Right, you\u2019ve asked the million-dollar question, haven\u2019t you? Honestly, I\u2019ve been there\u2014staring at this gorgeous new telly I just lugged home from John Lewis on Oxford Street last autumn, and then glancing at my poor old wobbly console\u2026 it just didn\u2019t feel right. Like wearing trainers with a suit, you know?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s talk height first. Oh, the backache I got from getting it wrong! My first flat in Shoreditch\u2014tiny place, mind you\u2014I plonked a massive 65-inch telly on this low, mid-century style console. Gorgeous piece, walnut finish, lovely tapered legs. But blimey, after a film night, my neck felt like I\u2019d been nodding at a rock concert for three hours straight. See, your eyes should hit roughly the middle of the screen when you\u2019re sitting relaxed. So if your sofa\u2019s a bit deep and squishy\u2014like that velvet one I still miss from my old spot in Brixton\u2014you might need the console to be a tad higher. But here\u2019s a trick my mate Sam, a telly installer in Manchester, swore by: leave about 4 to 6 inches between the bottom of your TV and the console top. Stops it looking crammed, gives breathing room for a soundbar or those naff little ornaments your aunt gifts you every Christmas.<\/p>\n
Now style\u2014this is where the real fun is, and where I\u2019ve made some proper howlers. Remember when everyone went mad for that industrial chic look? Exposed brick, metal pipes, all that? Yeah, I bought this rugged, reclaimed timber console with iron brackets for my sleek Samsung Frame. Looked like a lumberjack trying to hold a ballet dancer. All wrong! If your TV is all clean lines and minimalist\u2014say, one of those slim LG OLEDs\u2014pair it with something just as sleek. A simple, low-profile media unit in oak or matte black. Maybe even a floating design if you\u2019re tight on space. But if you\u2019ve got a chunky, classic gogglebox, something with character works a treat. I saw a lovely setup in a pub in Cornwall last summer\u2014an old-school CRT telly (for retro gaming, obviously) on a vintage pine dresser. Absolutely charming, felt warm and inviting.<\/p>\n
And materials\u2014don\u2019t get me started on glass-top consoles. They look smashing in showrooms under those perfect lights. But in my flat? Dust magnets. Every fingerprint, every smudge from my cat Milo jumping up to watch birds on telly. Nightmare to keep tidy. Solid wood or a good laminate with a textured finish hides a multitude of sins. And width! Please, measure twice. My pal Liz in Leeds didn\u2019t\u2014ended up with a console narrower than her telly. Looked like a hat perched on a pin. Awful.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, it\u2019s about what feels right in your space. That console isn\u2019t just a stand\u2014it\u2019s part of the room\u2019s soul. Take your time, maybe even mock it up with some boxes first. Trust me, I learnt the hard way so you don\u2019t have to. Now go on, make your telly and its little table best mates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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