Couple Turned One Blank TV Wall Into Custom Built-Ins
Most TV walls stop with a media console pushed against the drywall. Reddit user u/Blazer127 had the same basic setup: a television mounted on a large blank wall with little storage around it.
Instead of replacing the console with another piece of furniture, the project used the entire wall. Base cabinets established the lower section, tall shelving filled both sides, and new construction framed the television in the center. Drawers, closed cabinets, open shelves, vertical paneling, and lighting followed as the wall took shape.
The television never needed to move. The bigger change came from turning the unused space around it into storage, display space, and cabinetry that stretches across almost the entire wall.
Blank Wall Left Most of the Space Unused
The original living room centered the television on a small white media console with wide sections of empty wall on both sides. Aside from a potted plant, almost nothing occupied the surrounding space.
Most of the wall contributed little beyond supporting the television, leaving storage, display space, and architectural detail missing from one of the room’s largest surfaces.
Paper Sketch Established the Entire Layout
Every cabinet, drawer, shelf, and opening appeared in the first drawing before plywood was cut. The plan balanced tall shelving on both sides with lower cabinets stretching beneath the television.
Dimensions also determined shelf spacing, drawer locations, and cabinet widths, allowing every section to work together as one continuous installation.
Individual Cabinet Boxes Formed the Foundation
Each cabinet started as a separate plywood box assembled with square corners before becoming part of the larger wall.
Building modular sections simplified construction and made installation easier once everything moved into the living room.
Base Cabinets Created One Continuous Wall
The lower cabinet boxes replaced the small media console with storage spanning nearly the entire wall. Open center compartments reserved space for electronics while wider cabinets filled the remaining length.
Instead of scattered furniture pieces, the room gained one uninterrupted built-in base.
Countertop Unified Every Cabinet
After the cabinet boxes were installed, a continuous top connected every section into one piece of furniture.
The uninterrupted surface visually ties the storage together while creating space beneath the television for decorative objects or everyday items.
Open Shelves Changed the Entire Wall
Floor-to-ceiling shelving transformed the empty sides of the television into display space without reducing the open feel of the room.
The matching height on both sides gives the television a permanent architectural frame instead of leaving it floating on the wall.
Built-Ins Changed the Entire Living Room
With the shelving installed, the living room already looked completely different even before paint, doors, or trim entered the project.
Storage, display, and the television now read as one built-in composition rather than separate furniture pieces.
Vertical Paneling Added Depth Behind the TV
Shiplap panels covered the center section behind the television while keeping the surrounding shelving smooth.
The vertical lines separate the television area from the rest of the built-in and give the lighting another surface to highlight.
Paint Turned Separate Pieces Into One Installation
Plastic sheeting protected the room while every visible cabinet surface received paint.
Once finished, the cabinetry, paneling, trim, and shelving enclosure read as one built-in installation instead of assembled plywood boxes.
Cabinet Construction Focused on Storage
Each cabinet box included adjustable shelving or drawer openings sized for everyday storage before doors covered the interiors.
Electronics, blankets, games, and household items all received dedicated space without changing the room’s footprint.
Wood Shelves Broke Up the White Cabinetry
Natural wood shelves contrast with the painted cabinets while repeating the warm tone inside the cabinet interiors.
Leaving the shelves unfinished introduces another layer of material without making the wall feel busy.
Painted Doors Completed the Built-In Look
Shaker doors and drawer fronts received paint before installation, giving every cabinet the same finish across the wall.
Simple black pulls add contrast without competing with the shelving or television.
Finished Wall Combines Display and Hidden Storage
Open shelving displays books, artwork, pottery, framed photos, and decorative objects while the lower cabinets conceal everyday clutter.
Each section performs a different function, making the wall work harder than a traditional media console ever could.
Drawers and Cabinets Keep Storage Flexible
Deep drawers hold larger household items while adjustable cabinet shelves accommodate electronics, baskets, or board games.
The combination offers more flexibility than filling every opening with identical shelves.
Before and After Shows How Much One Wall Can Change
The television stayed in nearly the same position, yet everything around it changed. Empty drywall became shelving, cabinetry, paneling, lighting, and hidden storage extending from one side of the room to the other.
Instead of relying on a single media console, the entire wall now functions as furniture while looking like it belonged there from the beginning.
All credits go to Reddit user u/Blazer127