How to Choose a TV Unit: Size, Height & Style Guide (2026)

Your TV unit should be wider than your TV — aim for the unit to extend at least 15–20cm beyond the TV on each side. Height-wise, your screen centre should sit at seated eye level, roughly 95–105cm from the floor for most sofas. For a 65" TV, a unit at least 150cm wide works well; for a 75", go 180cm or wider. Lowline units suit open, contemporary rooms; units with closed storage suit families needing to hide clutter.

TV units are bought badly more often than you'd think. People buy one the same width as their TV, or one that's slightly too tall, and then spend years craning their neck or looking at a screen that overhangs both sides. It's a purchase most people make once and live with for a long time.

This guide covers what actually matters — the measurements, the storage decisions, the material trade-offs — so you get it right the first time.

Step One: Match the Unit Width to Your TV

The most common mistake is buying a TV unit that's roughly the same width as the TV. That looks unbalanced — the TV sits right at the edges with no breathing room on either side.

The rule: your TV unit should extend at least 15–20cm beyond the TV on each side. So a 65" TV (which measures approximately 145cm wide) needs a unit at least 175cm wide. Wider is fine — a longer unit gives you more storage and a more grounded, settled look.

TV size to unit width guide:

If you're planning to upgrade your TV in the next few years, buy the unit for the TV you want — not the one you have. An extendable unit is also worth considering if you're not sure yet.

Step Two: Get the Height Right

TV height is about your neck, not your TV. Watching a screen that's too high forces your head back. Too low and you're hunching forward. Both cause neck and shoulder fatigue over a long session.

The target: the centre of your TV screen should sit at your seated eye level — roughly 95–105cm from the floor when you're sitting on a standard sofa.

How to Work Out the Right Unit Height

TV screen height is measured as the diagonal size, not the height of the screen. The actual screen height for common TV sizes:

Most lowline TV units at Marco sit between 35–45cm tall. For a 65" TV on a 40cm unit, the screen centre sits at roughly 100cm — right on target. For larger TVs (75" and above), many people choose to wall-mount the TV and use the lowline unit purely for storage and styling below.

If you have a fabric lounge or leather lounge with a lower seat profile (42cm or under), recalculate using your actual seated eye level — it'll be slightly lower than the standard 100–105cm.

Step Three: Fixed Width or Extendable?

This is a decision a lot of people skip and then regret. Here's when each makes sense:

Fixed Width Units

A fixed unit has a set length — 150cm, 180cm, 200cm, 220cm. It looks cleaner and more purposeful than an extendable unit because there are no visible extension panels or joins.

• Better for rooms where you know exactly what TV size you're keeping
• Cleaner, more architectural look
• Generally more storage per centimetre of width
• The Dublin Modern Entertainment Unit at 200cm and 220cm is a good example — substantial fixed-width units with strong visual presence and a gold arch detail on the 220cm version

Extendable Units

An extendable unit has panels that slide or push out to increase the total width — typically from around 150cm up to 200–220cm.

• Useful if you're planning a TV upgrade and want the unit to grow with it
• Good for open-plan spaces where you want flexibility to adjust the layout later
• The Casper and Capello units at Marco both offer extendable configurations — the Casper in walnut/black or natural ash veneer, the Capello with a sintered stone top
• Gives you flexibility without committing to a permanently large piece of furniture

Step Four: Storage — What Do You Actually Need?

Think honestly about what lives around your TV. In most households it's at least some of: a gaming console, a soundbar, a streaming device, remotes, controllers, cables, and probably a few things that just end up there.

Closed Doors

Closed-door storage hides everything. Ideal for households where cables and tech need to disappear. The trade-off is less air circulation for electronics — leave the doors slightly open if gear is running.

Open Shelves

Open shelves give you styling options — books, plants, sculptural objects, small artworks. They look great when styled well but show clutter immediately when they're not. Best for people who'll actually keep them tidy.

Combination

Most popular for good reason. Closed doors on one or both ends handle the practical storage, open shelves in the middle give you a display area. The Castello Walnut Veneer Lowline TV Unit is a good example of this — warm walnut finish, closed storage on both ends with open shelving in the centre.

Storage type quick guide:

Step Five: Choose the Right Material

TV units take less daily wear than coffee tables — no cups, no keys, no pets jumping on them. But they do collect dust and the occasional knock, so material still matters.

Our take:

Walnut veneer is the most consistently popular finish in our Fyshwick showroom — it works in almost any interior, ages gracefully, and the warm tone offsets the cold, dark rectangle of a TV screen. If your room already has a lot of warm timber, ash veneer gives a lighter contrast. If you're after a more luxe feel, the Venezia and Capello units with sintered stone tops are a step up — the Venezia has a stainless steel base for a cleaner look, the Capello a walnut and black base.

Lowline vs Standard Height: Which Is Right?

Lowline units sit 35–45cm off the ground and are the dominant style in contemporary Australian interiors right now. Standard-height units (55–70cm) are less common but suit certain rooms.

• Lowline suits: open-plan rooms, wall-mounted TVs, contemporary and Japandi interiors, rooms with high ceilings where you want to keep sightlines open
• Standard height suits: smaller rooms where extra storage matters, older-style homes, rooms where the TV sits on the unit rather than wall-mounted
• Most TV units at Marco are lowline — the Castello, Venezia, Capello, Casper and Mont Blanc Pandora all sit in the 35–45cm height range

Wall-Mounted TV vs TV on the Unit

This affects which unit you buy more than most people realise.

If your TV is going on the wall above the unit, you have much more freedom on unit height — the unit becomes purely a storage and styling piece, and a very low, sleek lowline unit looks intentional rather than undersized.

If your TV sits directly on the unit, height matters more — follow the eye-level guide above and make sure the unit has enough depth to safely support the TV base (most TV units are 35–45cm deep, which suits most TV stands).

Check your TV's stand width before buying — some wide-leg TV stands need a unit at least 140cm wide even for a 55" screen.

Cable Management

Almost nobody thinks about this until the unit is home and there are six cables trailing across the floor. A few things worth checking before you buy:

• Does the unit have cut-outs or cable ports in the back panel? Most modern units do.
• Is there enough depth to push a power board or streaming device behind the main storage area?
• If the TV is wall-mounted, plan the cable run before the unit arrives — a recessed wall cable channel makes a much cleaner finish than surface cable covers.

How to Style Your TV Unit

A TV unit that's purely functional looks like a piece of office equipment. A few styling principles that work consistently:

• Group objects in odd numbers — three items at different heights reads better than two or four
• Mix materials — a timber bowl next to a ceramic vase next to a small plant has more visual interest than three identical objects
• Keep one-third of any open shelf clear — breathing room makes the rest look deliberate
• Hide cables wherever possible — a tidy unit always looks more expensive than a messy one
• A rug from our rugs and carpets range anchors the whole living room zone — the sofa, coffee table and TV unit all read as one considered space when there's a rug beneath them.

For the full living room layout — how the TV unit, sofa and coffee table relate to each other — our open-plan living room styling guide covers zones, proportions and furniture placement in detail.

A Quick Checklist Before You Buy

• Measure your TV width — then add at least 30–40cm for the unit width
• Check your seated eye level — the TV screen centre should hit 95–105cm from the floor
• Decide: fixed width or extendable? Wall-mounted TV or TV on the unit?
• Think through storage — closed doors, open shelves, or a mix?
• Check the TV stand width fits the unit depth and surface
• Plan cable management before the unit arrives

Frequently Asked Questions

How wide should a TV unit be?

Your TV unit should be wider than your TV — extend at least 15–20cm beyond the TV on each side. For a 65" TV (about 145cm wide), aim for a unit at least 175cm wide.

What height should a TV unit be?

The centre of your TV screen should sit at seated eye level — roughly 95–105cm from the floor for a standard sofa. Most lowline TV units sit 35–45cm tall, which positions a 65" TV screen centre at around 98–108cm when sitting on top.

Should I get a TV unit with closed storage or open shelves?

Closed storage suits families who want to hide consoles, remotes and cables. Open shelves work better for styled displays. Many units offer a combination — closed storage on the ends, open shelves in the middle.

What is a lowline TV unit?

A lowline TV unit sits 35–45cm tall — lower than a standard TV cabinet. It creates a more open, contemporary look and works particularly well when the TV is wall-mounted above it.

What is an extendable TV unit?

An extendable TV unit has panels that slide out to increase the total width — typically from around 150cm up to 200–220cm. Useful if you plan to upgrade your TV or want flexibility without committing to a permanently large unit.