The finished piece is almost entirely black, but the workshop photos tell the more interesting story. Before the coating went on, the pale ash revealed exactly how this long, low cabinet was put together: drawers at the ends, drop-down storage through the centre, and cable openings where equipment can sit out of sight.
This custom TV unit in Auckland was built in ash and completed in a black PU finish. It’s a practical entertainment unit first, with a clean horizontal form that keeps the storage visually quiet.
A custom entertainment unit built around storage
Off-the-shelf TV cabinets often force a compromise. The width may be wrong, the equipment spaces too shallow, or the cable route becomes an afterthought. A custom unit gives the internal layout as much attention as the exterior.
This ash TV unit uses a broad top over a series of aligned front panels. The workshop views show an end drawer and two central drop-down fronts, with another enclosed section completing the run. When everything is shut, the consistent panel line keeps the cabinet calm and uncluttered.
Why ash works beneath a black PU finish
Ash is often chosen for its clear, pronounced grain. Covering it in black doesn’t necessarily erase that character. In the finished close views, the grain can still be read through the dark surface, adding texture without interrupting the simple shape.
That makes the finish a useful part of the design rather than just a colour choice. The black PU ties the top, sides, fronts and interior together, while the timber’s surface prevents the piece from looking flat or anonymous. Look closely and it still feels like timber.
The unfinished images also make the construction easier to understand. You can see the pale ash components, neatly fitted drawer boxes, cabinet divisions and the changing direction of grain across the parts.
Drawers, drop-down doors and cable access
A TV unit has to handle a slightly awkward mix of objects. Remotes and smaller accessories suit drawers; media equipment needs wider compartments and a route for its cables. This design addresses both.
The end drawer opens to a full timber interior. Across the centre, hinged fronts fold down to reveal separate equipment bays. Round openings in the back panels provide a direct cable path, helping connections stay behind the cabinet rather than draping across the top.
Those are small details, but they’re the difference between storage that merely looks tidy and storage that works once the television, consoles or other equipment are in place.
The finished black TV unit
Once the black PU finish is applied, the separate parts read as one continuous piece. The long top gives the unit a strong horizontal line, while the fronts sit neatly beneath it with minimal visual interruption. Open a drawer, and the ash grain is still there—only now in a much darker, more architectural form.
The gallery documents the cabinet in the workshop rather than in its final room, so we won’t guess at dimensions, installation details or the client’s equipment. What the images do establish is a purpose-built storage layout, careful alignment, accessible cable routes and a consistent black finish across the whole unit.
You can see every build photograph in the Ash TV Unit in Black PU project gallery.
Planning a custom TV unit in Auckland?
Start with the wall width, the television size and a list of everything the cabinet needs to hold. Photos of the room, preferred finish, cable locations and a few reference images are useful too. From there, the proportions and internal layout can be designed around the space instead of borrowed from a standard cabinet.