How to Style TV Units for a Japandi Home

To style a TV unit for a Japandi home, choose a low, long piece in natural wood or a soft matt finish, keep the top surface almost empty, hide cables completely and add one or two handmade objects rather than a row of ornaments. The unit should feel calm and grounded, with plenty of wall space around the screen so the room breathes.

That is the short answer. The longer one is about proportion, texture and restraint, and it is worth getting right because the TV wall is usually the first thing you see when you walk into a living room. Our range of low modern TV units UK homes can use as a starting point includes many of the simple, horizontal shapes that Japandi relies on.

What Japandi actually means for a TV wall

Japandi blends Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian comfort. From Japan it borrows a respect for empty space, natural materials and imperfection. From Scandinavia it takes warmth, practicality and a liking for pale timber and soft textiles. Put together, the style asks every object to earn its place.

A television is not a natural fit for that philosophy. It is a large black rectangle that disappears into nothing when it is switched off and dominates the room when it is on. The job of the TV unit, then, is to anchor the screen, soften it and give the eye something warmer to rest on. Think of the unit as the base of a composition rather than a piece of storage that happens to hold a TV.

Choosing the right shape and height

Japandi rooms tend to sit low. Floor cushions, low sofas and platform beds are common, so a tall or chunky TV cabinet can feel out of step. Look for a unit that is noticeably longer than it is tall, ideally somewhere between knee and mid thigh height. This keeps the screen at a comfortable viewing level when you are sitting on a lower sofa and preserves a sense of open wall above.

Width matters as much as height. A unit that is wider than the TV by a good margin on each side gives the arrangement visual weight and lets you place a vase or a small lamp without crowding the screen. In a typical UK terraced living room with a chimney breast, you may be limited by the alcoves. In that case, a unit that sits snugly across the chimney breast can look deliberate and architectural.

Legs are worth considering too. Slim tapered legs or a recessed plinth lift the unit slightly off the floor, which makes a small room feel larger because you can see the floor continuing underneath. A unit that sits directly on the floor feels heavier and more grounded, which suits larger rooms with generous ceiling height.

Materials and finishes that work

Wood is the natural choice. Light oak, ash and beech feel Scandinavian, while darker walnut or smoked oak lean towards the Japanese side of the style. Both work, as long as the grain is visible and the finish is matt or satin rather than shiny. Slatted fronts are a useful detail: they echo traditional Japanese screens, add texture and allow remote control signals to pass through to devices inside.

If you prefer a painted look, soft greige, warm white or a muted clay tone will sit comfortably in a Japandi scheme. Avoid bright white gloss and heavy chrome, which pull the room towards a more contemporary, polished feel. Black can work well as an accent, particularly in thin metal legs or handles, because Japanese interiors often use dark lines to frame lighter surfaces.

Concealed storage is helpful. Japandi rooms look their best when clutter is out of sight, so doors or drawers for routers, consoles and remote controls make the style much easier to live with. Open shelves are fine in moderation, but they need careful editing.

Keeping the top surface calm

The biggest styling mistake is filling the top of the TV unit. In a Japandi room, one or two considered objects are enough. A single ceramic vase with a branch of eucalyptus or dried grasses, a small stack of two books, or a stone bowl can all look beautiful. Aim for asymmetry: place your main object to one side of the screen and leave the other side almost empty.

Handmade pieces bring the idea of wabi sabi, the appreciation of imperfection, into the room. A slightly uneven glaze or a rough stoneware finish adds character that mass produced ornaments rarely have. Keep the colour palette narrow: sand, oatmeal, charcoal, moss and rust tones sit comfortably together.

Lighting on the unit should be soft and low. A small paper lantern style lamp or a simple ceramic table lamp gives a warm glow in the evening and helps the television recede when it is not in use.

Dealing with cables and technology

Visible wires undermine the whole look. Plan cable management before you position the unit. Many units have cable ports at the back. If yours does not, a cable tidy sleeve in a colour close to the wall, or a trunking channel painted to match, will make a big difference.

If you are wall mounting the screen, try to run cables inside the wall or behind a slim cover that drops straight down behind the unit. Store routers, set top boxes and consoles behind closed doors, and use a small woven basket for remote controls. The aim is a unit that looks as though it holds nothing more than a vase and a lamp.

Building the wider scheme around the unit

A Japandi TV unit rarely works in isolation. It needs a room with a similar sensibility around it. Our modern living room furniture UK collection covers sofas, side tables and storage that share the same clean lines, so it is easier to keep the room consistent.

A low coffee table in the same wood tone creates a pleasing visual line through the room. You do not need an exact match. In fact, slightly different timbers can look more natural, as long as they share an undertone. Browsing the modern wooden coffee tables UK buyers often pair with low TV units is a practical way to see how grain and colour work together.

Underfoot, a natural fibre or flat weave rug in a muted tone ties the seating area to the TV wall. Jute, wool and cotton blends suit the style far better than glossy synthetic piles. A selection of modern rugs UK sale pieces in neutral shades will help define the zone without adding pattern overload.

Colour on the wall behind

The wall behind the TV unit shapes how the whole arrangement reads. Warm white or a soft limewash effect keeps things airy. A deeper shade, such as a muted olive or a warm charcoal, can actually make a black television blend in more successfully, because the screen no longer stands out as a dark block on a pale background.

Timber slat panels behind the TV are another option. They add warmth and acoustic softness and make the screen look more integrated. Keep them in a tone close to your unit, so the wall and furniture feel like one composition.

Small room and rental considerations

Many UK homes have compact living rooms, and many people rent. Japandi suits both situations, because it is about reducing rather than adding. In a small room, a floating or wall hung unit keeps the floor clear, and a slimmer depth unit stops the TV wall from encroaching on the seating area.

If you cannot drill into walls, a freestanding unit with legs gives a similar light effect. Plants help too: a single tall floor plant beside the unit, such as an olive tree or a fiddle leaf fig, brings height and softness without shelving.

For more ideas on paring back the TV wall, our guide to minimalist TV units for UK living rooms covers handleless designs and cable free set ups in more detail. If you like the idea of a few displayed pieces, our article on open shelf TV units for UK homes explains how to style open storage without it becoming cluttered.

A simple styling checklist

Before you call the TV wall finished, stand in the doorway and look at it with fresh eyes. Ask yourself a few questions. Is the unit wider than the screen, with space on either side? Is the top surface holding no more than two or three objects? Are cables invisible from the sofa? Does the wood tone relate to at least one other piece in the room? Is there a soft light source nearby for the evening?

If the answer to each is yes, you have a TV wall that feels settled and calm. If something still looks busy, remove one item and look again. In Japandi styling, taking something away is often the final step.

When you are ready to put the room together, you can explore our full living room and TV collections at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes. Returns are available up to 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

What colour TV unit suits a Japandi living room?

Natural wood tones such as light oak, ash or walnut work best. Matt painted finishes in warm white, greige or soft clay are good alternatives. Avoid shiny gloss surfaces and bright colours, which feel too polished for the style.

Should a Japandi TV unit have doors or open shelves?

Closed storage is usually easier to live with, because it hides consoles, routers and remotes. A unit with mostly doors and one small open section gives you a place to display a single object without inviting clutter.

How high should a Japandi TV unit be?

Lower than you might expect. Japandi rooms often use low sofas, so a unit around knee to mid thigh height keeps the screen at a comfortable viewing level and leaves more open wall above.

Can I mix Japandi with other styles in the same room?

Yes, as long as the TV wall stays calm. Mid century pieces and simple modern furniture often blend well. The key is keeping materials natural and the colour palette restrained.