Built-In Entertainment Center

This basement living room has been something we’ve wanted to tackle for a year or so now. We finally bit the bullet and started planning out our built in entertainment center. With an 85in TV and such a large wall I knew right away that this entertainment center was going to be massive. After measuring out the space and coming up with a plan we settled on a 15 foot long unit with lower cabinets and bookcases surrounding the TV. This will end up being the perfect place to store blankets, toys and board games. Time to go get lots of plywood!

DIY Built In Entertainment Center Plans Rogue Engineer 2

Time to Complete

2 Weeks

Estimated Cost

$1000+

Skill Level

Advanced

Printable PDF

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Dimensions

DIY Built In Media Center Plans Dimensions

How to Build a Large Built-In Entertainment Center

Time needed: 10 days.

  1. Cut List


    Note that some of these pieces will need to be cut to fit in a later step. This should be used as a guide for how to layout your cuts.
    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Cut List 1

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Cut List 2

  2. Assembling the Cabinet Carcasses


    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 1

  3. Assembling the Drawer Boxes

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 2

    Click here for the full tutorial on how to build a simple drawer box.

  4. Assembling the Platform

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 3

  5. Installing the Cabinets

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 4

  6. Installing the Top

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 5

  7. Assembling the Bookshelves

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 6

  8. Installing the Face Frames

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 7

  9. Installing the Bookcases

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 8

  10. Installing the Shelf Over the TV

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 9

  11. Adding Trim to the Unit

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 10

  12. Prepping for Finish


    Making sure that a project like this turns out as good as it can, and continues to look that way for years to come, really comes down to prepping the surfaces for paint. We started by sanding all the surfaces up to 220 grit for a smooth finish. Then, we applied DAP Extreme Stretch Sealant to seal the back of the unit and the trim into the wall. This is great because it can fill gaps up to 3 inches wide (using backer rod when joint depth exceeds 1/2″) and it can stretch up to 600% which is perfect making sure that the seasonal wood movement doesn’t end up cracking the caulk lines.

    DIY Built In Entertainment Center Plans Finishing 2

    We also used DAP Premium Wood Filler for any wood joints and nail holes. This product won’t shrink or crack and is great for filling even the wood grain that might show up on a painted surface.

    DIY Built In Entertainment Center Plans Finishing 3

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  13. Priming & Painting


    With all the wood joints and caulking, we deciding to paint this unit in place which will make sure we have great coverage. To do so we taped and shielded the walls, floor and ceiling before spraying the entire unit and wall behind it with primer and paint. For the paint we settled on Natural Cream in color and Benjamin Moore’s Advance interior paint which will provide a more durable finish.

    DIY Built In Entertainment Center Plans Finishing 5

  14. Installing the Drawer Boxes

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 11

  15. Installing the Cabinet Doors/Side Panels

    DIY Built In Media Center Plans Step 12

    Related Tutorials:
    Installing Concealed Cabinet Door Hinges
    Making Cabinet Doors with a Router Table
    Making Cabinet End Panels
    Painting and Installing Cabinet Doors
    Making a Cabinet Door Drying Rack

Hopefully these plans helped you have the confidence to tackle a project like this. If you have any questions or input please comment below. Make sure to show off your builds in the comments as well for others to enjoy!

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