How Wires Are Hidden in a Media Wall
The point of a media wall is that you see the TV, the fireplace and the finish — and no wires at all. That is planned before the first stud goes up: where the power is, where the cables run, and how you will get to them later.
Final dimensions follow the TV and fireplace manufacturer’s installation manual. The layout below is a typical example.
What is behind the TV
A recessed outlet behind the screen. The TV plugs into an outlet set into the wall behind it, inside a recessed box so the plug doesn’t push the TV away from the wall. Electrical codes don’t allow flexible cords, such as a TV power cord, to be run inside a wall, so the power has to arrive as a proper outlet. On our projects that outlet is installed by a licensed Florida electrician.
A low-voltage opening next to it. HDMI, network and other low-voltage cables come out of their own opening beside the outlet, also hidden by the TV.
A pass-through conduit. From the opening behind the TV, a conduit — a hollow tube — runs inside the wall down to the media cabinet or another spot where your devices live. Cables are pulled through it. Because it is a tube and not loose cable stapled in the wall, a cable can be replaced or added later without opening the wall.
Outlets in the cabinet. The conduit ends inside the base cabinet next to an outlet for the soundbar, streaming box or console. Everything plugs in out of sight.
The fireplace connection. A linear electric fireplace either plugs into an outlet inside its cavity or is hardwired, depending on the model. The manual says which, and where.
Lighting drivers where you can reach them. LED strips in shelves or niches run from a driver. It goes in a place you can get to — usually inside the cabinet — not sealed behind a finished panel.
Inside the wall
Most media walls with a fireplace are built forward from the existing wall with a new wood frame. The space between the old wall and the new face is where the fireplace recesses and where the conduit runs.
- Blocking for the mount. Solid wood is added inside the frame exactly where the TV mount will go, so the mount screws into wood rather than only into drywall or panels.
- The face. Drywall or sheathing closes the frame, then the finish goes on top: slats, panels, slab or paint.
- Depth. A frame only for wires and a mount can be shallow. When the fireplace recesses into the wall, the depth is set by that unit. See our guide on media wall depth for an 85-inch TV.
Plan for service
Things that may need attention later — the TV connection, the fireplace, the LED driver — should be reachable. A removable panel in the cabinet or an access opening in a niche keeps a small repair small.
What to decide before the build
- Which devices you will use and where they will sit: in the cabinet, in a niche, or mounted behind the TV.
- Whether you want a soundbar below the TV, so a cable opening can go there too.
- The TV and fireplace models, or at least their sizes, so the outlets, blocking and recess can be placed correctly.
We go through this at the measurement visit and show it in the design. Finish carpentry and cabinetry are done by our own crew; all electrical work — outlets, hardwired fireplaces, integrated lighting — is performed by a licensed Florida electrician.
More on TV media walls and custom built-ins. Send a photo of your wall and get a price range the same day.