How to Design a Media Wall Around an Electric Fireplace
A media wall can be a great feature of any living room. But when it comes to designing a wall that fits with your existing decor and stays within your budget, you might feel pretty overwhelmed with where to start.
Here, you’ll learn how to design a media wall for your living room, specifically if you’re planning to install an electric fireplace or you already have one installed.
Start By Choosing Your Fireplace
If you haven’t done so already, your first step is to choose an electric fireplace that’s suitable for your room size and meets your heating needs.
You’ve got a few different options here, including wall-mounted, inset, and built-in styles. If you want to keep up with modern media wall trends, you might want to go with a timeless marble fireplace or a floating fireplace design.
Decide early where you want the fireplace to go. The standard choice is to centre it on a main wall, typically beneath a mounted TV (with enough space above the unit to prevent damage to the electronics).
Frame the Wall for Looks and Function
Your next job is to build out the wall that’ll house the fireplace and cables. Most media walls use timber stud frames that are covered in plasterboard. Just make sure you use fire-rated materials around the fireplace cavity, and ask an expert at your local DIY store if you’re unsure.
Once you’ve done this, it’s time to decide how you’ll manage wires. Ideally, you want to conceal any power cords and HDMI cables inside the frame itself. You also have the option of adding extra outlets or ports while the wall is open, especially if you’re planning to run LED strips or a soundbar.
Build Storage Into the Design
You want your media wall to look tidy even when it’s fully loaded, and the smart way to achieve this is by factoring storage into the design. You might want shelves (for display) or cupboards (to hide clutter). If you like the floating media wall look, you’ll probably prefer to use wall-mounted cabinets under the fireplace, with symmetrical shelving on both sides.
Keep in mind that your media wall will need depth to hold devices, so your shelving shouldn’t be too shallow. To give you a starting point, standard AV equipment generally needs at least 12 to 15 inches of internal space.
Match Your Wall to the Room Style
Now for the fun part: thinking about how you can match your media wall to the rest of your room.
That means using the same colour palette and even similar textures, so it looks cohesive with the space you’ve created. Keep your room size in mind, too. The last thing you want is to make your small living room feel cramped with a media wall that has too many materials or layers. If you’ve got a bigger, open-plan home, you can go bigger with your media wall too, using it as a natural divider between zones.
