect are going in the cabinet secure a 4/6 way mains adapter to the back at the top inside

now your choices are partly open back and lead the cables up the back to the tv with a 44mmx21mm batton on the back sticking up 44mm to hide the cables or a 6x4" trap door in the top with holes drilled in each corner so you can close the trap door and have the cables neatly bunched around the holes

the choice off size is to allow your hand to reach the back off the components inside

you would normaly place the door on the cable side off the unit with regards to being able to pivot the tv clear when access is required

if you wish to have doors on the front you will need an open/partialy open back for ventilation and transparent/opaque front for the remote controls to work

any non powered cabinet sections can have solid doors

 

[ericmark]

Dado trunking comes in many different forms and will allow you to insert cables without removing the plugs and even has different compartments for low voltage and extra low voltage cables.

However it is not cheap. Try CEF as they make there own. But really you need to visit the electrical factors as there are so many variations and some of it looks very industrial.

 

[ChrisFrost]

First off I'd say it's incredibly difficult to get advice on something as personal as furniture choices. Everyone has their own idea of style. Without some indication of what you like already then the best you can expect is some general ideas.

The other challenge is budget. If you are discussing your requirements in forums then the chances are that you're not going to commission a joiner to make a bespoke piece of furniture. You haven't mentioned a budget; for some people £50 is too much, and for others £500 is totally realistic for a DIY solution, so please bear in mind that any recommendations are made without knowing what you have to spend, or even if you have set a sensible budget for this project.

With all the above said, here's is an idea that I have found popular with my customers. It suits those looking for a minimalist solution. It's useful where hiding cables is required but burying them in a wall is not an option. Finally, the design and options for finishes means that this solution can be dressed up for those looking for something very chic, or pared down to the minimum for a very cost-effective solution with the minimum outlay.

Here's the detail:

Essentially this is a floating wall panel with floating shelves.

The width of the panel can be adjusted to be narrower than the TV or wider. That's a question of aesthetics and what suits the room design.

The panel stands off from the wall by 50mm-75mm (2"-3"). This allows cables to be hidden and also some of the depth of the TV bracket to be disguised if required. The fixing for the panel is a frame screwed to the wall and inset from the edges of the wall panel by about 200mm (8"). The panel can be screwed (and filled) to the frame through the front if the panel is to be painted. If it is to be veneered then I use dowels partly recessed in to the back of the veneered board (i.e. not all the way through).

A nice extra touch here is recessed lighting behind the panel. I use dimmable lighting. Rope light works well. The trick is to conceal this with a frame fixed to the back of the panel. The thickness of the frame is about half the size of the gap between the wall and the panel. The frame is set inside the edge of the panel by about 25mm-50mm. How you control and dim the lighting is up to you...and I can't give away all my trade secrets, can I

The panel needs some cut-outs. Depending on the depth of your TV bracket you might cut a rectangular hole for that. You then need some circular holes for the rods that will hold the floating shelves and some slots for cable access. You can have a look at Ikea how floating are done. The trick then is to get some metalwork made to act as supports for the shelves. The cheap LACK shelves from Ikea aren't deep enough for AV gear and they aren't able to hold more than about 3kg. I usually get my joiner to make up shelves to match the back panel finish. The metal work is easy for me because I can weld and fabricate.

That's it really. Simple but effective, and of you choose the right finishes it can look like something from a design magazine without the designer price tag.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Dado trunking comes in many different forms and will allow you to insert cables without removing the plugs and even has different compartments for low voltage and extra low voltage cables.

However it is not cheap. Try CEF as they make there own. But really you need to visit the electrical factors as there are so many variations and some of it looks very industrial.

Hehe ask an elctrician! That'll look classy in his living room!

 

[kjacko]

Thanks for the input guys.
I didn't put budget in because, even though there will be one, i was after ideas....as may different ones as i can get.

ericmark, thanks or the adivce, i've installed dado trunking plenty but its not appropriate on this job. Any floor trailing cabling will go behind the as-yet-uninstalled skirting boards.
Part of my job as I.T. Monkey is data cabling/termination etc so i'm not averse to any ideas you have regarding cable trailing/installation etc.

Chris, thanks buddy, I am leaning towards the floating wall, but i'm trying to envisage how it would look as the ceiling pitches down from 3m to 2.4m. So the condundrum is whether to float the wall up to the pitched ceiling or finish it square just above the tv.
I would like the wall as shallow as possible to maintain the viewing angle from the kitchen.
I've seen plenty of rope-light effects on avforums....they do look nice

 

[ChrisFrost]

Re: the height of the wall: I think you can go either way - full height or just over the TV. It all depends what fits in with the decor and design of the room.

If you have the PC skills and a suitable program then you could try something that I find useful. I take a picture of the space where the wall is to go and then use a photo editing package to do a couple of mock ups.


Re: the depth of the gap between the two walls: I tend to go for something quite shallow - 50mm~75mm like I said before. The floating wall itself is usually an 18mm veneered MDF*; so the combined depth is less than 100mm (4") - or about 6 or 7 DVD box thicknesses. That's really slim. It's about the thickness of the average flatscreen tilt bracket. So you have an opportunity to disguise the depth of the TV bracket if you want to by mounting the bracket on the real wall and bringing it through an aperture in the floating wall. You can, of course, play around with how much of the bracket stands proud of the floating wall by using spacers between the real wall and the bracket.

If you have one of the super slim hanging brackets instead then you'll mount that on to the front of the floating wall. TBH then, if 4" depth is enough to upset the viewing angle there is something a bit wrong somewhere. I'd normally recommend a TV bracket that allows the TV to pull out and rotate when viewing is required from an extreme angle.

* I use MDF because when it is veneered (or painted) properly it looks the same as a solid wood product but has better thermal stability i.e. it won't shrink or warp with changes in heat and humidity. That's very important to me as an installer and to the customer for longevity.