The short answer
Start from the screen, not the wall. The panel behind the TV wants to be about 1ft wider than the screen, so a 55 inch TV takes a panel of about 5ft 1in. Tall units either side only make sense when the wall leaves room for them and the screen’s panel as well.
In this guide
How wide, for your screen?
| Screen | Screen width | Panel behind it |
|---|---|---|
| 43 inch | 3ft 1in | 4ft 1in |
| 55 inch | 3ft 11in | 5ft 1in |
| 65 inch | 4ft 9in | 5ft 9in |
| 75 inch | 5ft 5in | 6ft 5in |
The panel is never narrower than 4ft, four feet: below that it looks like a screen with nowhere to sit. Measure your TV across the glass, not the box it came in, and check its stand or wall mount.
The three parts of a TV unit
- The console, the low unit under the screen: 1ft 6in tall and 1ft 4in deep, fixed to the wall 1ft 2in off the floor so it is easy to clean under.
- The panel, the finished wall behind the screen that hides the cables and frames the TV.
- Tall units or open shelves standing on the console at one or both ends, for books, speakers and display.
Is there room for tall units?
A tall unit is 1ft 6in or 2ft wide and stands on the console, so the screen still needs its own 4ft between them.
| Wall for the TV unit | What fits |
|---|---|
| 4ft to 5ft 6in | The console and panel |
| 5ft 6in and more | One tall unit of 1ft 6in at one end |
| 6ft 11in and more | A tall unit at each end |
| Up to 13ft 9in | The widest TV unit we plan as one item |
Leave a little plain wall at each end of a TV unit rather than filling the wall corner to corner: the unit reads as furniture rather than as a wall of cabinets.
How high should the TV be?
The middle of the screen should sit near your eye height when you are seated, usually around a metre from the floor. A console that floats low keeps the screen there without craning your neck.
From our designer
The question I always ask is what else lives on that wall: a set-top box, a sound bar, a router. The console needs the right openings for them and a power point behind the panel, and it is much easier to plan than to add.
— An Ekatan designer
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Common questions
How wide should a TV unit be for a 55 inch TV?
A panel of about 5ft 1in, with the console under it. Tall units at the ends need more wall.
Should the TV unit touch the floor?
Ours floats: the console is fixed to the wall, clear of the floor, so you can clean under it.
Can I hide the TV cables?
Yes. The panel behind the TV hides them; plan a power point behind it before the panel goes up.
Related guides
Your home, before it’s built
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