Short answer: Start with width. Measure your wall and your TV, then pick the unit that is at least as wide as the screen. Our Stella media unit is the most compact at 22.4 inches (57 cm) wide, and our Aurora credenza is 32.1 inches (81.5 cm) wide per unit and can be joined into a longer run of up to three. Choose doors if you want to hide clutter and open shelves if you want to display things.
A credenza or media unit is one of the largest pieces of furniture on a wall, so the wrong width or depth shows quickly. This guide covers what to measure, how our pieces compare and which one suits which room. For modular wall shelving, see our guide to lounge room storage instead.
On This Page
- What should I measure before choosing?
- How do our credenzas and media units compare?
- Which one fits which job?
- Open or closed storage: which should I choose?
- What about cables and your TV?
- What are our credenzas and cabinets made of?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our storage
What should I measure before choosing?
Measure the wall and the TV before you look at products. The points below are general advice, not product specifications.
- TV width, not just screen size. A TV is sold by its diagonal. A 16:9 screen is roughly 87% of its diagonal in width, so a 55-inch TV is about 48 inches wide. Check the width on the TV's own specification sheet.
- A unit that is as wide as the TV, or wider. A TV that overhangs its stand looks unbalanced and is easier to knock.
- The wall. Measure the full width between corners, windows, doors and radiators, and allow space on either side of the unit.
- Sightlines. Sit where you usually sit and note where the screen should be. A common guideline is to have the middle of the screen near eye level when you are seated. A low unit helps with this.
- Door and drawer swing. Leave enough clear floor in front of the unit to open the doors fully.
Our dimensions below are listed as width x depth x height.
How do our credenzas and media units compare?
All dimensions below are our published sizes.
How do our credenzas and media units compare?
| Piece | Size (W x D x H) | Material | Storage | Modular? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stella media unit | 22.4 x 15.7 x 15.7 in (57 x 40 x 40 cm) with door; 22.4 x 15.0 x 15.7 in (57 x 38 x 40 cm) without door | 18 mm MDF with melamine finish, steel legs | Open, or with a door | Single unit |
| Aurora credenza | 32.1 x 15.0 x 18.5 in (81.5 x 38.2 x 47 cm) per unit | MDF with ash veneer; rattan doors in ash timber and natural cane | Closed, with doors and adjustable shelves | Yes: 1, 2 or 3 units |
| Altitude storage cabinet | 32.1 x 9.4 x 9.8 in (81.5 x 24 x 25 cm) | MDF with ash veneer (painted MDF in Dove), solid ash timber supports | Closed, with two doors | Fits into our Altitude shelf |
The Aurora credenza is the tallest and widest of the floor-standing pieces. The Stella media unit is the smallest, and the Altitude cabinet is the shallowest.
Which one fits which job?
- Stella media unit. A compact, low unit that is available with or without a door. It ships flat, has steel legs and comes in oak or walnut. At 22.4 inches (57 cm) wide, it suits a small wall or a spot beside a larger piece. Check your TV width against it before ordering, because it is narrower than most screens.
- Aurora credenza. Our modular option. Each unit is 32.1 inches (81.5 cm) wide, and you can combine one, two or three. Two units side by side measure 64.2 inches (163 cm) wide and three measure 96.3 inches (244.5 cm), as combined widths before any gap. It has adjustable shelves, built-in ventilation and four adjustable feet. You choose a door style: solid or rattan in oak, or slat or chevron in walnut. Doors are shipped in pairs.
- Altitude storage cabinet. This is not a TV stand. It is a closed cabinet that slides between two Altitude shelves, or between stacked shelves, and attaches with spring-loaded clips. It has handle-free doors that open with a push latch, so you can hide everyday items while the shelves around it stay open for display. See our lounge room storage guide for how Altitude shelves are laid out.
Aurora also pairs with our Altitude shelves, so you can build a credenza run with wall shelving alongside it.
Open or closed storage: which should I choose?
Closed storage hides routers, game consoles, cables and clutter behind doors, so the wall looks calm. Open storage keeps remotes and devices within reach and shows off books and objects, but everything on it is visible.
- Mostly closed. Choose Aurora if you want doors on most of the storage. Aurora's door style also changes the look, from plain solid doors to slats, chevrons or rattan.
- A mix. Pair a closed credenza with open Altitude shelves, or add an Altitude cabinet to an open shelf run so some items are hidden and some are shown.
- Mostly open. Our Stella media unit can be ordered without a door if you want a simple, low, open surface.
Doors also mean you need clear floor in front to open them, so take that into account when you measure.
What about cables and your TV?
One of our pieces has a feature aimed at electronics.
- Aurora has built-in ventilation for the electronics you store inside.
We do not publish a TV weight limit for any of these pieces, so check your TV's weight and its stand or mounting requirements against the product page before you buy.
What are our credenzas and cabinets made of?
Most of our credenzas and cabinets use MDF with a thin layer of real ash timber veneer. Veneer is a thin sheet of fine wood on top of MDF, which gives the look of the timber grain on a stable core. If you want to understand how veneer differs from solid timber, read our guide to dining table materials, which applies the same ideas to tables.
- Aurora credenza: 15 mm MDF with ash veneer on the unit and the solid, slat and chevron doors. The rattan doors are ash timber with natural cane woven rattan.
- Altitude storage cabinet: 15 mm MDF with ash veneer in walnut or oak, or painted MDF in Dove. The vertical supports are solid ash timber, stained with a satin finish.
- Stella media unit: 18 mm MDF with a melamine finish, on steel legs, in oak or walnut.
General care advice, not a product specification: dust with a soft cloth, wipe spills promptly and keep veneered surfaces out of standing moisture.
For floors, the Aurora has four adjustable feet, and the Stella unit comes with felt floor protectors.
Our recommendation
- A TV wall in the lounge room: Choose an Aurora credenza. Pick the number of units that matches your TV width, add doors in the style you like and use the adjustable shelves for devices.
- A small wall or an entryway: Choose the Stella media unit at 22.4 inches (57 cm) wide, with or without a door.
- A dining room sideboard: Choose an Aurora credenza, with adjustable shelves for dishes and linens, and join up to three units for a longer run along the wall.
- More hidden storage on a shelf wall: Add one or more Altitude storage cabinets to your Altitude shelves.
If you are still deciding, the guide to lounge room furniture shows how a TV wall fits with seating and tables, and our guide to modular furniture explains why adding units over time works well in a changing space.
Explore our storage
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.