What do you want to put on it? There’s your TV, of course, but what other items do you need space for? DVD player? Digital receiver? Games console? And then think about all the other things you might want to store such as games, DVDs, spare remotes, handsets for gaming, spare batteries, etc. It should then be easy to work out the right combination of open shelves and cupboards you need your unit to have so that everything can be accommodated without having clutter on show.

The larger your TV screen, the further away from it you’ll need to be to view from the best position. This may impact on where you can put your TV cabinet and the style you choose. Corner cabinets are ideal if you want to maximise space in a smaller room yet still be able to have a fairly large TV.

Square cabinets will be ideal in smaller to mid-size rooms too as they offer lots of practical storage on a relatively small footprint. If you’re not too restricted by space there are a multitude of different options including extra-long units for those of you that have the widest of screens and the largest of rooms.

The following viewing distance calculator offers a useful guide that may help you decide the best position for your cabinet.

As mentioned before, where you place your unit may be determined by the size of your room. But if you have more choice, there are a few things to bear in mind. If you don’t spend huge amounts of time in front of the TV, you might not want your unit to dominate the room so it may be that you want to tuck it away in a corner or out of the sight line from your sofa at one end of the room. But wherever you put it, consider the following.

• It needs to be near to a power supply so that you don’t have cables running along the floor.

While glass cabinets look smart and are perfect for more contemporary decors, you can’t beat the strength, warmth and durability of natural wood, especially units made from oak or sheesham wood. They not only look beautiful but there are styles and finishes to suit any décor be it modern or traditional. Wooden cabinets also tend to come with cable management openings at the back so that cables can be fed through and kept out of sight so everything looks neat and tidy. Just remember when choosing a wooden cabinet that all your devices need to sit on open shelves as remote controls won’t work through closed doors.

If you choose a larger TV cabinet, there may be space either side of your TV to decorate with other items to soften the look of all that technology and inject a bit of extra warmth to your living space. Or there may be space next to or behind the unit to jazz things up a bit. The following article is full of inspiration. Decorating Around the Television/.

So that it gives you many years of viewing pleasure, a few simple steps will ensure your wooden cabinet always looks its best.

• Keep it protected with high quality beeswax. This nourishes the wood and ensures the rich grain shines through beautifully.
• Wipe any spills immediately with a damp cloth then finish off with a dry cloth.
• Keep your TV unit away from direct sunlight to avoid fading and colour changes.
• Don’t put your unit near a radiator as the variations in temperature can cause joints and veneers to split or weaken
• Don’t put hot drinks directly onto the surface as permanent marks may be left behind.