I love a project that turns a blank wall into a proper moment. This one began with a floating TV and a too-small console, and ended as a full, made-to-measure media wall with shaker fronts, floating shelves, a paneled TV niche, and that soft halo of bias light that makes everything feel… considered.

Below is my take—what’s smart about the design, the exact build sequence (mapped to your photos), and the little decisions that make the “after” feel calm and expensive without being precious.

Why this makeover works

1) The TV gets a stage, not just a bracket.
That shallow, vertical-panelled niche frames the screen and hides the LED strip so you get glow, not glare. It’s the single “hero move,” and everything else supports it.

2) Proper toe-kick = levitation trick.
Recessing the base gives you a shadow line so the run reads like built-ins, not a row of dressers. It’s subtle, but it’s the difference between “installed” and “designed.”

3) One idea, many backing singers.
Quiet shaker doors, pale timber shelves, matte black pulls— restrained, cohesive, and very liveable. You can style it seasonally without fighting the architecture.

4) Storage that matches real life.
Drawers left/right (fast access), doors in the centre (hide the tech). Cable management lives behind the doors; shelves carry the personality.

The build, step by step (linked to your photos)

Floating TV, visible cables, console undersized for the wall. Great canvas—no focal anchor.

A quick elevation sketch with bay widths, door/drawer layout, toe-kick depth, and TV opening. You locked proportions before cutting wood—gold move.

3/4″ plywood boxes, assembled square with corner clamps. Sturdy, forgiving, easy to finish.

V-groove/shiplap boards set plumb off a laser. Mask the outlet and pre-run your low-voltage (HDMI, optical, Ethernet) while the back is open.

Base levelled, uppers aligned, wiring threaded. This is where you fine-tune reveals and shelf spacing.

The whole wall tented and the doors sprayed flat in a spare room. Spraying the built-ins keeps the sheen dead-even; laying doors flat reduces sags and orange peel.

Media wall complete: warm back-glow to the TV, natural shelves for texture, black hardware for punctuation. It reads calm, modern, and genuinely useful.

Materials & method (what I’d repeat)

• Boxes: 3/4″ plywood (stays square, holds fasteners, strong shelves).

• Fronts: Shaker doors/drawer fronts (outsourcing these is a perfectly smart call if you’re new to door-making).

• Niche cladding: Vertical panelling for rhythm and shadow—painted to match.

• Shelves: Pale timber (kept natural/oiled) to break up the painted mass.

• Finish: Prime > sand > spray topcoat; doors laid flat for cure.

• Lighting: LED bias strip behind the TV edge (hidden source, even glow).

• Hardware: Simple black pulls/knobs—consistent finish across the run.

Height & spacing notes (so the proportions land)

• Toe-kick: ~4–5″ recess, 3–4″ height reads “built-in” and protects doors.

• Counter line: Aim ~30–32″ from floor to the top of the base run.

• TV centre: Roughly eye level seated (typically 38–44″ from floor), then tweak so a soundbar clears and the halo light is hidden.

• Shelf thickness/spacing: 1–1¼″ thick; 11–13″ verticals give books/objects breathing room.

• Side reveals: Keep consistent ⅛–¼″ reveals around doors/drawers for a crisp grid.

(These are comfort ranges—adjust to your wall height and screen size.)

Lessons learned (and tiny tweaks I’d add)

• Vent the AV bay. If a set-top box or hub lives behind doors, give it intake/exhaust— discreet grilles or a silent 80–120 mm fan on a 12 V adapter. Heat kills kit.

• Add a spare conduit now. A 1″ flexible conduit from TV niche to the base cabinet is future-you insurance for whatever HDMI 3.x turns into.

• Label behind the face. Before closing, snap photos of studs, conduits, and junctions; leave a printed map inside the centre doors.

• Cable hygiene. Brush plates + velcro ties. It’s five minutes that pays back for years.

What it cost in “effort”, not dollars

• Thinking time beats sanding time. That scrappy pencil elevation saved you days.

• Build what pays back, buy what’s fussy. Boxes are a great DIY win; doors are a rabbit hole.

• Masking is a multiplier. The more you tent and tape, the better “factory” your finish looks.

Quick checklist (pin this)

• Measure the wall; set bay widths that divide cleanly.
• Fix a toe-kick line and counter height before any cuts.
• Frame the TV niche; route power + low-voltage; test the LED glow.
• Carcasses in 3/4″ ply; fix to studs through continuous backers.
• Panel the niche; laser plumb; scribe side fillers for tight walls.
• Prime, sand, spray; doors laid flat to cure.
• Hardware on a simple grid; one metal finish throughout.
• Vent the tech bay; add a spare conduit.
• Photograph the “inside” before you close.

Final thought

This isn’t just “a TV wall.” It’s a calm storage spine that earns its footprint every day—drawers where you need them, doors where you don’t, shelves for the nice things, and a TV that finally looks like it belongs. Keep the hero move (that paneled niche + halo), keep the palette quiet, and let the joinery do the talking. The result is very US/UK modern: soft, useful, and built to last.