TV Wall Lighting Type

The mrs has just decided she now wants a TV wall with built in shelves etc

We are going to build it out of mdf and then paint, I am just designing this for my joiner to build and we want the lights above each shelf area

Would we be better with slim/low profile down lights or like a ‘decking’ light kit?

If any one can recommend any lights that would be suitable that would be very much appreciated so I can work out my dimensions

probably some led downlights, however most will give off far more light than you need to illuminate a shelf.

you will probably want dimmable lights and a hidden dimmer switch.
i would buy a few options and wire them to a wander lead that can be plugged in to test if it was for my own house.

I guess it rather depends on what you are going to put on the shelves and how it needs to look when lit. If it's for 'display' purposes do you want spots, or is strip illumination better?
I've generally used led strips in one form or another, roughly as long as each shelf. If you look on (for example) Amazon, and search for "shelf lighting", you will find kits of ready terminated led fittings, usually in housings, with interlinking cables and a plug power brick/driver.
When sitting watching the TV, you don't want to be staring directly at the bulbs, for which reason I choose to shield the fittings along the front of the shelf, or have a strip angled backwards aiming at what's on the shelf, and not into your eyes!
Ikea do wardrobe lights that are angled towards the back of the cabinet which I have used under ordinary shelves, but they are long (50cm ish) and have clips to fit their cabinets. There are other Ikea options however.

Just examples - can't immediately find the exact type I've used!

This is one I did recently for a customer.

Simple LED tape inside aluminium channel with opaque plastic diffuser cover.
Spaced roughly the width of the channel off the back of the unit.

Bottom shelf, tape is on top surface shining down…. Top shelf, the tape is on the shelf, shining up.

“Bare” tape stuck to the back of the tv 100mm in from the edge.

3 sections from the same driver/ controller. Change colour at same time.

The width of the shelf unit is 2m… so shows you how big that telly is.






What you DONT want is having the little LED chips visible normally when viewing tv. The coloured light you see is reflected… so the colour of paint you use is important.

What you DO need is access to reach any electrical sockets behind designed into your plans.

littlespark said:

This is one I did recently for a customer.

Simple LED tape inside aluminium channel with opaque plastic diffuser cover.
Spaced roughly the width of the channel off the back of the unit.

Bottom shelf, tape is on top surface shining down…. Top shelf, the tape is on the shelf, shining up.

“Bare” tape stuck to the back of the tv 100mm in from the edge.

3 sections from the same driver/ controller. Change colour at same time.

The width of the shelf unit is 2m… so shows you how big that telly is.



View attachment 112248View attachment 112249


What you DONT want is having the little LED chips visible normally when viewing tv. The coloured light you see is reflected… so the colour of paint you use is important.

What you DO need is access to reach any electrical sockets behind designed into your plans.

Click to expand...

Looks good that. Is it white gloss or more of a satin finish?

littlespark said:

This is one I did recently for a customer.

Simple LED tape inside aluminium channel with opaque plastic diffuser cover.
Spaced roughly the width of the channel off the back of the unit.

Bottom shelf, tape is on top surface shining down…. Top shelf, the tape is on the shelf, shining up.

“Bare” tape stuck to the back of the tv 100mm in from the edge.

3 sections from the same driver/ controller. Change colour at same time.

The width of the shelf unit is 2m… so shows you how big that telly is.



View attachment 112248View attachment 112249

What you DO need is access to reach any electrical sockets behind designed into your plans.

Click to expand...

How have they managed with ventilation for the tv.

DPG said:

Looks good that. Is it white gloss or more of a satin finish?

Click to expand...

To paraphrase…. “I’m a doctor, Jim… not a decorator”

Actually I don’t know… will be same emulsion they put on the walls.

mainline said:

How have they managed with ventilation for the tv.

Click to expand...

There’s a gap around the tv.

Not my problem… they got some tv engineer to mount it…. A tv engineer that couldn’t even fit an f-type coax connector.

Another story.