Buntingford, Hertfordshireinfo@barnetts-bespoke.co.uk Mon–Sat · Free estimates07460 096137 HomeAboutServicesCarpentry & JoineryExtensionsLoft ConversionsKitchensBathroomsFitted WardrobesHome OfficesMedia WallsGarden RoomsRoofingPainting & Decorating AreasHertfordshireBedfordshireLondonBuntingfordStevenageBishop's StortfordHertfordWareHitchin Our WorkReviewsContact07460 096137Request Estimate - Home - Services - Media Walls Services · Media Walls # Bespoke Media Walls in Hertfordshire —built-in TV walls with storage,shelving and a fire. A media wall is a purpose-built feature wall that houses your TV flush in the joinery, hides every cable, and integrates shelving, closed storage and — where you want one — a wide electric fire. Designed around your room, made to your dimensions, finished to joinery standard. Request Free Estimate 07460 096137 4.98 / 5 on Trust a Trader · Level 3 City & Guilds joiner · Owner-led craft joinery. Experience 20+ years Public liability £1,000,000 Rating 4.98 / 5 Trust a Trader Guarantee 12-month workmanship Certified BM TRADA · City & Guilds L3 Overview ## What a Barnett's media walls project actually covers. What it is A media wall replaces the TV-on-a-bracket-with-a-sideboard-under-it arrangement with a single built-in piece of joinery: a panelled or flat-fronted wall, a recess sized to your screen, concealed cable routes, ventilated space for a soundbar and consoles, floating shelves, cupboards, LED detailing and often a slimline electric fireplace beneath the screen. Who it's for Homeowners across Hertfordshire — from period cottages in Buntingford and Much Hadham to newer family homes in Stevenage, Hertford and Bishop's Stortford — who want the living room, snug or loft space to feel designed rather than furnished. When you need it When you're redecorating a living room, finishing an extension or loft conversion, or simply tired of trailing cables and mismatched furniture on the main wall of the house. Why it matters Because a media wall is the focal point of the room you spend most evenings in. Done as carpentry — scribed to the walls, plumb, flush, properly ventilated — it looks part of the house. Done as flat-pack, it looks stuck on. What goes wrong ## The cost of getting this wrong. Media walls look simple in a photo, which is exactly why so many go wrong. Almost all the difficult work is hidden behind the panels. Risks if ignored - —TV recesses cut to the screen's advertised size with no tolerance — the set won't sit back, or the bracket fouls the frame. - —No ventilation designed in behind the screen, amplifier or console, so equipment runs hot and its life shortens. - —Electric fires installed hard against combustible timber without the manufacturer's clearances observed. - —New sockets and aerial points added by whoever was on site rather than a qualified electrician, with no certificate. - —Stud frames fixed to bowed walls without packing or scribing, so the finished panelling waves under raking light. - —Cable routes sealed shut, so a future upgrade means cutting the joinery open. Common mistakes - —Buying the fireplace after the joinery is built — dimensions and clearances should drive the design, not follow it. - —Centring the TV on the wall instead of on the seating position. - —Choosing a screen recess so tight it can never take a bigger TV. - —Skipping the pull-through conduits, then discovering there's no way to add an HDMI run later. Our process ## How a media walls project runs, step by step. - 01 ### Site survey Charlie visits, measures the wall, checks it for plumb and bow, notes existing sockets and aerial points, and talks through screen size, fire options, storage and finish in the actual room. - 02 ### Design & written quotation You get a layout, materials and finish specification and a fixed, itemised quotation — joinery, electrics, fire and decoration all priced, usually within seven days. - 03 ### First fix & electrics Stud framework built and packed level, cable conduits and ventilation designed in, and a qualified electrician moves or adds sockets, aerial and fire supply with the certification to match. - 04 ### Joinery & installation Carcasses, panelling, shelving and the screen recess are made to your dimensions, scribed to the walls and ceiling, and fitted flush with clean shadow gaps and mitres. - 05 ### Fire, decoration & finish The electric fire is set to the manufacturer's clearances, joinery is filled, sanded and painted or sprayed, and LED lighting is set and tested. - 06 ### Snagging & handover We hang the screen, dress the cables, walk the finished wall with you and hand over with the 12-month workmanship guarantee in writing. Benefits ## What you actually get from Barnett's Bespoke. ### Every cable hidden Power, HDMI, aerial and network all routed inside the wall through conduits you can still pull new cables through later. ### Scribed to your actual room Fitted to your walls, floor and ceiling — no filler strips, no gaps at the skirting, no waving panels. ### Storage that earns its place Closed cupboards for consoles and clutter, open shelving for the things you want on show, drawers where they make sense. ### Fireplace integrated properly Slimline electric fires set with the correct clearances and ventilation, so the joinery around them stays safe and stable. ### Designed to be upgradeable Recess sized with tolerance and conduits left accessible, so a bigger screen or a new soundbar doesn't mean new joinery. ### 12-month workmanship guarantee Standard in writing, backed by £1,000,000 public liability insurance. In detail ## The specifics behind the media walls. Materials, methods, variations and the things that actually decide whether the finished job holds up over the decade after we hand it over. ### What actually goes into a media wall A timber stud framework packed and levelled off the existing wall; ventilated voids behind the screen and equipment; conduit runs from the recess down to the cupboards; a screen recess sized with tolerance around the TV and its bracket; MR-MDF or birch-ply carcassing; panelling in shaker, flat-panel or fluted profile; solid oak or painted shelving; soft-close doors and drawers; warm-white LED strip in shadow gaps or under shelves; and, where specified, a slimline electric fire set to its clearances. ### Styles we build Full-height panelled walls that read as architecture; flush, handleless flat-fronted walls for contemporary rooms; fluted and reeded panelling for texture; alcove-and-chimney-breast versions that work with the existing wall shape rather than against it; and traditional painted cabinetry with glazed uppers for period homes. ### Electric fires and clearances Most media walls use a slimline inset electric fire, because it needs no flue and no gas certification, throws no real heat at the joinery, and can run flame-only in summer. Each model has published clearances to combustible material and a required ventilation gap — those figures drive the design, so the fire is chosen before the joinery is made, not after. Where a client wants a real or gas fire instead, that's a Gas Safe or HETAS specialist's work and we coordinate around it. ### Materials and finishes Moisture-resistant MDF for painted panelling and doors (stable and takes a spray finish beautifully), birch ply for carcasses and exposed shadow-line edges, and European oak or walnut for shelving and slatted detailing. Painted work is finished in Farrow & Ball, Little Greene or Mylands, either hand-painted or sprayed for a factory-smooth surface. ### Media walls in Hertfordshire homes Period properties around Great Hormead, Braughing and Much Hadham rarely have a square, plumb chimney breast — so we template on site and scribe to what's actually there. Newer homes in Stevenage, Hitchin and Bishop's Stortford usually have plasterboard-on-dot-and-dab walls, which need proper fixing back to the substrate before anything heavy goes on them. Both are routine for us. Often paired with ### Carpentry & Joinery Bespoke first- and second-fix joinery, made to last. Read more ### Fitted Wardrobes Built-in wardrobes tailored to every awkward corner. Read more ### Home Offices Bespoke desks, storage and joinery for working from home. Read more FAQ ## Answers to the questions we're asked most. Straight answers on cost, timing, guarantees and coverage — no marketing filler. Request Estimate 07460 096137 What is a media wall?A media wall is a bespoke built-in feature wall for your living room. The TV sits flush in a recess within the joinery, all cables are concealed inside the structure, and integrated shelving, cupboards and often a slimline electric fireplace are built in around it — so the whole wall reads as one designed piece rather than furniture pushed against a wall. How much does a bespoke media wall cost in Hertfordshire?A simple panelled media wall with a screen recess and concealed cabling typically starts around £3,000. A full-width wall with cupboards, shelving, LED lighting and an integrated electric fire more commonly falls between £5,000 and £10,000+, depending on width, materials and finish. You'll always get a fixed, itemised written quotation after a site visit. How long does it take to build?Most media walls take five to ten days on site, plus workshop time beforehand. That covers framework, first-fix electrics, joinery, the fire, decoration and hanging the screen. Can you fit an electric fireplace into the media wall?Yes — a slimline inset electric fire is the most popular option, because it needs no flue and can run flame-only without heat. We design the opening around the specific model's clearance and ventilation requirements, so the fire is chosen before we build. Will all the cables really be hidden?Yes. Power, HDMI, aerial and network cables are routed through conduits inside the framework between the screen recess and the cupboards. We leave the conduits pull-through so you can add or change cables later without cutting the joinery open. Can it take my existing TV, or a bigger one later?Both. We size the recess around your current screen and its bracket with tolerance built in, and we'll discuss the largest screen you might realistically upgrade to so the recess still works. Do you handle the electrics?Yes — sockets, aerial points and the fire supply are moved or added by a qualified electrician as part of the project, with the certification issued to you. Can a media wall go on any wall?Almost always, but the wall build-up matters. Solid masonry, stud and dot-and-dab plasterboard all need different fixing approaches, and we check the wall at the survey. Chimney breasts and alcoves usually make excellent media walls. Do you cover the whole of Hertfordshire for media walls?Yes. Barnett's Bespoke works throughout Hertfordshire, into north London and southern Bedfordshire — including Buntingford, Bishop's Stortford, Stevenage, Hertford, Ware and Hitchin. We're based at Great Hormead Hall, Buntingford, and travel from there. Are you insured, and what guarantee do I get?Every project is covered by £1,000,000 public liability insurance and a 12-month workmanship guarantee. Charlie Barnett holds a Level 3 City & Guilds NVQ in carpentry and joinery, a CSCS Blue Skilled Worker card, and is a BM TRADA registered fire door installer. We're also a Trust a Trader member with a 4.98/5 rating. How quickly can you start?Larger projects are usually booked four to eight weeks ahead. Small joinery jobs and single-day repairs can often be scheduled sooner. Contact us with a rough scope and postcode and we'll come back with a realistic start window. HomeAll servicesService areasOur workReviewsAbout CharlieContact ## Ready to turn that wall into the best thing in the room? Send us your postcode, the wall's rough width and your TV size, and we'll come out and quote properly — free estimate, no pressure. Request Free Estimate 07460 096137 Hertfordshire-based bespoke carpentry, joinery and high-end home renovation — led by Charlie Barnett, a sole trader with over 20 years' experience, City & Guilds Level 3 qualified in carpentry & joinery. CSCS Blue Skilled WorkerLevel 3 City & Guilds NVQBM TRADA Registered Fire Door InstallerTrust a Trader Member Services - Carpentry & Joinery - Extensions - Loft Conversions - Kitchens - Bathrooms - Fitted Wardrobes - All services → Areas - Hertfordshire - Bedfordshire - London - Buntingford - Stevenage - Bishop's Stortford - All areas → Contact - Great Hormead HallHall Lane, Great HormeadBuntingford, SG9 0NZ - 01438 60148407460 096137 - info@barnetts-bespoke.co.uk © 2026 Charles Barnett, trading as Barnett's Bespoke. All rights reserved. Privacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms & Conditions Public liability £1,000,000 · 12-month workmanship guarantee CallRequest Estimate We use essential cookies to make this site work, plus optional analytics cookies to see how it's used. Cookie policy. Essential onlyAccept all