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 wide, our Aurora credenza is 32.1 inches wide per unit and can be joined into a longer run, and our Mensa credenza is a single piece, 52.8 inches wide, with four adjustable shelves. 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 living 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. If you would like help with the numbers, you can book a free design consultation.
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 with door; 22.4 x 15.0 x 15.7 in without door | 0.71-inch MDF with melamine finish, steel legs | Open, or with a door | Single unit |
| Aurora credenza | 32.1 x 15.0 x 18.5 in per unit | MDF with ash veneer; rattan doors in ash wood and natural cane | Closed, with doors and adjustable shelves | Yes: 1, 2 or 3 units |
| Mensa credenza | 52.8 x 16.3 x 26.5 in | MDF with ash veneer, powder-coated steel legs | Closed, with doors and four adjustable shelves | Single unit |
| Altitude storage cabinet | 32.1 x 9.4 x 9.8 in | MDF with ash veneer or paint, solid ash wood supports | Closed, with two doors | Fits into our Altitude shelf |
The Mensa credenza is the tallest and widest of the group. 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 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 wide, and you can combine one, two or three. Two units side by side measure 64.2 inches wide and three measure 96.3 inches, 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.
- Mensa credenza. A single piece, 52.8 inches wide, that comes with four adjustable shelves and doors you can order with or without handles. It has cord management slots, leveling feet and powder-coated steel legs, and comes in oak, walnut or black wood. It suits use as a media console, a dining room sideboard, a home bar or an entryway piece, and it fits full-size records.
- 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 living 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 or Mensa 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?
Two pieces have features aimed at cables and electronics.
- Aurora has built-in ventilation for the electronics you store inside.
- Mensa has cord management slots.
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 wood veneer. Veneer is a thin sheet of fine wood on top of MDF, which gives the look of the wood grain on a stable core. If you want to understand how veneer differs from solid wood, read our guide to dining table materials, which applies the same ideas to tables.
- Aurora credenza: 0.59-inch MDF with ash veneer on the unit and the solid, slat and chevron doors. The rattan doors are ash wood with natural cane woven rattan.
- Mensa credenza: 0.59-inch MDF with ash veneer, on powder-coated steel legs.
- Altitude storage cabinet: 0.59-inch MDF with ash veneer in walnut, oak or black wood, or painted MDF in Dove. The vertical supports are solid ash wood, stained with a satin finish or painted in Dove.
- Stella media unit: 0.71-inch 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, the Mensa has leveling feet, and the Stella unit comes with felt floor protectors.
Our recommendation
- A TV wall in the living room: 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 wide, single piece with more shelf height: the Mensa credenza, at 52.8 inches wide and 26.5 inches high.
- A small wall or an entryway: the Stella media unit at 22.4 inches wide, with or without a door.
- A dining room sideboard: the Mensa credenza, or an Aurora credenza if you prefer a modular run.
- 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 living 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.