How to Pick a TV Console That Fits Your Living Room and Cables
A Singapore homeowner's guide to sizing a TV console, hiding cables and picking materials, with real local shops and price ranges to check.
Pick a TV console that is at least as wide as your TV, ideally 15 to 30 cm wider on each side, with enough internal depth and back cutouts to hide your media box, router and cables. Match the height to your seating so the screen centre sits near eye level, and choose closed or cable-managed storage if you want a clean, wire-free look. In a typical Singapore flat, a 1.2 m to 1.8 m low console suits most living rooms.
The TV console is one of the hardest-working pieces in a Singapore living room. It anchors the wall your sofa faces, hides a growing pile of devices (set-top box, router, game console, soundbar) and sets the tone for the whole space. Getting the size, cable routing and material right the first time saves you from a wobbly, overloaded unit and a tangle of visible wires later.
What size TV console should I get for my TV?
As a rule, the console should be wider than the TV so the set does not look like it is toppling off the edges. Measure your TV's full width (not the screen size) and add breathing room on each side.
- 43 to 50 inch TV: console around 1.2 m to 1.5 m wide
- 55 to 65 inch TV: console around 1.5 m to 1.8 m wide
- 75 inch and above: console 2.0 m or wider, or a full feature wall
Also check the depth. A console 40 to 45 cm deep gives room for a router, media box and soundbar behind or on top, while very shallow units (under 30 cm) can feel tight once cables are plugged in.
How high should a TV console be?
Height matters more than most people expect. When you are seated on your sofa, the middle of the TV screen should sit roughly at eye level, which is usually 100 to 115 cm from the floor for the screen centre.
For a wall-mounted TV this is easy to control. For a table-standing TV, a low console of about 40 to 55 cm tall usually lands the screen centre in a comfortable range. If you like to watch from bed or a high bar stool, adjust upward and test the sightline before you buy.
How do I hide the cables and devices?
Cable management is what separates a neat living room from a messy one. Look for consoles with back panels that have cutouts or removable sections, plus internal channels or gaps between compartments so wires can drop down cleanly.
- Closed cabinets with mesh or slatted doors: hide devices but let infrared remotes and heat through
- Open shelving: easy access and ventilation, but wires and boxes stay visible
- Built-in cable holes at the back: let you route power and HDMI down to a single point
A power strip mounted inside the console, plus a few velcro ties or a cable sleeve, keeps everything grouped. Leave a little slack so you can pull a device out to change a plug without unplugging everything.
Which material and finish should I choose?
Singapore's humidity and the reality of family life should steer your material choice. You want something that resists moisture, hides dust and takes daily knocks.
- Solid wood (teak, oak, acacia): warm and durable, higher price, from around S$600 to S$1,500 and up; Scanteak and Commune carry solid-wood options
- Engineered wood or laminate: budget-friendly and easy to wipe, from around S$150 to S$500 at IKEA, Courts or HipVan
- Wood with metal frame: modern industrial look, good for slim floating designs
- Fluted or ribbed fronts: on-trend but need more dusting in the grooves
Lighter finishes hide dust better than high-gloss dark surfaces, which show every fingerprint and speck.
Freestanding, floating or built-in carpentry?
There are three broad routes, and the right one depends on how permanent and seamless you want the result.
- Freestanding console from a retailer: cheapest and movable, ready in days, easy to replace when you change your TV
- Wall-mounted floating console: frees up floor space and looks clean, but needs solid fixing into the wall
- Custom built-in carpentry: a made-to-measure unit or full feature wall that fits your exact dimensions and hides everything, at a higher cost
If your wall has an odd width, a recess or a beam, or you want the TV, storage and cable runs to disappear into one seamless unit, custom carpentry is usually worth it.
Planning a TV feature wall during your renovation
The cleanest cable setup is decided before the console arrives, not after. If you are already doing renovation work on the living room, this is the moment to plan the whole TV wall as one piece: where the power points sit, where the TV bracket anchors, and how HDMI and network cables run inside the wall.
Ask your contractor to add a dedicated power point and a concealed conduit behind the TV position so cables drop straight down into the console with nothing showing. If you want a floating console or a full feature wall, coordinating the carpentry, the electrical points and the wall finishing together avoids drilling into freshly painted walls later. Planning these details as part of the renovation gives you a truly wire-free look that a standalone console cannot match on its own.
Where can I buy a TV console in Singapore?
Several well-known local and international retailers carry TV consoles across a wide price range. Always check current prices and stock, since ranges change often.
- IKEA: budget to mid, strong on modular and cable-friendly systems
- Courts and Harvey Norman: wide selection, often bundled with TVs
- Castlery, HipVan and Nook and Cranny: design-led modern pieces
- Scanteak and Commune: solid-wood and Scandinavian styles
Visit in person if you can, so you can check drawer runners, door hinges and how much the top flexes under weight before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
How much wider than my TV should the console be? Aim for the console to be at least as wide as the TV, and ideally 15 to 30 cm wider on each side so the set looks stable and balanced. A 55 inch TV pairs well with a console around 1.5 m to 1.8 m wide.
Can I put a soundbar on a TV console? Yes. Leave a gap of a few centimetres in front of a table-standing TV so the soundbar does not block the screen or the remote sensor, or mount the TV on the wall and place the soundbar on the top shelf. Check the console top is deep enough for both.
Should I mount the TV on the wall or stand it on the console? Wall-mounting frees up the console top and looks cleaner, but needs a solid wall and hidden cabling to look its best. Standing the TV on the console is simpler and easy to move, which suits renters and anyone who changes TVs often.
Do I need extra power points behind the TV? It helps a lot. One dedicated power point behind the TV position, ideally added during renovation, lets you run the TV, soundbar, router and media box from a single tidy spot instead of trailing an extension cord across the room.