SFGate

Impeccable Design & Drapery LLC It would be absolutely beautiful to add a stone wall going all the way up the fireplace wall. You could have a custom mantle built and custom shelving flanking the fireplace. If cost is a factor you could easily buy pre-made shelves that hang on brackets on both sides of the fireplace. You could apply a great wallpaper behind them, or a contrasting wall color. Keep an eye out at your local home store for stacked slate or stone that goes on clearance. I'm sure diynetwork.com has an example of how to install these items yourself as well. As for the blue ray player and speakers, if you opted for the custom shelving, your contractor could place cabinets on the lower part with an infrared eye, so you wouldn't have to open and close the cabinetry all the time. I hope this helps ;-)

Jayme Hobbs Thoughts

mmilos Definitely install a beefier mantle.

Priya Skandaruban i definitely like the stacked slate/stone idea. and surely would like to keep it DIY as much as possible to help keep the costs down. i am also thinking along the lines of shelving on both sides of the fireplace and moving the tv and the black cabinets to the adjacent wall. suggestions on the wallpaper? keeping in mind that we'll be changing the couches later to something more with clean lines, sectional and leather.

TVCoverups Hi Priya, you might want to consider TVCoverUps. Its a great way to add artwork or a mirror above the fireplace and still use the TV! The Theater Installation Box can be built to accommodate AV equipment(such as your speakers), TV tilting hardware or your bluray/cable box. And you can use your own art or choose from our collection as well.
With a TV CoverUp,a television screen is no longer a stark center of attention, detracting from a room's decor. Instead, framed art provides the focal point - until it deftly swings upward to reveal the television hidden beneath. Each TV CoverUp unit is customized to suit the needs of any viewer, room or taste.

Gear 7 Audio-Visual Personally, the TV is far too high. I'd be inclined to suggest a complete rethink:

- TV on wall opposite current location
- Block up the opening to it's left
- Big L-shaped sofa across window and alcove; arm chair or a designer piece in front of other alcove
- Built-in cabinets to replace freestanding

This would give you the best of both worlds in that the fireplace could be made a feature of without compromising the TV; and the TV can be viewable without compromising the fireplace. It would also give you more free floor space than there is presently as the walk-way wouldn't need to be wasted space behind the sofa.

Just my 2p!
Chris

Marilyn Wilkie I agree that stacked cultured or natural stone would beautify that space. I also agree that the tv is way too high. Especially since it isn't on a tilting type bracket. The idea is to look directly at the center of the screen...that can be accomplished with an angled bracket only if you can sit back far enough from the screen. Heat is another consideration if the fireplace is actually used. It is hard to have the fireplace and the tv on seprate walls sometimes though. We just looked into natural and cultured face stone ourselves. Some come in sheets (but then you see some 3" lines), others are individual stones. All are fairly thin and have corner pieces that are used on corners. Natural stone veneer is more pricey.

Impeccable Design & Drapery LLC http://www.seabrookwallpaper.com/products/photo.aspx?patternID=19829
Check this out. Something similar to this would coordinate with your existing furniture and wall color. Of course I can't guarantee an exact match without seeing the space personally. Houzz has an article from DIY about installing bracket shelves inexpensively, and one for hanging wallpaper as well. Hope this helps...... :-)

yvonnecmartin If you don't want to spend a lot of money, you could consider painting just the small wall of the fireplace and TV. First, paint out all the white woodwork just on this wall. Then select a darker color for the wall, one that picks up color from the couch and loveseat, but is pretty dark.

I'd paint the light switches and outlets to match the walls.

You might like the room better if the bookcases were painted to match the walls.

Then spend some money to get new window coverings.

india66 Can you paint those 2 armoires? They really take over the wall, along with the TV. Maybe if you paint the armoires in a medium/light shade that would be similar to the wall color, and then beef up the fireplace with layered stone, or even just a coat of paint in a strong color, it would make the fireplace the star of the wall.

All About Home Electronics.com 1. http://allabouthomeelectronics.com/entertainment-cabinet/custom-builtin.html. Design custom built-in cabinets to be installed left of... and right of... the fireplace. You can put all the electronics inside as well as the sub woofer that's currently sitting on the floor.
2. Remove the TV from above the fireplace, given the "viewing distance" separating your seating from the current TV height it will be more comfortable to watch when its moved and lowered.
3. Consider installing a more substantial ceiling crown molding treatment in the room.
4. This frees up the fireplace for any new fireplace surround ideas, mantel design options and brick / stone / or tile treatment on the fireplace facade wall.

Kelly I would move the two cabinets tighter to the fireplace, build a fireplace surround and mantle, paint it the same color as the cabinets to give it that built in look. Wrap the mantle and everything around the wall to meet the cabinets. Add some crown molding to the tops of the cabinets to finish the look.

Priya Skandaruban i have another question - a few people have told me that i can't do a wall to wall cabinetry on the adjacent wall as i have a return air vent on that wall. is there a way around this? i wanted to move the tv to this wall and do a wall to wall but the return air vent is an issue. Any advise?