I need to update this wall unit. HELP!! Any ideas?

Hi Danielle, what a great piece. By all means paint it. I wouldn't take off any of the doors. Instead it's install push locks and remove the knobs. Push locks let you gently push the door in and then it pops open. Use stencils on it to make it look like a continuous work of art. Happy DIY'ing!

Danielle, this can be a beautiful piece with a new coat of paint. First, remove all items out of or on the piece, including hardware. I would keep the doors, but remove them for painting. Clean it well, removing all dust with a clean cloth. Then use a clean damp cloth and wipe it down well again. Let it dry. Next, lightly sand the wood to be painted. Clean again with a damp cloth to remove all particles from the sanding. I know all of the cleaning sounds redundant, but you want a smooth finish and this will help to insure that you have one. I would use white chalk paint on the piece. You can use another if you prefer, my preference would be white. White will open the space and add dynamics to the items in your case. You can also add a pop of yellow or red in your piece with decor to draw attention to the items in your case. A piece of greenery will be lovely too, if you just lay it against the white. Once you cover the piece in chalk paint, let it dry well. If you want ashabby look, you can sand the edges and places that would show wear. Purchase new hardware to match your style. Hope this helps!

Obviously, sand/paint the wood.

You could use privacy film or paint on the glass. Or wallpaper.

You could cut out the inset panels on the solid doors and/or remove the glass on the glass doors and replace with decorative cut-out metal sheeting.

It looks like your TV doesn't quite fit. If not, you can add trim pieces between the units to make the middle wider or you can add a solid panel and mount the TV slightly in front of the unit, but that might look wierd. But the easiest thing to do would be to move the TV elsewhere and add shelves in the TV hole for books or whatever.

Hide wire from lamp at top. Just put behind unit and tack up where needed. Declutter. Great piece.

An alternative to painting would be to paint the backs of the shelving and glass front cabinets with a bright color that fits your new decor. And put in LED lights or cabinet puck to show off your collection. You could also use removable wall paper in back of the cabinet shelves. I would take off the doors of the two lower cabinets below your glass-faced ones also, cut out the center of the doors with a jigsaw and install glass to match those above.

Another alternative would be to whitewash it, or use a blue stain or gray stain.... to show off the wood grain but have some color. You would need to sand off the finish, vacuum, then wipe down with a tack cloth, then wash or stain it. To whitewash mix 50% paint and 50% water (any color you like), apply with a foam brush, let sit to desired depth of color wanted, then wipe off the excess with old rags. Test on an out of the way piece to practice to get the look you want.

Then declutter your collection and replace to show off your important pieces. P.S. I love globes.

Ophs forgot the links.... https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+whitewash+an+entertainment+center&client=opera&hs=QAD&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjS79qcsprdAhXTHTQIHbiEA4MQ7Al6BAgGEA8&biw=1473&bih=696

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=paint%20the%20backs%20of%20cabinet%20shelves&rs=typed&term_meta[]=paint%20the%20backs%20of%20cabinet%20shelves%7Ctyped

What do you want to do with it? You can make it into a library by taking off the doors and painting it any color you like. the middle [if you don't want the TV there anymore] a display for a collection you have … photos, baskets, antiques - anything.

I would sand this and paint it for the update.

Try either Painting or Papering the inside panels of the unit. Less of a job and can be just as effective.