Media wall ideas: How to decorate your living room creatively

From sleek, modern styles to softer, more traditional looks, we know of loads of top media wall ideas to update your home.

 

Living rooms are such important parts of the house. They’re the rooms in which people gather to catch up, watch films, play board games or even just curl up with a good book. As such, they deserves particular attention in home decoration plans.

 

One of the best ways to make a statement with your living room is with a media wall. These are feature walls that centre on your entertainment system, such as your television.

 

Media walls are incredibly effective ways to inject personality and warmth into the space, creating a focal point while offering extra storage solutions. But, with so many potential styles to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start.

 

To help you find the right approach for you, we’ve gone through some of our favourite suggestions below.

 

7 top media wall ideas

1. Add wall panelling to your media wall

 

To add depth and interest to a media wall, consider installing decorative wall panelling.

 

In the picture above, ribbed panelling has been added to the shelving units, adding gorgeous texture and shadows to the wall. The joinery was completed by the brilliant people at Get That Covered, using ribbed wall panels from Panelling Direct.

 

The result is a simple yet eye-catching media wall that is perfect for a modern home.

 

2. Include clever lighting

There are a few approaches you can take to lighting your media wall, depending on the style you’re aiming for.

 

If you’re installing shelving units around the TV, consider adding spotlights within each one. This is a great way to highlight your favourite objects, giving the impression of an art gallery.

 

Keen to go a bit bolder? Try introducing new colours into your scheme with LED lights, either around the screen or within shelving units.

 

It’s also possible to get TVs with built-in lights that frame the screen with moving colours, such as the Philips Ambilight.

 

3. Fill your media wall with art

One media wall trend that’s very popular is adding shelves around a TV lined with small sculptures.

 

To achieve this on a budget, have a look at ornaments in shops like Dunelm and Next. You can find some beautiful home decor pieces for under £20.

 

For inspiration, see Molly-Mae’s home Instagram account. She recently shared a picture of her media wall that was decorated with abstract sculptures and vases, all in similar neutral colours. The wall was made yet more striking by a grand fireplace, which brings us to our next point…

 

4. Design your media wall around a fireplace

Media walls with fireplaces are the height of luxury. In winter, especially, watching a cosy film with the fire on is bliss.

 

Again, the media wall in the picture was installed by Get That Covered. It includes an electric fireplace, which is generally a safer option than a wood burner.

 

When adding a fireplace to a media wall (especially wood burners and gas fires), be careful to protect the TV from heat damage. Mantels and heat guards help, and it’s also a good idea to do a few key checks:

• Ensure there’s adequate ventilation to minimise the risk of the TV overheating.
• Think about the type of fireplace you have (e.g. a log burner or electric). If it emits a lot of smoke, this could damage the TV.
• Make sure the wall above the TV can sustain the weight if it’s a chimney breast.
• Check your TV’s heat resistance levels to ensure it can sustain the temperature above a fireplace.

Another thing to keep in mind is whether a TV above the fireplace would be too high to comfortably watch. This shouldn’t be as much of an issue with electric fires like the one above, as they don’t need to be super tall. It’s just something to consider before mounting the TV on your wall, particularly if you have a large fireplace.

 

5. Build book shelves around your television

Ever dreamt of having your own home library? If so, this tip is for you.

 

A media wall filled with book shelves creates that library feel, putting your favourite novels at the heart of the room’s design.

 

If you don’t yet have enough books to fill the shelves, consider buying some second-hand, such as from charity shops. This is a good excuse to add a few new titles to your to-be-read list, all in the name of great interior design, of course.

 

Top tip: For more traditional decor, look for antique hardback books. Ones with clothbound covers will bring in some lovely textures, and the faded colours will look beautiful with a neutral colour scheme. 

 

6. Colour drench the media wall

When watching telly, you often want to avoid too many distractions. This is something to be wary of when planning your media wall.

 

Bold, contrasting colours may look great as a feature, but they likely won’t be the most effective at helping you switch off.

 

With this in mind, colour drenching is a top choice for media walls. Keep in mind the scheme of the rest of the room, and use the dominant colour for the wall around your TV for a subtly curated look.

 

7. Use complementary colours

Subtlety not your thing? You by no means have to colour drench media walls. But, if choosing to introduce more than one colour, we do suggest thinking carefully about which ones are complementary.

 

A good way to approach this is by panelling some parts of the wall and painting those areas one colour, with the un-panelled sections painted as a slight contrast.

 

It could be that you add half-wall panelling, or maybe ribbed panelling within shelving units to add an interesting texture.

 

Whatever style you choose, our collection of wall panelling kits should have what you’re looking for.

 

Wall panelling tips for media walls

When comparing media wall designs, think carefully about texture and depth. As a general rule, it’s best to place the TV on the outermost part of the wall, with any shelving going further back. This gives the impression that the shelves are nestled into the wall.

 

However, if you’re working with a small space, you might prefer to keep the media wall more shallow. A good way to achieve this is with wall panels.

 

Panelling adds texture to the wall without taking up much space.

 

One option is tongue and groove which offers consistent vertical panelling.

 

Alternatively, for a classic square formation of panels, try shaker wall panelling. We have a made-to-measure wall panelling creator to help you get the perfect fit for your room.

 

Ultimately, think about what would most suit your home. In new builds, for example, modern media walls with sleek shapes tend to look really impressive. In older buildings, on the other hand, more traditional walls with softer edges often work well.

 

Hopefully, with the media wall ideas we’ve covered here, you can find the perfect style for your home.

 

Looking for more home inspiration? Discover our favourite wall panelling ideas.