What the product is before you specify it

Integrated media storage sits inside our Integrated Storage Walls collection. It is a configurable wall system rather than a fixed catalogue item: layout, dimensions, materials and finishes are set per project so the unit fits the actual room, not a nominal size. Related configurations in the same family include Santerson Full Height Storage Walls for floor-to-ceiling joinery, and Santerson Mixed Open & Closed Storage when you want display shelving balanced against concealed cupboards.

Because the listing is configurable, the sensible reading of any product page is a starting point, not a specification. Panel substrate, edge treatment, hardware, lighting and the exact recess for your display all get confirmed in writing before production starts. If a supplier quotes you a fixed size or a fixed price from the page alone, ask which configuration that price refers to.

Stage 1: brief, drawings and space planning

The first exchange is not about finishes. It is about the wall itself. We need the room dimensions, the position of the display, what has to be stored, whether the unit stops short of the ceiling or runs full height, and which services — power, data, speaker cable, ventilation behind a closed panel — have to pass through it. Our interior design service covers space layout planning, concept design, furniture layouts and 3D visual renderings, so where drawings are still at schematic level we can work from those and return a coordinated proposal instead of waiting for a fully detailed set.

Send what you already have: architectural elevations, a floor plan, finish schedules, and any reference images. Partial information is normal at this stage; the point is to find the conflicts early, while they are still cheap to resolve on paper.

Stage 2: material, finish and hardware selection

Once the layout is fixed, selection begins. Our OEM furniture manufacturing service covers bespoke finishes and textures across woods, metals, engineered stone and laminates, so a media wall can be matched to the joinery, doors and wall panelling already specified for the same project rather than sitting next to them as a separate purchase. Typical decisions at this stage:

• Panel substrate and surface — veneer, lacquer, melamine, matte or high-gloss, wood-grain or solid colour.
• Door type and opening mechanism — hinged, sliding, pocket or concealed, including how a closed panel clears the wall when it moves.
• Open versus closed ratio — display niches against closed storage, and where lighting is required inside open bays.
• Cable management and ventilation for equipment kept behind closed panels.
• Fixings and wall build-up — what the unit anchors to, and whether a false wall or backing frame is needed on site.

Samples of the selected surface are worth requesting before sign-off, because a finish reads differently under site lighting than in a brochure. This is also the moment to confirm tolerances against the actual wall, since out-of-plumb surfaces change both fabrication and installation time.

Stage 3: prototyping, quotation and confirmation

For bespoke details — an unusual door mechanism, an integrated lighting recess, a curved or arched element — a prototype or mock-up is produced before the full run. The cooperation sequence on our service pages is straightforward: project brief and design proposal, then quotation with detail confirmation, then production, shipment and follow-up. The quotation at stage two should itemise what has been agreed, so that later variations are priced against a clear baseline rather than renegotiated.

OEM also means the work can carry your own brand. Engraving, embossing, logos and packaging are all options, which matters when a developer or contractor wants the joinery supplied under their own name, or when a project is repeated across several units and needs one consistent specification.

Stage 4: production and quality control

Manufacturing runs in our China-based facility, with quality control at the stages that matter for joinery: panel flatness, colour and grain consistency across a single wall, hardware operation, and the fit of cut-outs for displays and services. A media wall is usually assembled from several modules on site, so dimensional checking before packing prevents a situation where one section arrives and nothing else lines up.

Stage 5: packaging, freight and delivery

Joinery is packed for export, with protective packing for surfaces and edge protection for panels. Our logistics service covers sea, air and rail freight forwarding, customs paperwork such as commercial invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin, container loading plans and shipment tracking, with door-to-door delivery available. For a single villa unit this usually travels consolidated with other items; for a multi-unit project it is worth planning the container mix so that wall systems, cabinetry and loose furniture arrive together rather than in separate consignments.

Import terms, duties and delivery scope vary by destination and should be confirmed for your specific project before you commit to an Incoterm.

Stage 6: installation, inspection and handover

Wall systems are installed on site, with inspection and snag resolution before handover. Where the wall carries a display and concealed services, coordination between the joinery installer and the electrical contractor has to happen before panels close up — this is the single most common source of rework on media walls. Our service scope includes installation support and after-sales cover for spare parts and replacement components.

What to send in your first enquiry

Quantities and target dates help, but a rough programme is enough at enquiry stage. If you are coordinating several rooms or units, mention it — the same panel specification usually carries across wardrobes, kitchen cabinetry and storage walls, and one coordinated package is easier to produce, ship and install than six separate orders.

Where OEM sourcing saves real money, and where it does not

Made-to-measure pays for itself when the room is irregular, when the finish has to match joinery supplied by someone else, or when a project repeats the same wall across multiple units and one approved specification removes variation from every subsequent order. It also reduces the number of trades you have to manage, because a single supplier takes responsibility for panels, doors, hardware and lighting together.

It does not help if your drawings are already matched by a standard size and you only need one unit delivered quickly — in that case custom fabrication adds lead time without adding value. Be honest about the constraint at the start; the right answer is sometimes the catalogue item.