Built-in media walls only work when three sources of information agree: the designer's drawings, the actual site conditions, and the manufacturing specification. When any one of them is interpreted differently, the unit arrives on site and the recess is too shallow, the TV centre is off the mounting line, or a door swing clashes with a switch plate. This guide explains how we align Santerson Integrated Media Storage with your design documentation and site requirements, stage by stage, so the wall is confirmed before production starts.
What Integrated Media Storage actually includes
Integrated Media Storage belongs to our Integrated Storage Walls collection. It is a configurable built-in wall system rather than a fixed catalogue item: layout, dimensions, panel material and surface finish are specified for each project. In practice one wall usually combines a screen zone for the television, closed cabinets for consoles and media hardware, open display niches, and drawer storage. The same drawing language also covers related configurations such as Santerson Full Height Storage Walls, Santerson Mixed Open & Closed Storage and Santerson Open Display Niches, which is why a single coordination sheet for the whole wall is more useful than separate notes for individual cabinets.
Because the system is made to measure, materials, hardware, load ratings and electrical components are confirmed per project. Nothing in this article should be read as a standard specification.
Stage 1: what we need from the design drawings
Before we quote, we read the design package for four items. Getting them in the drawing rather than in an email thread removes most later rework:
- Room elevations for every wall the unit touches, showing floor-to-ceiling height, skirting, cornices and any adjacent doors or windows.
- Plan drawings that show the wall build-up — the finished wall face, not the structural line — because reveal depth is measured from the finished surface.
- The intended screen size and its mounting method, which fixes the required recess opening, the ventilation envelope and the load path behind the panel.
- Joinery details for reveals, shadow gaps, edge trims and any integrated lighting, so the built-in matches the joinery language used elsewhere in the project.
Where a project needs design support rather than a complete package, our Interior Design Services cover space layout planning, furniture layouts and 3D renderings, and project design coordination that includes drawings, production coordination and on-site guidance. That route suits villa and hospitality projects where the media wall is one element of a wider fit-out.
Stage 2: verifying the site before anything is cut
Drawings describe intent; the site decides fit. For each wall we ask the site team to confirm a short checklist, ideally after wall linings and floor levels are complete:
- Finished floor level across the full wall run, and finished wall alignment in both directions. A media wall with tall doors shows out-of-plumb walls immediately at the top reveal.
- Position of studs, noggins, structural columns and any embedded services, checked against the proposed mounting point for the screen and the route of the bracket arm.
- Locations of power, data, coaxial and antenna points relative to the proposed screen centre, plus the number of outlets required for sources and charging.
- Switch, thermostat and intercom positions, and the clearance needed for cabinet doors, drawers and any sliding panels to open without collision.
- Clearance for delivery and handling: door widths, lift sizes, corridor turns and stair geometry, since a full-height wall is delivered in panels, not as one assembly.
For projects we visit, we record site measurements ourselves; where the site is handled locally, we return the same checklist to the builder or fitter and reconcile it with the drawings before release.
Stage 3: reconciling the drawing set with the shop drawings
Between design and production we issue shop drawings for sign-off. This is the step that prevents most site surprises, and it is where we concentrate the following checks:
| Item to reconcile | What the shop drawing fixes |
|---|---|
| Screen zone | Recess width and height, bracket type and fixing substrate, cable pass-through position, ventilation route and service access to rear connections. |
| Media equipment storage | Shelf spans for component weight, ventilation gaps or louvred fronts where equipment needs airflow, and access for remote control line of sight. |
| Open display niches | Niche depth and height for the objects actually being displayed, and shelf load allowance for ceramics, stone or books. |
| Doors and drawers | Door opening direction, handleless or handle detail, drawer bank position relative to skirting, and hardware type. |
| Integrated lighting | Driver position for access, cable routes inside panels, and where an LED strip or profile sits relative to the visible shelf edge. Lighting specifications are confirmed per project. |
| Finishes | Panel material, veneer or lacquer, edge treatment, and the relationship between the media wall and adjacent panelling, flooring and ceiling lines. |
Where the wall shares a run with other custom joinery, we coordinate it as one package. A whole-house example is our Arched Niche & Full House Custom Wall Cabinet Project, in which open display niches with built-in LED lighting, floating shelves, a full-height concealed wardrobe and a vanity sit on one continuous wall arrangement. Another is the Mid-century Whole House Custom Cabinetry & Built-in Storage Project, where cabinet dimensions were measured on site to suit the appliances and layout. Both show the same principle the media wall depends on: one measurement set, one detail standard, one installation sequence.
Stage 4: sequencing the media wall with other trades
A built-in media wall interacts with electrical, joinery, painting and flooring. We suggest the following order, adjusted to each programme:
- Electrical first fix positioned from the shop drawing, not from the design intent drawing, so outlets and pass-throughs land inside the confirmed zones.
- Wall lining, floor levels and set-out verified, with the survey returned to us before panel release.
- Painting, wall finishes and stone or tile adjacent to the unit completed, so reveal sizes account for the finished surfaces.
- Panel delivery to site in handling order, staged room by room rather than dropped at the entrance.
- Installation, alignment and door adjustment, then a snag inspection with the site team before handover.
If a recess for a bracket arm or cable trunking has to be formed in a wall that is already closed up, that cost and delay reach the programme. Confirming the shop drawing before first fix is where those savings come from. Our services also cover logistics and door-to-door delivery, plus installation support and after-sales service; specific lead times, freight terms, warranty terms and installer arrangements are agreed per project rather than assumed.
A coordination checklist you can hand to your site team
- Wall length and height measured to the millimetre at three points along the run and at three heights.
- Finished wall face line marked, with deviations recorded against the plan drawing.
- Screen size, model and bracket arm reach confirmed and noted on the elevation.
- All services positions photographed against a taped dimension, not described in words.
- Load-bearing substrate identified behind the screen zone; the fixing substrate is stated in writing.
- Adjacent door, drawer and furniture swing clearances checked at the finished setting-out.
- Delivery route measured and signed off by the builder.
- One named coordinator on site for questions on alignment, levels and finish protection.
Send us the pack and we will return a buildable proposal
Send elevations, plans, the screen specification and any joinery details, and we will review them against these checks, flag what the drawings do not yet resolve, and return a proposal for the wall with made-to-measure dimensions and finish options. For larger packages, Turnkey Interior Project Solutions and Custom Furniture Manufacturer services cover material selection, product specification, production and site coordination for the surrounding fit-out as well.
Contact our project team with your drawings and site dates, and we will arrange site measurement, 3D design, production and installation support for your Integrated Media Storage wall.