Should Televisions Have Supporting Units or Standalone?

Your television contributes aesthetically to the decor of your home by establishing a relationship with your other elements. This includes the furniture upon which it rests. Although is a supporting television unit essential in interior design?
Should Televisions Have Supporting Units or Standalone?

Last update: 30 August, 2021

Household appliances play an important role in our homes. They not only provide a specific utility, they also contribute to our decor. For this reason, we’re going to ask ourselves how to display our televisions: should they have supporting units or standalone?

Our living rooms have different resources that help us to create a harmonious and relaxing environment. This also applies to our bedrooms. In these rooms, we certainly want to establish the appropriate elements to achieve comfort and well-being.

In this sense, the need arises to work on aesthetics in a more concrete way, focussing on the resources that, at first, we didn’t think could have such an impact. A particular case is the television and the furniture that supports this appliance. Can one live without the other? Let’s find out!

Traditional formulas for displaying televisions

Minimalist television has arrived

The relevance that the television acquires in certain rooms means that the furniture is oriented towards it. It’s consolidated as a transcendental component and, therefore, our gaze should be comfortably directed towards it. Hence, the need to properly configure the interior design of this space.

One of the most popular options is to place the television on the wall. It can be hung permanently in a static position or on a flexible bracket that allows for movement. Normally, plasma display televisions are attached to the wall like a movie screen.

However, we also have another option: using a supporting unit. This may be a table, a sideboard, or a TV unit. The possibilities are multiple. We just have to decide if we want to use a traditional supporting system or if we prefer other options.

Televisions placed on supporting units: main benefits

The relationship established between a piece of furniture and your television will create a point of attraction and balance within the room. In other words, a symbiosis between the two elements is consolidated to provide a more defined look:

  • Generally, the height of a supporting unit isn’t usually too high. Broadly speaking, this is the fundamental idea behind achieving comfortable and direct viewing, without the need to look up or adopt an uncomfortable position.
  • In the same way, you can hang the television on the wall. However, the aesthetic essence is lost because it lacks a purposeful piece of furniture that conveys meaning. Supporting units for televisions can contribute to the decor of your room, alongside offering practical storage space.
  • Another factor to consider is storage! Supporting units offer neat space for magazines, newspapers, and other items in different compartments. In addition, it helps us to hide the cables, while leaving space for game consoles, your router, or DVD player.
  • Lately, supporting units with minimalist designs are in fashion. They show off a technical character where straight lines predominate. In this way, it’s interesting if the furniture has similar lines to the television and that there’s a cordial relationship between the two.

Televisions without supporting units

The television, with or without support unit?

What can a television without a supporting unit provide for us aesthetically? As we’ve pointed out before, it can be hung on the wall without requiring space for furniture and, after all, a similar functionality is achieved.

There’s also another possibility: the use of legs or a base, in such a way that it acquires a completely unique and simple look. This system reflects a spatial absence in the place where it’s located–in other words, we’re potentially missing a piece of furniture that allows us to complete and fill a corner.

Televisions with or without supporting units: personal taste

The type of image you want to create will depend on you. If you’re not placing great importance on appearance, then you can opt for a basic and functional system without a supporting unit; this formula is easily applied.

On the other hand, if you prefer a more consistent and formal aesthetic look, then you have the opportunity to create a more decorative space. This is where the style of your home plays an important role: defining its content.

In short, if you’re looking for a perfect formula, it doesn’t exist! You must simply decide which option to take. However, either of the two formulas can work, as long as harmony is achieved in the whole home.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


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  • Walton, Stewart: Guía completa de decoración: 1000 ideas de diseño para el hogar, Blume, 1997.