TV unit colours are moving away from plain white and black towards deeper, more characterful shades. Charcoal and soft black give a grounded, tailored look. Deep teal and green bring richness without feeling loud. Warm neutrals such as greige and mushroom sit between the two, while natural oak and walnut remain a steady favourite. The common thread is warmth: colours that feel settled in a room rather than stark.
These shades are appearing across matt lacquers, painted woods and our modern high gloss TV stands in the UK, which now include deeper tones alongside classic white. Here is how each colour family works and how to use it in a real living room.
A TV unit is often the longest piece of furniture in a living room, and it sits beneath one of the largest dark objects in the house: the television. Its colour has a big effect on how that wall reads. A white unit under a black screen creates strong contrast, which draws attention to the television. A darker unit softens that contrast, so the screen blends into the wall rather than dominating it.
That is part of the reason deeper colours have become more common. They help the media wall feel like part of the room rather than a separate technical zone. Browse our complete range of TV stands and units for UK homes to see the full spectrum of finishes.
Charcoal has replaced harsh black as the go to dark neutral for many interiors. It is softer on the eye, shows dust less readily than true black and pairs easily with almost any colour.
A charcoal TV unit looks tailored and calm. It suits modern rooms, but also works in period homes where it can echo the dark grates of original fireplaces. For a sophisticated look, pair it with a charcoal or deep grey wall so the unit and television almost disappear into a single dark block, with the rest of the room kept lighter.
Brushed brass or bronze handles bring warmth to charcoal. Black handles keep it minimal.
Teal sits between blue and green and has a rich, enveloping quality. As a TV unit colour, it adds personality without the intensity of a bright shade. In a matt finish, it feels velvety and modern. In gloss, it becomes more dramatic and jewel like.
Teal works best with warm companions: ochre, mustard, rust, tan leather and brass. These contrast with the cool depth of the teal and keep the room from feeling cold. Against a white wall, a teal unit becomes a strong focal point. Against a charcoal wall, it feels moody and cocooning.
If you are not ready for a teal unit, you can introduce the colour through cushions, a rug or a vase and let a neutral unit anchor it.
Greens of all kinds remain a major colour story in interiors. Deep forest green gives a traditional, library like richness. Olive feels earthy and relaxed. Sage is softer and pairs beautifully with pale wood and linen.
Green TV units suit homes that lean towards natural materials. They sit comfortably with oak floors, rattan, stoneware and houseplants. In a small room, a lighter sage keeps things airy. In a larger space with good light, a deep forest green can make the media wall feel intentional and warm.
Not everyone wants a bold colour on a large piece of furniture. Warm neutrals offer a middle path. Greige blends grey and beige, mushroom has a soft brown undertone, and taupe leans slightly warmer still.
These shades are softer than white and less stark than grey. They hide marks well, suit family rooms and sit easily with other furniture. A mushroom TV unit with a matching wall creates a gentle tonal scheme that feels calm and considered.
Warm neutrals also work in high gloss, where the shine lifts the colour and bounces light around a smaller room.
Wood is less of a trend and more of a constant, but the tones in favour shift. Pale Scandinavian oak remains widely used, while mid toned natural oak and richer walnut have become more prominent as people look for warmth.
Walnut brings depth and pairs beautifully with teal, green and charcoal walls. Natural oak is more versatile and suits almost any colour scheme. Wood also brings texture, especially with fluted or ribbed fronts, so the colour of the grain is joined by the play of light across its surface.
White TV units have not disappeared. They remain a sensible choice for small, dark rooms where every bit of reflected light helps. The shift is towards softer whites: warm, creamy or chalky rather than bright and clinical.
If you already own a white unit and want to follow the move towards warmer colours, change the wall behind it. A deep teal or charcoal wall behind a white unit creates a crisp, graphic contrast that feels fresh.
The finish changes how a colour behaves. The same shade of teal will look very different in matt and in gloss.
In a room with a lot of daylight, matt or satin tends to be more comfortable near a television. In a darker room, gloss can lift the space.
A coloured TV unit works best as part of a considered palette. A simple approach is to choose three colours: a main neutral for the walls, the TV unit colour, and one accent.
Charcoal scheme: warm white walls, a charcoal unit and ochre or rust accents in cushions and a throw.
Teal scheme: soft grey or charcoal walls, a teal unit and mustard or brass accents.
Green scheme: warm white walls, an olive or sage unit and natural oak with terracotta pots.
Neutral scheme: mushroom walls, a matching unit and walnut or black accents.
Repeating the unit colour elsewhere in the room ties the scheme together. A sideboard in a matching or complementary shade works well in a living and dining space, and our high gloss sideboards UK range includes finishes that coordinate with our TV units. A rug that picks up the unit colour also helps, and our modern rugs UK collection offers plenty of options.
A coloured unit pairs well with glass, which lets the colour show through and keeps a scheme feeling light. A teal cabinet with a smoked glass coffee table, for example, feels layered rather than heavy. Our guide to glass TV units and finishes in the UK explains the different glass options.
Metal details change the character of a colour. Brass warms teal and green, chrome sharpens charcoal and grey, and black metal grounds lighter neutrals. Wood tones do something similar, and ribbed timber in particular adds depth to a neutral scheme, as our guide to fluted wood TV units for UK homes explains.
The same TV unit colour can look quite different from one home to the next, because British daylight varies so much by room orientation. North facing rooms receive cooler, flatter light, which can make charcoal look almost black and teal look slightly grey. Warmer versions of these colours, with a hint of brown or green in them, tend to hold up better there.
South facing rooms get warmer light for much of the day, which brings out the richness in deep greens and walnut. Cooler shades such as blue toned teal can look fresher in these rooms without becoming cold.
East and west facing rooms change through the day, bright in the morning or the evening respectively. Look at your chosen colour at the time you use the room most, which for a living room is often after dark. Under warm lamp light, most deep colours become softer and more enveloping, which is a large part of their appeal.
A TV unit is a long term purchase, so choose a colour you will be happy with for years, not only this season. If you are unsure, test the shade with paint samples on the wall where the unit will sit, and look at them in daylight and in the evening.
Deeper colours tend to age well because they feel settled and rich. Brighter shades can be more fun but may tire sooner. If you want to experiment, add colour through accessories first, then commit to a coloured unit once you are sure. See our full range of finishes at Furniture in Fashion.
Lighter colours and gloss finishes reflect more light. A unit that matches the wall colour also makes a room feel bigger because it blends in.
Not necessarily. A dark unit against a dark wall can recede visually, and it softens the contrast with the television screen.
Warm tones such as mustard, ochre, rust and tan leather, along with brass details and soft grey or charcoal walls.
No. Softer, warmer whites remain a practical choice, especially in small or dark rooms.
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