Old chimneys, new focal points
Beeston is about five miles south-west of our base in Mapperley, and many of its older streets were laid out by land societies in late Victorian times: St John's Grove from 1878, and the Imperial Park and Bellevue Park estates from the late 1870s and 1881. Over the years many of these older houses have had their chimney stacks lowered. If yours is one of them and the chimney breast is still there indoors, it can become the core of a media wall. A new frame is built around and in front of it to take a TV recess and an inset electric fire, and the alcoves either side become lit niches. If the old flue is staying, keep any existing vent to it so the chimney can still breathe.
Beeston Rylands, Meadow Farm and Chilwell
South of the railway, Beeston Rylands has a broader mix: Victorian villas near the station, the 900 Cliftonside houses of the 1930s, post-war council homes and, at Meadow Farm, timber-framed semi-detached houses built in 1970. In a timber-framed house, the new frame has to be fixed into the structural studs rather than just the lining boards, so we find them before anything goes up. In Chilwell's 1950s Inham Nook estate or the newer houses at Birkin Fields, a plain lounge wall is a blank canvas for a full-width design.
The parts of a media wall
Each wall is planned around three things you choose: the TV, the fire and the storage. The TV fixes the size and height of its recess. The fire's installation instructions fix the opening, the clearances and any ventilation. Niches, shelves and a soundbar slot fill out the rest, often with LED strips set into channels so the light comes from nowhere you can see. Tell us about the depth of the room as well, since a fire and recess take up some space and it is worth knowing what that leaves in front of the sofa. Cables are routed inside the timber or metal frame before boarding, and a qualified electrician fits sockets and connects everything. The frame is then boarded, beaded and skimmed.
Getting a quote
St John's Grove and Cottage Grove are both conservation areas, which mainly affect the outside of houses; check with Broxtowe Borough Council first if your home is listed. Photos of the chimney breast and alcoves, with a tape measure in shot, help us suggest a layout before we visit. To talk through a media wall in Beeston, call 07877 353120 or use the enquiry form. We are open seven days, 7am to 5pm.
