Bespoke media walls in Twickenham & Teddington

The fireplace was already fixed on the project described in our retained-fireplace article. Its mantel set a height for the new cabinetry to work around, and we centred the TV above the fire rather than on the whole wall. This completed example is from our wider portfolio.

The client kept the fire she liked, but the surrounding framing needed more work than a completely new layout. If you want the same approach, send the fire's model and installation details first. We check its clearances and service access before drawing joinery around it. Keeping it is a design choice, not an automatic saving across the whole build.

Start by showing us where you want the screen in the room you already use. Then compare it with the chimney breast and any fireplace staying beneath it. Those centre lines can differ. We draw the TV in relation to both before settling the cabinet widths.

You do not need matching shelves to make an off-centre screen look intentional. One side can take more shelving while the other has a narrower cabinet. Check the complete drawing, including nearby doors and windows, rather than judging two isolated cupboard designs.

If you are worried about a gap above the cabinets, ask to see that junction on the drawing before agreeing the build. The options depend on the ceiling and cornice: stop deliberately below the existing moulding, or agree a closing detail where the joinery meets it. An unexplained gap left at fitting is a different matter.

Show us which mouldings must stay. We survey their projection and agree how the cabinet top and ends meet them. At floor level, the drawing should also show the plinth meeting the skirting, with any finishing and making good recorded in the quotation.

Measure both alcoves separately. Forcing identical cupboards into unequal spaces can leave awkward fillers or storage too narrow for its contents. One side could hold larger items behind doors while the other has shallow shelves.

Ask for the usable cupboard width, not only the outside measurement. The cabinet sides and any fitting allowance take up part of the alcove. We also check whether an opening door clears the adjacent wall or trim. That can decide the layout before the decorative details do.

A door needs an opening gap; an unfinished joint against the wall is a different detail. Ask which gaps are intentional and which edges will be filled, trimmed or painted. The agreed drawing and finish specification give you something concrete to check when the work is complete.

At handover, look along the cupboard fronts as well as straight at them, open the doors and check the junctions discussed at the survey. We also show you the access panel and lighting controls. Tell us about parking or building access restrictions before the installation so they are part of the plan.