Bespoke media walls in Bromley

Existing panelling was the useful reference in a design-stage brief from our wider work. The client was building his own home and wanted the media wall to have the same traditional feel. Our early geometric shelving and Venetian plaster ideas had missed that preference, and he said so.

The revised concepts used framed cabinetry and regular shelf divisions. If the first ideas feel wrong, point to a detail you want us to follow. A photograph of a door or panel already in your house can be more useful than another complete media wall reference.

Look at the base cupboards in the drawing with the television and shelf divisions visible above them. If the doors feel too narrow or the handles seem crowded, alter the divisions before adding more moulding. Making every detail heavier will not correct the proportions.

For a traditional arrangement, we compare the frame width with the centre panel left inside it. Keep one version with simpler doors when reviewing the options. You can then decide whether the extra detail improves the whole wall or just makes each cupboard busier.

Before approving a painted finish, ask to see the intended sheen as well as the colour. Hold the sample in your room and look at it from the side. A shade you like on the wall may look different across a cupboard door under the shelf lighting.

Ask what preparation and coating are specified for the joinery, particularly if you are comparing quotes that simply say painted. Agree any protective coat as part of that finish. Adding an unplanned clear coat later can change the appearance; it is not a substitute for choosing the right finish beforehand.

We developed the traditional concepts without books or ornaments. The empty shelves made the proportions visible. For your own design, review an undecorated version before deciding how many compartments you want; you should not need a collection of objects to make the joinery look right.

Then list what you will actually display. If the list is short, keep fewer open shelves and put the rest of the storage behind doors. Decide which compartments need light individually. That avoids committing to a whole wall of illuminated shelves when you only want a quiet evening glow.

When a design moves from geometric shelving to traditional cabinets, more changes than the appearance. Door construction, handles and finishing need to follow the new drawing. Before accepting a quote, check that it identifies the version you agreed rather than an earlier concept.

Check the fitting scope alongside the finish: the agreed lighting, electrical work and making good should be recorded, with equipment supply identified separately. We work through those points before the final quotation. If another price is lower, compare those items to see which parts of the job differ.