A custom entertainment unit transforms your living room from ordinary to extraordinary. Unlike freestanding TV stands and media consoles, a built-in entertainment wall is designed for your specific space, wired for your exact equipment, and finished to match your home's architectural style. Here's what to know before you start planning.
Why Choose a Built-In Over Furniture?
Freestanding media furniture has limitations: it comes in standard sizes that rarely match your wall perfectly, wires dangle behind it, and it doesn't provide the integrated, custom look that a built-in achieves. A custom entertainment unit fills your wall completely - floor to ceiling, side to side - with no gaps, no visible wires, and perfectly proportioned shelving and storage.
Design Options
The most popular entertainment unit designs we build include: full-wall units with the TV recessed into a custom niche, fireplace surrounds with flanking bookshelves and closed storage above, floating media cabinets with open shelving above, and symmetrical built-ins with a combination of open display shelving, glass-front cabinets, and closed base storage.
Entertainment walls pair beautifully with other custom millwork projects. Many clients who invest in a media wall also commission a custom home office or mudroom storage system at the same time, taking advantage of having our team on-site and achieving consistent finishes throughout the home. All built-ins are finished with the same commercial-grade lacquer we use on our custom kitchen cabinetry, in any colour from Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams.
Features to Consider
Concealed wiring is essential - we route all cables through the back of the unit so they're completely hidden. Adjustable shelving allows you to reconfigure as your equipment or display items change. Integrated LED lighting (warm white is most popular) adds ambiance and highlights displayed items. Ventilation is engineered into any enclosed sections to prevent electronics from overheating.
Cost Ranges
Entertainment built-ins in Barrie and Simcoe County typically cost between $8,000 and $20,000 depending on size, complexity, and finishes. A simple flanking bookcase design on a single wall starts around $8,000. A full floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall unit with a fireplace integration, multiple storage types, and custom lighting can reach $15,000-$20,000+.
The Build Process
Entertainment units follow the same process as our other millwork: site visit, design, approval, fabrication in our workshop, and professional installation. Most projects take 4-6 weeks from design approval to installation. For units that integrate with fireplaces or require electrical work, we coordinate with licensed trades to ensure everything is up to code.
Ready to start your project? Book a free consultation with our design team, or call us at (705) 726-1711 to discuss your vision.