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Choosing LEDs for a Media Wall Installation

Media wall lighting has become a popular way to elevate living spaces, bringing together TVs, cabinetry, shelving and lighting into one cohesive feature. When it’s planned well, lighting adds depth, warmth and balance to the design. When it’s not, even high-quality materials can fall flat.

This guide is written for furniture and cabinetry fitters, installers, and competent DIYers who want clear, practical advice on choosing the right LED lighting for media walls. We’ll cover where different types of lighting work best, which LED products suit each application, and how to plan your setup to avoid common mistakes.

What Is Media Wall Lighting?

Media wall lighting is primarily accent and ambient lighting rather than general room lighting. Its purpose is to enhance the look of the wall, highlight textures and materials, and soften the visual contrast around a TV.

Typical uses include:

Adding depth behind or around a TV
Highlighting slatted or textured wall panels
Softly illuminating shelving and alcoves
Creating a warm, balanced focal point in the room

Understanding this from the outset helps set realistic expectations. Media wall lighting is about atmosphere and finish, not high brightness.

Slat Wall and Acupanel Media Walls

Acoustic slat panels (often referred to as Acupanel) are a popular choice for media walls. These panels usually have narrow gaps between the slats, typically around 13mm, which influences what type of lighting can be installed.

Because of this limited space, a slim aluminium LED channel is required.

For slat wall installations, we typically recommend our SS12 LED Profile

This profile:

• Fits neatly into standard slat gaps

• Keeps the lighting discreet and visually clean

• Acts as a heat sink, helping extend LED lifespan

Due to its internal width, this channel accepts LED tape up to 8mm wide.

What LED Strip Light should I use in a Slat Wall?

COB (Chip on Board) LED tape produces a continuous, dot-free line of light. This makes it particularly well suited to slat walls, where the light source is visible and there is little space for diffusion.

In slat wall installations using our recommended SS12 profile, single-colour white COB LED tape is the most suitable option. Wider RGBW or tunable white tapes simply won’t fit within the channel.

We frequently recommend these LED strips for media wall installations:

• Economy Series COB LED Strip: great value and high quality spotless strip lighting with a 3 year warranty.

• Pro Series COB LED Strip: a professional quality tape, can be cut anyhwere for really precise installation, and has an extended warranty of 7 years.

Both deliver a clean, seamless appearance when installed correctly.

Brightness Expectations for Slat Wall Lighting

Lighting within slatted panels should be treated as a visual feature rather than a functional light source. Its role is to add depth and interest, not to light the room on its own.

Perceived brightness will vary depending on:

Room colour and surface reflectivity
Ceiling height
Viewing angle
Surrounding ambient lighting

Darker finishes absorb more light, while lighter surfaces reflect it. For this reason, slat wall lighting works best as part of a layered lighting scheme rather than a standalone solution.

Shelving and Alcove Media Wall Lighting

Media walls that include shelves or recessed alcoves offer much more flexibility. With greater depth available, wider LED channels can be used, opening up more options for LED tape and control.

Consider what is going to be displayed on shelves in advance - positioning of lighting is key.

Front lighting works well for photos and books.
Back lighting / uplighting works well for ornaments and glassware

A mixture of these elements can we used where different objects are being displayed.

Suitable LED Channels for Shelves and Alcoves

Common channel choices include:

• SS17 Surface Mounted Channel

• RS21 Recessed Channel

These profiles allow for better diffusion and can accommodate wider LED tapes.

LED Tape Options for Shelving and Alcoves

Depending on the desired effect, shelving and alcove lighting can use:

• Single-colour COB LED strip for a clean, consistent white light

• CCT COB LED strip (tunable white) to adjust colour temperature

• RGBW COB LED strip for colour effects with a dedicated white channel

Choosing Colour Temperature for your Lighting

for a warm, cosy lighting effect choose 2700k - 3000k
for a day light effect choose 4000k
for a cooler white effect choose 6000k

Wiring Multiple Shelves or Sections

24V LED tape can be wired in parallel, allowing multiple shelves or alcoves to be powered from a single driver and controller. Low-voltage cable can be used to link sections neatly and safely.

Choosing Power Supply for Your Media Wall

All of our recommended LED Strip Light for use in media walls is 24V, which means a suitable LED driver is required to convert 240V mains power.

There are many types depending on how much LED tape is to be powered as they are rated at different wattages – best to consult your electrician if unsure or seek advice from out sales team,

To work out how many watts your run of tape needs simply multiply the wattage of the tape by the number of meters you are running. For example, 5 metres of 6W LED strip light requires 30W.

As a general rule, allow at least 10% spare capacity so the driver is not running at full load. We would recommend using a driver with an output capability of 33W or more to power this strip light.

Dimming and Control for Media Wall Lighting

Media wall lighting can be controlled using:

• Wall-mounted dimmers

• Handheld remotes

• App-based control

• Smart home systems

Whether you want to dim light or control the colour, there are many options and we have a wider variety of controllers.

The chosen control method affects which driver or controller is required, so this should be decided early in the planning stage.

Safety Considerations for TV Backlighting

When installing lighting behind or around a TV, careful cable routing is essential. Heat build-up should be avoided, and electrical work must comply with current regulations.

Where required, installation should be carried out by a qualified electrician.

Need Help Planning Your Media Wall Lighting?

If you’re unsure which option is right for your project, our technical team can help you specify a solution that suits both the design and the practical constraints.