Space-Saving Wall Unit Sets: Cleverly Combining SOLIDO and CLIF

A wall unit is a modular furniture system that bundles storage space and presentation areas, making optimum use of the vertical room height in the living room through a combination of floor-standing and wall-hung elements.

Anyone furnishing or redesigning their living room often faces the challenge of accommodating media equipment, books, and personal belongings in a functional manner within limited space. Modular ranges such as SOLIDO and CLIF offer well-thought-out concepts for this purpose. They typically consist of a TV lowboard, wall-hung cabinets, display units, and wall shelves. The decisive advantage of these systems lies in the flexible arrangement of the individual carcases. This guide explains in detail how to select the right modules, take room conditions into account, and assemble the furniture professionally using the correct hardware.

Types and Designs: The Diversity of Modern Furniture Systems

The visual and functional design of a wall unit depends significantly on the materials and surfaces used. The basis of most modern carcase furniture is chipboard or MDF (medium-density fibreboard). These core materials are finished with various coatings.

Modern and Purist Surfaces

For a Modern Wall Unit, smooth, solid-coloured fronts are frequently used. A White High-Gloss Wall Unit strongly reflects incoming light, which provides visual enlargement, especially in smaller rooms. The high-gloss surface is usually achieved with a thick acrylic layer or multiple coats of lacquer on an MDF board. Those who prefer a matter appearance opt for a White Wall Unit with a robust melamine coating.

Darker tones create a strong contrast in the room. A Black Wall Unit or an Anthracite Wall Unit absorbs light and shifts the television into the background, as the black display seamlessly blends into the dark furniture front when switched off. A Grey Wall Unit is also very popular, as it is less prone to showing visible dust than pure black while still achieving an objective, modern room feel.

Wood Decors and Rustic Looks

Wood introduces visual warmth to the room. Whilst Solid Wood Wall Units are crafted from solid natural timber and have a correspondingly high dead weight, many systems consist of coated panel materials with realistic wood grain. A Modern Wood Wall Unit often combines warm timber shades with cool elements such as black metal or glass.

Classics in the field of wood decors include the Oak Wall Unit and specifically the Sonoma Oak Wall Unit. The latter is characterised by a light, slightly greyish wood tone with a distinctive, rough-sawn texture. For an industrial loft character, a Concrete Effect Wall Unit is often chosen. Here, the foil coating imitates the pores and colour gradations of exposed concrete, creating a strong visual accent, particularly when combined with solid wood or dark oak decors (as frequently found in the CLIF system).

Wall-Hung vs. Floor-Standing Systems

The construction type determines the room atmosphere. A Wall-Hung Wall Unit completely avoids floor contact. The cabinets are mounted to a wall rail using cabinet hangers. This makes floor cleaning considerably easier and makes the room appear airier. Floor-standing systems utilise furniture legs or a closed plinth. They transfer the weight directly into the floor and are better suited to heavy loads or walls with lower load-bearing capacities (e.g. simple stud walls).

Selection Criteria: Made-to-Measure for the Living Room

A modular furniture system works like a well-organised toolbox – every part has its fixed place and fulfils a specific task. In order to find the right combination of SOLIDO and CLIF elements, accurate measurements must be taken and usage habits analysed beforehand.

Dimensions and Space Planning

The first step is measuring the available wall space. Note not only the width, but also the room height and the depth of the furniture.

• TV lowboards typically have a depth of 40 cm to 50 cm to provide sufficient standing area for the television and space for AV receivers.
• Wall-hung cabinets and display units are usually narrower (30 cm to 35 cm deep) so that they do not appear overbearing and you do not bump your head when walking past.

Leave at least 10 cm to 15 cm of clearance on the sides of the wall units to the nearest wall or room door so that the arrangement does not appear cramped.

Storage Requirements and Functionality

Anyone needing to accommodate numerous ring binders, board games, or crockery requires a Living Room Cabinet With Plenty of Storage Space. Here, closed fronts are advantageous as they conceal clutter. If, on the other hand, glassware or decorative objects are to be displayed, glazed display elements with glass shelves and integrated LED lighting are the right choice.

For rooms focused on multimedia, the TV Wall Unit is the central feature. Cable management is crucial here. Look out for pre-drilled cable outlets in the back panel and top panel of the lowboard. The shelves for receivers or consoles should be height-adjustable, ideally via a System 32 (a continuous line of holes with 32 mm spacing), to tailor the shelf height to the equipment.

Workplace Integration

In smaller flats, living and working areas merge. A Wall Unit With Desk integrates a worktop directly into the modular system. The desk top is often rested on the lowboard and supported on the other side by an end panel or a pedestal unit.

Assembly and Technical Details: Professional Installation

Assembling wall unit systems requires a systematic approach and the correct tools. The carcase joints rely on standardised fittings that guarantee a stable and square construction.

Tools Required

Before starting, have the following tools ready:

• Cordless screwdriver with bits (usually PZ2 for chipboard screws, occasionally hex key for connectors)
• Cross-head screwdriver (for fine adjustment of hinges)
• Spirit level (at least 60 cm long)
• Folding rule or tape measure and pencil
• Hammer (for wooden dowels and back panel nails)
• Impact drill (for wall mounting)

Step-by-Step Carcase Assembly

1. Preparation: Sort all components according to their respective modules (lowboard, display unit, wall-hung cabinet). Only open the fittings bags when you assemble the respective module.
2. Dowelling and connecting: Insert the wooden dowels (usually 8 mm diameter) with a little wood glue into the pre-drilled holes in the side panels. Tap the connecting bolts of the cam and pin connectors into the corresponding drilled holes in the horizontal panels.
3. Joining the carcase: Bring the side panels and base/top panels together. The bolts engage into the cam lock housings of the cam connectors. Tighten them clockwise with a screwdriver (approx. 180° turn) until the components are pulled firmly against each other.
4. Fitting the back panel: The back panel (usually a 3 mm thick HDF board) stabilises the carcase. Measure the diagonals of the cabinet. If both dimensions are exactly equal (e.g. 145.5 cm), the carcase is square. Now nail or screw the back panel in place.
5. Attaching furniture legs: For floor-standing elements, screw the furniture legs or base glides to the underside of the base panel.

Fitting Hinges and Drawer Runners

The doors are fixed to the carcase using a concealed cup hinge. The hinge consists of the cup (usually 35 mm diameter), which is recessed into the door bore, and the hinge arm. The cross mounting plate is screwed to the carcase. Most designs use clip-on technology: the hinge arm is simply pressed onto the mounting plate until it audibly clicks into place.

When it comes to door overlays, the following distinctions are made:

• Full overlay: The door completely covers the carcase side panel (standard for individual cabinets).
• Half overlay / twin application: Two doors share a single carcase centre panel (half-overlaying).
• Inset: The door sits flush inside the carcase opening between the side panels.

For drawers, runner systems are used. A roller runner is the basic variant, where a plastic roller runs inside a metal rail. Ball-bearing telescopic runners offer higher quality. Pay attention to the extension length: A full-extension runner pulls out 100%, giving you convenient access to the furthest corner of the drawer. A partial-extension runner stops at around 75%.

Important: Do not confuse comfort mechanisms. A soft-close damper brakes the door or drawer over the final centimetres and gently pulls it shut. A push-to-open system (tip-on) does the exact opposite: pressing on the handleless front triggers a spring-loaded plunger that pushes the door open. Both systems cannot be mechanically combined within a single standard hinge.

Wall Mounting of Hanging Elements

Securely fastening wall-hung cabinets is critical for safety. Check the composition of the wall.

• For solid masonry (concrete, solid brick), use standard wall plugs (usually 8 mm or 10 mm) and matching hexagonal coach screws.
• For plasterboard walls (drywall), special cavity metal anchors that expand behind the board are strictly required. The load capacity is severely limited here; heavy display units should ideally be screwed directly into the timber or metal studs of the wall framework.

Drill the holes level along a single horizontal line (use a spirit level!). Mount the wall suspension rail or hooks. The wall-hung cabinets feature adjustable cabinet hangers on the rear. Hang the cabinet onto the rail and turn the adjusting screws on the hanger to align the cabinet precisely in height and depth against the wall.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much space should be planned between the TV lowboard and the wall-hung cabinet? The gap depends on the size of the television. Plan for the height of the TV plus at least 15 cm to 20 cm of clearance above it, so that the screen does not look cramped and heat can dissipate. A typical distance between the top edge of the lowboard and the bottom edge of the wall-hung cabinet is between 100 cm and 120 cm.

How do I align cabinet doors correctly? A uniform gap reveal (the gap between the doors) is achieved using the adjustment screws on the concealed hinge. The front screw on the hinge arm regulates the gap width (side adjustment). The rear screw loosens the arm to pull the door closer to the carcase or move it away (depth adjustment). Height is adjusted via the slotted holes on the cross mounting plate.

Can I mix elements from the SOLIDO and CLIF ranges together? Technically speaking, both are independent modular systems. Joining carcases directly together (e.g. bolting them side-by-side) is often difficult because grid dimensions and carcase depths may differ. Visually, however, the individual units can be combined exceptionally well in the room, such as a CLIF lowboard in oak paired with wall-hung SOLIDO cabinets in anthracite.

What is the load capacity of the drawers in the TV unit? This depends on the runners installed. Standard ball-bearing runners in living room furniture typically have a load capacity of 15 kg to 25 kg. This is entirely sufficient for remote controls, game controllers, and magazines. If heavier items are to be stored (e.g. stacks of paper or vinyl records), look for drawer runners with a load capacity of at least 30 kg.

How do I properly care for high-gloss and melamine surfaces? Melamine-coated panels (as found on many wood decors) are very easy to maintain and can be wiped down with a damp cloth and mild detergent. High-gloss fronts are more susceptible to scratching. Never use microfibre cloths on these, as they can leave micro-scratches in the acrylic or lacquer. Instead, use a soft cotton cloth with a dedicated high-gloss polish or heavily diluted washing-up liquid.

What is the difference between a flap hinge and a gas strut? TV lowboards often feature drop-down flaps that open downwards. These require specialised flap hinges (often a concealed hinge with an altered opening angle) alongside a flap stay. If a flap opens upwards (e.g. on overhead wall units), a gas strut is commonly used. This assists the opening motion and holds the flap securely open. The force of the strut is specified in Newtons (N) and must be matched precisely to the weight of the wooden front (e.g. 60 N for light fronts, 120 N for heavier ones).

How long does it take to assemble a complete wall unit? For a set consisting of a lowboard, two wall-hung cabinets, and a wall shelf, experienced DIYers should allow roughly 3 to 4 hours. Most of the time is taken up by precise measuring and drilling for the wall mounting of hanging units, as well as the final fine-tuning of door gaps.

Related Categories and Guides

To create the ideal arrangement for your living room furniture, explore our extensive range of high-quality hardware and fittings. If you are fitting out bright, clean furniture, you will find suitable components to match a White Wall Unit. For darker finishes, discover hardware designed for an Anthracite Wall Unit.

Those working with natural finishes can find the right fittings for a Wood Wall Unit with robust surfaces. If you are upgrading or assembling a media setup, explore our specialised hardware solutions suitable for any modern TV Wall Unit.