How to Create Your Own Semicustom Media Wall
Have you ever priced a built-in? I had 17 feet of wall space in my basement
for a TV and storage for DVDs, board games and books. One of the
contractors bidding on my basement renovation quoted me about $9,000 for
the built-in alone. That wasn’t in my budget, so I moved to plan B.
A combination of pieces from the Ikea Hemnes line became the backbone for the media wall.
I figured out the dimensions and put together a custom assortment of
pieces that worked. About $2,000 later (including labor, wood and
hardware), I had my built-in.
Starting with a blank canvas made
it easy to plan out this storage wall. After figuring out the layout of
the rest of the room, I had a 17-foot-wide wall to work with.
The original plan was to center the built-in with a couple of inches of wall space on either side. After seeing how little space would be left over I decided to space the pieces out over the entire 17 feet.
I created a mood board
to capture the general look and feel of the finished room. This way I
was able to visualize how my built-in could fit in with any room and
design style.
I decided on the Hemnes line for two main reasons. First, the pieces are solid pine, not MDF or melamine.
This means they will hold up to the years of wear and tear we plan to
unleash on it. My second reason was the clean straight lines. Any
combination of pieces can be transformed into one built-in.
I wanted a symmetrical-looking
piece with space for a wall-mounted television in the center. After
measuring about 15 times to make sure it would fit, I placed my order.
Home delivery was another perk of this project. No trip to Ikea was
involved whatsoever!
The hardest part was putting the pieces together. Once everything was assembled, I arranged the pieces against the wall.
The hardest part was putting the pieces together. Once everything was assembled, I arranged the pieces against the wall.
After the pieces were in
the correct location, I pulled the two larger pieces on either side of
the TV unit forward to line up with the face of the TV unit. The TV unit
was a different depth but I wanted all pieces to line up flush in
front.
My contractor took over at this point. Wood was put behind each of these sections to stabilize them, since they were not sitting against the wall. A large piece of baseboard molding was placed along the entire front of the 17-foot built-in. This hid the legs of each of the pieces and created the built-in look.
My contractor took over at this point. Wood was put behind each of these sections to stabilize them, since they were not sitting against the wall. A large piece of baseboard molding was placed along the entire front of the 17-foot built-in. This hid the legs of each of the pieces and created the built-in look.
The contractor added a soffit above the built-in to hide pipes and wires and finish off the built-in look.
Walls elsewhere in the basement
have a board and batten detail, which I wanted to continue between the
built-in’s bookshelves. This helps unify the space and creates a
framework behind the television.
I didn’t use the top of the TV unit that came with the piece because it was too wide for the central space between bookcases. To replace it, we cut a new piece of pine to fit.
I didn’t use the top of the TV unit that came with the piece because it was too wide for the central space between bookcases. To replace it, we cut a new piece of pine to fit.
An outlet and multiple HDMI cables were installed and the wiring was hidden behind the wall.
The cables and an outlet are accessible for the Blu-ray and Wii. We have plenty of space and cables for future needs.
Now it was time to paint. We removed the knobs
and covered the glass and sprayed the built-in, along with the rest of
the board and batten throughout the room. Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White was the paint of choice. With a low ceiling and only one window, this room needs all the help it can get!
I lined the back of the
bookshelves with shelf liner from Chic Shelf Paper. With lots of options
and colors to choose from, I was able to find one that wasn’t too bold
but still had enough of a contrast. The same thing can be done with
wallpaper, paint or even wrapping paper.
We centered the television on a universal wall mount.
Accessories and books
filled the shelves, board games went into the large drawers and remotes
and DVDs went into the small drawers. Everything has a place, and then
some.
