How to Choose the Right TV Unit for Your Living Room

A TV unit is one of the main pieces in a living room. It holds the television and often becomes the focal point of the space, around which the sofa, coffee table and other furniture are arranged.

Beyond its visual role, a TV unit also needs to be practical: it should support the screen properly, organise electronic devices and help keep cables tidy. That is why many modern TV units are designed with rear cable management holes and technical compartments that help hide plugs, extension leads and connections between the television and media devices.

In this guide, we look at how to choose the right TV unit, starting with dimensions, height, type and the overall organisation of the TV area in the living room.

How to choose the right TV unit for your living room

To choose the most suitable TV unit for your living room, it helps to start with a few practical considerations. These are the most useful steps for finding a balanced and functional solution.

1. Check the size of your television
   The width of the unit should be in proportion to the TV.
2. Measure the available wall space
   The TV area should still leave room for the other elements in the living room.
3. Consider the height of the unit
   Height affects viewing comfort when watching TV from the sofa.
4. Think about media devices
   Set-top boxes, game consoles and soundbars all need dedicated space.
5. Choose a style that works with the room
   The TV unit should sit well with the sofa, coffee table and the rest of the furniture.

If you would like to browse some available options, you can start here: TV units.

TV unit dimensions: width, depth and proportions

For a balanced arrangement, the unit should usually be wider than the television. This proportion makes the wall feel more visually stable and gives you room for media devices or decorative accessories.

Where space allows, it is often better to choose a unit that is slightly wider, so the TV wall feels more balanced within the room.

Besides width, it is also worth considering the depth of the TV unit. In most living rooms, a well-balanced depth gives enough room for devices, cable routing and power supplies without making the wall feel too heavy. A unit that is too deep can reduce freedom of movement, while one that is too shallow may make the technical setup less practical.

TV unit height, screen position and socket planning

The height of a TV unit affects both viewing comfort and the practical setup of the wall. When planning the TV area, it is important to think not only about the look of the furniture, but also about the position of power sockets, screen height and tidy cable routing.

In many homes, TV sockets are installed at around 30 cm from the floor. For this reason, many living rooms use a TV unit around 40 cm high: this size allows the unit to cover the sockets and lets cables pass neatly through rear cable openings, keeping the wall cleaner and more organised.

Of course, there are also lower TV units. In those cases, sockets may remain partially visible behind the television or above the unit. The right height therefore depends not only on design, but also on how the wall has been prepared electrically.

When the television is placed directly on the unit, this is generally the simplest option: cables can run through the cable management openings and connect easily to media devices stored inside the unit.

If you prefer the TV to sit slightly higher than the unit, or if the sockets have been positioned higher up (for example between 70 and 90 cm from the floor), it can be useful to choose a TV unit with an integrated bracket or support post. These systems allow the screen to be fixed above the unit, often with an internal cable management system that hides the wires inside the structure. In many cases, the bracket or post is also adjustable, so you can slightly change the viewing angle.

Alternatively, the television can be mounted directly on the wall with a bracket. Even in this case, the TV unit still plays an important role in organising media devices, game consoles, set-top boxes and cables, while providing useful storage underneath.

From an ergonomic point of view, the goal is always the same: the screen should sit at a comfortable height when viewed from the sofa, without forcing you to tilt your neck too much. If you also want to understand the ideal distance between sofa and television, you can read our guide to living room dimensions and spacing.

Wall-mounted or floor-standing TV unit

TV units can be installed on the floor or mounted on the wall. The best choice depends on the style of the room and the structure of the wall.

In general, a wall-mounted TV unit works well when you want to make the wall feel lighter and create a more contemporary result. A floor-standing TV unit, on the other hand, is often more practical when you need more storage, more room for media devices or a simpler installation.

Freestanding TV stands and room-divider solutions

Alongside traditional TV units, there are also freestanding TV stands, sometimes used as centre-of-room TV solutions.

These supports are designed to be finished on all sides and can be placed in the middle of a room, not only against a wall.

Many models also allow you to rotate the television up to around 180°, so the screen can be viewed from different areas of the living space.

When a freestanding TV stand makes sense

• open-plan layouts where the sofa is not placed against a wall
• very spacious living rooms
• situations where the TV helps divide two areas of the home

Things to consider

• floor power outlet
  To avoid visible cables between the wall and the stand, it is better to have power available directly from the floor.
• maximum TV size
  For stability and safety reasons, many freestanding TV stands support televisions up to around 60–65 inches.

For very large televisions, a traditional TV unit or a full wall composition is often the better option.

How to organise media devices, cables and audio equipment

A good TV unit should not only support the television, but also organise everything around the media area in a practical way. Besides the TV itself, living rooms often include set-top boxes, games consoles, streaming devices, routers, soundbars and other audio equipment.

For this reason, it is useful to choose a unit designed with rear cable management, dedicated compartments and enough technical space to hold power supplies, extension leads and connections without leaving wires visible. A well-organised interior makes the TV wall look cleaner, makes maintenance easier and improves everyday usability.

The most functional solutions usually include:

• open compartments, useful for devices that are used often, such as set-top boxes or consoles;
• glass doors, which allow remote-control signals to pass through while keeping the unit tidier;
• closed compartments, suitable for hiding less frequently used devices or technical accessories;
• space for extension leads and power supplies, helping to avoid messy cable build-up behind the unit.

If the devices are hidden inside a closed compartment, you can also use an IR repeater: this system receives the remote-control signal from outside and transmits it to the devices inside the unit.

If the living room is also intended for a more immersive audio experience, it is worth planning from the start for a soundbar, speakers and a subwoofer. A soundbar is generally placed below the television or directly on top of the unit, while more complete audio systems require more careful planning of compartments, ventilation and cable routing.

Some TV units also include a dedicated audio compartment, closed with a perforated panel that allows sound to travel while keeping the overall design visually consistent. If you use several devices or a more advanced home cinema setup, it may be better to choose a modular TV unit, which is easier to adapt to your needs over time.

If you would like to compare solutions with technical compartments, cable management and space for devices, you can also browse our selection of TV units.

What is the difference between a TV unit and a wall unit?

A TV unit is usually a single, low and horizontal piece of furniture, designed to hold the television and media devices.

A wall unit, on the other hand, is a larger composition that may include different elements such as:

• TV unit
• wall cabinets
• bookcases
• shelves

In general, a TV unit is often the better choice when you want a simple, light and easy-to-place solution, especially in small or medium-sized living rooms. A wall unit is more suitable when you need more storage and want to organise the TV area as part of a fuller furniture composition.

In some living rooms, the TV area can also be completed with bookcases or open shelving modules, creating a lighter arrangement than a full wall unit.

Common mistakes to avoid

When choosing a TV unit, some mistakes come up again and again: wrong dimensions, uncomfortable height, poor cable planning or proportions that do not suit the room. Avoiding them helps create a TV area that feels neater, more practical and more pleasant to use every day.

• Choosing a unit that is too small for the TV
  If the unit is too narrow compared with the screen, the whole arrangement feels less balanced and the TV wall can look visually unstable. A slightly wider unit usually creates a tidier and better-proportioned result.
• Mounting the TV too high
  One of the most common mistakes is placing the television too high compared with the sofa seating position. This forces you to lift your neck while watching and reduces comfort, especially during longer viewing sessions.
• Visible cables with no proper cable management
  Cables left exposed behind the unit or running along the wall immediately make the TV area look untidy. Cable outlets, technical compartments and correct socket positioning help keep the composition cleaner and more organised.
• Compartments that are too small for your devices
  Set-top boxes, consoles, routers or soundbars need real usable space, not just a compartment that looks suitable on paper. If the compartments are too narrow, it becomes harder to connect devices, route cables and maintain proper ventilation.
• A unit that is too deep for the room
  A TV unit with excessive depth can make the wall feel heavier and reduce freedom of movement in the living room, especially in smaller spaces. Depth should always be considered in relation to the available room and surrounding furniture.

Frequently asked questions

How wide should a TV unit be?

The unit should generally be wider than the television to maintain a balanced composition.

What is the ideal height for a TV unit?

In most living rooms, the height is usually between 40 and 60 cm.

Is a wall-mounted or floor-standing TV unit better?

A wall-mounted unit looks lighter visually, while a floor-standing one usually offers more storage space.

Is it better to place the TV on the unit or mount it on the wall?

It depends on the result you want. A TV placed directly on the unit is usually the simplest and most practical solution, while a wall-mounted TV creates a cleaner and more modern look. In both cases, the unit remains useful for storing devices and organising cables.

When is a freestanding or centre-of-room TV stand a good idea?

It is especially useful in open-plan spaces or very large living rooms, when the TV does not need to sit against a wall. However, it does require careful planning of power access and attention to the maximum supported screen size.

Useful related guides

• How to furnish a living room
• Living room dimensions and spacing
• How to choose a sofa
• How to choose a coffee table
• How to choose a wall unit