How to Choose the Perfect Wall Mounted TV Unit for Your Home

To choose a wall mounted TV unit, start with your wall rather than the furniture. Check what the wall is made of, measure the width of your screen and the space available, decide how much storage you need, and then pick a unit that is slightly wider than the television and fixed at a height that suits your seating. Get those four things right and the style decision becomes much easier.

Wall mounted units, sometimes called floating units, lift storage off the floor and make a room feel larger and tidier. They also pair naturally with a wall mounted screen, and if you are fixing the television itself to the wall, our range of wall TV brackets UK includes fixed, tilting and full motion options to sit above your chosen unit.

Why Choose a Wall Mounted Unit?

The main appeal is space. When the floor under the unit is visible, the room reads as larger, because the eye can follow the floor all the way to the skirting board. In a compact living room or a flat where every square metre counts, that visual trick is valuable.

There are practical benefits too. Cleaning is easier, as you can vacuum underneath without moving anything. Robot vacuums can pass straight under. Cables can be routed behind or inside the wall, and small children and pets have fewer things to pull at.

A floating unit also has a clean, architectural look. It can make a TV wall feel built in without the cost and permanence of fitted joinery. Before committing, it helps to compare a few designs across the full range of modern TV stands and units UK sale. Seeing floor standing and floating options together confirms whether wall mounting is right for your room.

Step One: Know Your Wall

This is the most important decision, and it is where many people run into problems. UK homes use a range of wall types, and each needs different fixings.

Solid brick or block walls

Common in older houses and many external walls, solid masonry is the most straightforward to fix into. With the right wall plugs and screws, it will support a heavy unit and its contents.

Plasterboard or stud walls

Many internal walls in newer homes, and partition walls in older ones, are plasterboard on a timber or metal frame. Plasterboard alone will not hold a loaded TV unit safely. You will need to locate the studs and fix into them, or use heavy duty cavity fixings designed for the load. A stud detector is an inexpensive tool that saves a lot of guesswork.

Dot and dab walls

Some walls are plasterboard stuck onto masonry with blobs of adhesive, leaving a small gap. These need longer fixings that pass through the board into the masonry behind, often with specialist plugs.

If you are unsure what your wall is made of, knock on it: a hollow sound suggests plasterboard. In a rented home, check with your landlord before drilling. When in doubt, a qualified fitter is a sensible investment.

Step Two: Measure Carefully

Measure the width of the wall, the width of your television and the height from floor to ceiling. Note the position of sockets, aerial points, light switches and radiators.

As a general guide, a TV unit looks most balanced when it is at least as wide as the screen, and ideally a little wider. A unit that is noticeably narrower than the screen above it tends to look top heavy. On a long wall, a wider unit can help fill the space and anchor the seating area.

Also check the depth. Wall mounted units are usually shallower than floor standing ones, which is part of their appeal, but make sure the depth still fits your equipment. Consoles, soundbars and streaming boxes all need room, plus a little space behind for cables and ventilation.

Step Three: Decide on Height

The height at which you fix the unit affects how the whole wall looks and how comfortable it is to use.

For most living rooms, the television screen should sit with its centre roughly at seated eye level. Work backwards from there. The unit usually sits a short distance below the screen, with a gap between them that is large enough for a soundbar if you use one.

Leaving a clear space beneath the unit is what creates the floating effect. Too low, and it looks like a floor unit that has lost its legs. Too high, and it can feel disconnected from the seating. Mark the planned position on the wall with masking tape and live with it for a day or two before drilling. It is a simple way to avoid regret.

Step Four: Plan Your Storage

Think about everything the unit will need to hold. Some people want very little: a streaming stick and a soundbar. Others need space for a games console, controllers, a router, a collection of films and remote controls.

Drawers

Drawers are good for small items that can otherwise clutter a surface, such as remotes, cables and chargers.

Flap doors

Many floating units use drop down flap doors, which give easy access to equipment and keep the front clean when closed. Look for soft close or push to open mechanisms.

Open shelves

Open compartments allow remote control signals and ventilation for devices that run warm. They are also useful for displaying a few books or objects.

If a single unit does not give you enough space, consider adding floating shelves or a matching wall cabinet either side of the television. Browsing modern shelving units UK can help you find pieces that extend the storage without crowding the wall.

Managing Cables

Cable management makes or breaks a wall mounted setup. A floating unit with a visible bundle of wires hanging beneath it loses its clean look immediately.

The neatest solution is to run cables inside the wall, though this is a bigger job and may not be possible in a rented home or on a solid wall. The next best option is a paintable cable channel fixed to the wall and painted to match. Many units also have cut outs at the back so cables can pass through and drop behind the unit, out of sight.

Plan socket positions before fixing the unit. A socket hidden behind or just below the unit is ideal. If sockets are at skirting level, you will need a tidy way to bring cables up.

Choosing a Style and Finish

With the practical decisions made, you can focus on the look.

High gloss finishes reflect light and suit contemporary spaces. Wood effect finishes add warmth and work well with natural textures. Matt painted surfaces are calm and forgiving of fingerprints. Two tone designs, such as white with oak or grey with walnut, help a unit fit into rooms with existing mixed finishes.

Some floating units include built in LED lighting, which can create a soft glow on the wall below. This is worth considering if you often watch in the evening and want a gentler light than a ceiling fitting.

Whichever finish you choose, look closely at the edges and the underside. On a floating unit, the underside is visible from a seated position, so a neatly finished base matters more than it would on a floor standing piece.

Weight Limits and Safety

Every wall mounted unit has a maximum load, and it is important to respect it. That figure includes everything placed in or on the unit, not just the unit itself. If you plan to stand a television on the unit rather than mount it on the wall, check that the unit is rated for it. Many floating units are designed only for lighter loads, with the screen fixed separately to the wall.

Use the fixings recommended by the manufacturer for your wall type, or ones rated above the expected load. Check fixings occasionally, particularly on plasterboard walls, and tighten them if needed.

Wall Mounted Units in Different Rooms

Living rooms are the obvious setting, but floating units also work well in bedrooms, where floor space is often taken up by the bed and wardrobes. A slim unit fixed opposite the bed keeps the floor clear and gives a place for a small television and a few books.

In open plan spaces, a long floating unit can help define the lounge area without adding a bulky piece in the middle of the room. For a closer look at wide units that anchor bigger spaces, our guide to large TV unit sizes for UK living rooms explains how to match scale to the room.

Keeping It Affordable Without Compromise

A wall mounted unit does not need to be complicated to look good. Many simpler designs rely on clean lines and a good finish rather than elaborate features. If you want ideas on getting a refined look from a modest design, our article on affordable floating TV units for UK homes looks at the details that make a difference.

A Simple Checklist

Before you choose, confirm the wall type and the right fixings. Measure the wall, the screen and the equipment. Decide the height and mark it with tape. List what needs storing. Plan sockets and cables. Then choose the finish that suits the rest of the room.

You can explore floating and wall mounted designs alongside floor standing units at Furniture in Fashion. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, and Returns are available up to 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a wall mounted TV unit hold a television?

Some can, but many are designed for lighter loads, with the television mounted separately on a bracket. Always check the maximum load before placing a screen on top.

How high should a floating TV unit be?

Work from the television. Place the screen so its centre is around seated eye level, then fix the unit a short distance below, leaving a clear gap above the floor.

Can I fit a floating TV unit to a plasterboard wall?

Yes, but you need to fix into the studs or use heavy duty cavity fixings rated for the load. Plasterboard alone should not bear the weight.

How do I hide cables with a wall mounted unit?

Run them inside the wall if possible. Otherwise, use a paintable cable channel and choose a unit with rear cable cut outs.

Are wall mounted TV units suitable for rented homes?

They can be, with your landlord’s permission. If drilling is not allowed, a slim floor standing unit on legs gives a similar sense of space.