Start with the sofa
Long Eaton is known for upholstery. It took over as the lace trade declined in the 1920s, and in 2014 the town was established as the UK Centre of Quality Upholstery Manufacture. So it seems fitting to plan a media wall from the sofa outwards. Where you sit decides how far away the screen is, what size suits the room and how high the recess should be, and the rest of the wall follows from there. Sit where you normally watch and notice where your eyes land on the opposite wall: that is roughly where the middle of the screen wants to be. Measure the distance from the sofa to the wall, too, as it helps when choosing the size of TV.
Victorian terraces, semis and newer flats
Long Eaton is about eight miles south-west of our base in Mapperley, just over the border in Derbyshire. Much of the centre is Victorian or early 20th century, and streets such as King Street, Prince Street and Princess Street are mostly high-density Victorian terraces, with Victorian semi-detached houses on Lime Grove. In a terrace the front room is usually compact and often has a chimney breast, so a slimmer design that wraps the breast and keeps the alcoves shallow saves floor space. The semis on Lime Grove, with a little more room, can take a wider design with a soundbar slot and tall lit niches. If you live in a flat, such as those on the former speedway stadium site, check your lease and ask the building's managing agent before planning any alterations.
The build
The frame is made from timber or metal studs and fixed to the floor, ceiling and wall, with solid backing behind the TV bracket. If you want an inset electric fire, its installation instructions set the opening, clearances and ventilation, and the frame is built to them. Alcoves can be as simple as two open shelves either side or a run of vertical slots; if you collect books, records or games, tell us the sizes so the niches suit them. Cable routes for the screen, soundbar, fire and LED channels are worked out inside the frame before a board goes on, and a qualified electrician installs the sockets and connections. After boarding, the edges are beaded and the whole face is skimmed, so the joins between boards disappear and every recess edge reads as a sharp, clean line.
Booking
Call 07877 353120 or send photos of the room through the enquiry form. We work seven days a week from 7am to 5pm, and cover all of Long Eaton, from West Park to the streets around the Market Place.
