What’s Trending in TV Units: Contemporary Edition

The main contemporary TV unit trends right now are low and floating silhouettes, textured fronts such as fluting and ribbing, softened corners and curves, stone and stone effect tops, warmer wood tones and a more refined take on gloss. Underneath the styling, the biggest change is practical: units are being designed to hide technology more thoroughly, so the wall reads as a composed piece of furniture rather than a stand for a screen.

Gloss in particular has evolved. Where it once meant bright white everything, the contemporary version is more restrained, often in deeper or softer shades paired with wood or stone. Our range of modern high gloss TV stands UK shows how varied that finish has become. For the full picture of shapes and materials, you can browse our wider modern TV units and cabinets UK sale collection alongside this guide.

Lower, Longer and Floating

Contemporary units sit lower than they used to. As screens have grown and more people wall mount them, the unit beneath no longer needs to lift the television to eye level. Instead it becomes a long, low shelf that grounds the wall.

Floating units take that further. Fixed to the wall with a gap beneath, they make a room feel larger because more floor is visible. That is especially useful in UK flats and new builds, where living rooms can be compact and the TV wall is often the first thing you see from the door. Floating designs also make cleaning easier, which is a small but real benefit in daily life.

If you prefer a freestanding piece, look for slim legs or a recessed plinth. Both give a similar sense of lightness without the need to drill into the wall, which matters if you rent or live with plasterboard partitions.

Texture on the Front: Fluting, Ribbing and Slats

Flat, handleless fronts are still common, but texture has become the contemporary signature. Vertical fluting, ribbed panels and slatted doors catch the light and create soft shadows that change through the day. They add interest without colour, which makes them easy to live with.

These fronts work particularly well in rooms with plain walls and simple seating, where a little surface detail stops the space feeling flat. In a busier room with patterned rugs and cushions, a smoother front is often the calmer choice. The key is contrast: one textured element in a room is usually enough.

Slatted doors have a practical side as well. The gaps allow remote signals and airflow to reach devices inside, so consoles and set top boxes can be hidden away without overheating.

Soft Corners and Gentle Curves

Curved furniture has become firmly established in living rooms, from rounded sofas to pill shaped coffee tables. TV units have followed, with radiused corners, rounded ends and gently bowed fronts. The effect is softer and more relaxed than the sharp rectangles that dominated for years.

Curves also have a quiet safety advantage in family homes, where children and pets move around the room at the height of a low unit. A rounded corner is simply kinder to shins.

If you want to try the look without replacing everything, start with a unit that has only its outer edges rounded. It will sit comfortably alongside straighter pieces and still soften the overall line of the wall.

Stone, Stone Effect and Mineral Surfaces

Marble, travertine, sintered stone and convincing stone effect finishes have moved from kitchens into living rooms. On a TV unit, a stone top gives a sense of weight and permanence that suits a contemporary interior. Veining adds natural pattern, and the cool surface contrasts nicely with wood, fabric and metal.

Real stone is heavy and can mark if acidic spills are left on it, so think about who uses the room. Stone effect and sintered surfaces offer a similar look with easier care. The same material often appears on coffee tables, which makes it simple to create a connected scheme. Pairing the unit with one of our modern marble and stone coffee tables UK homes are choosing is an easy way to repeat the finish across the room.

Warmer Woods Take Over From Grey

For a long stretch, grey oak and cool ash finishes were everywhere. The contemporary palette has warmed up considerably. Walnut, smoked oak, honey toned oak and rich mid browns now lead, often paired with black metal details or a stone top.

Warm wood makes a practical difference in UK homes, where daylight is often soft and grey for much of the year. A warmer tone on a large piece of furniture balances cooler light and makes a room feel more lived in during the darker months. If you are drawn to this direction, our look at modern rustic TV units for UK living rooms explores the more textured end of the wood trend.

Gloss, Refined

Gloss has not gone away; it has matured. Contemporary gloss units appear in deeper shades such as charcoal, taupe and soft black, or in warm whites rather than stark ones. They are often combined with a wood or stone element so the shine is balanced by something matt and natural.

Gloss is still one of the most useful finishes for darker rooms because it reflects light around the space. The difference now is restraint: a single glossy unit in a room of matt surfaces looks deliberate, whereas gloss on every piece can feel dated.

Display Plus Concealment

Contemporary units increasingly mix closed storage with small areas of display. A glass fronted section, a single open niche or a lit shelf gives space for one or two objects, while cupboards and drawers keep everything else out of sight.

This reflects how living rooms are used today. With streaming replacing discs, there is less to store than there once was, but routers, consoles and chargers still need a home. Hiding them lets the few things on display carry more meaning. For more display space elsewhere in the room, many households pair a TV unit with a tall cabinet in a matching or complementary finish, which keeps the TV wall itself uncluttered.

Smarter Cable Management

Much of what makes a contemporary unit feel calm is invisible. Rear cable channels, removable back panels, grommets in the top and space for a power strip inside the carcass all help keep leads out of sight. These details rarely appear in product photographs, but they make a noticeable difference once the unit is in use.

Before choosing, count the devices that will sit on or in the unit and check where the nearest sockets are. If you are wall mounting the screen, plan the cable drop so it runs straight down behind the unit rather than across the wall. A neat installation is often what separates a room that looks finished from one that does not.

The Wall as a Whole

Perhaps the most important shift is in how the TV wall is treated. Rather than a unit with a screen on it, the contemporary approach is to compose the whole wall: unit, screen, art, lighting and sometimes paneling working together.

In practice, that means thinking about proportion. A long, low unit with a mounted screen slightly off centre, balanced by a tall plant or a piece of art, can look more considered than a strictly symmetrical arrangement. Wall colour plays a big part too, especially with darker units, which is why our guide to wall colours for a black TV unit in UK homes is worth reading if you are leaning towards a deeper finish.

How to Bring the Trends Home

You do not need to follow every direction at once. Pick one or two that suit your room and let the rest of the space stay calm. A few simple guidelines help:

• Choose one textured element, such as fluting or stone, rather than several competing ones.
• Match the wood tone of the unit to at least one other piece in the room, even if it is only a picture frame or lamp base.
• Keep the top of the unit mostly clear so the shape and finish can be seen.
• Plan cable routes before you decide on a floating or freestanding design.

Trends are most useful as a way to understand what is possible rather than as rules to follow. The best contemporary rooms tend to feel personal first and current second.

To see how these ideas come together across sofas, tables, storage and lighting, you can explore the full range at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are floating TV units a good idea for rented homes?

They need secure wall fixings, which may not be allowed in some rentals. A freestanding unit on slim legs or a recessed plinth gives a similar light look without drilling into the wall.

Is high gloss still in style?

Yes, in a more refined form. Deeper or softer shades and combinations with wood or stone feel contemporary, while gloss used sparingly alongside matt surfaces looks deliberate rather than dated.

Which TV unit trend will last longest?

Low profiles, warm woods and good concealed storage are rooted in practical needs, so they are likely to stay relevant. Highly decorative details may change more quickly.

Can I mix a curved TV unit with straight edged furniture?

Yes. A unit with softened corners sits comfortably alongside straighter pieces. Repeating the curve once elsewhere, perhaps in a round mirror or coffee table, helps tie the look together.