So on the mantel, I think you need to add some height. This can be done in many ways, but an easy fix would be to stack a few books up and add candle holders, a framed piece of art, etc. Here are a few things I would add:

These could go over the TV:

http://www.deciture.com/shop/decor/7/fallen-leaves-wall-art-set-3/

You can also get a long shelf for the three framed pictures can go onto and lean against the wall. I would recommend getting a shelf that is a little longer than the tv to create balance.

They would tie in the colors from our pillow and chair by the fireplace.

Here is a set of candle holders I found for you. A money-saving idea for the framed art on the mantel would be to purchase a patterned piece of craft paper from hobby lobby that coordinates with your colors and just frame it. It works wonders!

http://deciture.com/shop/decor/7/cain-candle-holders-set-5/

Hope this helps!

The mirror is too big and is making the TV space look worse than it it. I would use art above the fireplace and keep the mantel very simple. No clock, but baskets could work. Dried boxwood topiaries combined with baskets or some decorative objects. But if you take down the mirror and replace it with a beautiful picture that does not go above the line of the niche will bring the eye down and reduce the distance from the top of the TV cabinet to the top of whatever you hang above the fireplace.

Do you like these from Restoration Hardware?

[houzz= https://www.houzz.com/photos/19th-c-framed-herbariums-ivory-set-of-6-phvw-vp~4809180]

And I agree that you need some roundness against this wall. Objects with curves. Could be baskets, but also could be just about anything else.

Actually, I like the sea fans better

[houzz=]

Or add a chandelier in front of fireplace and use a smaller mirror to reflect it.

[houzz=]

See how the smaller mirror and RH chandelier work here?"

[houzz=]

I would look for sculptural wall art for the space above the TV like the birds or sticks. It should be a horizontal piece almost as long as the TV, Don't use pictures because they are too high to see. I saw one photo where a tree branch was painted black and hung on the wall. Simple but beautiful. Don't put anything on the ledge.

Agree that the mirror is very boring. You can do better.

I would mount the T.V. on the wall without the cabinet. I think the mirror is wrong for over the fireplace, some art would be better for the fireplace.

These pictures may not exactly be your style, so some imagination is needed.

The area seems weird because there are 2 focal points side by side which need to flow as one. Your mirror, tv, & tv cabinet are all dark and your mantle is white. Even though your trim is white, it seems all alone. You could replace your tv cabinet for one that is longer & white. Place it against the wall by the fireplace so it has the look of a built in. (If adding built ins are in the budget, do that.) Add one or more white floating shelves above the tv. Put some type of simple decoration in the high niche. It would look nice painted a different color, but it could be something more subtle than the orange in the picture. Right now it seems like you are trying to ignore that it's there which makes it more noticeable. If you want to keep your mirror, turn it the other way so its not as high as the niche. If you decorate the niche & shelves above the tv with dark colored items, then it will look better with the mirror.

I am thinking there may be a way to make the mirror work and turning it might.

I agree with chrisinsky above that the all dark against the white mantel is a problem. Also the mantel itself is out of proportion with the fireplace overall.

A larger mantel and surround and turning the mirror might bring that side into proportion. You could refinish TV cabinet or paint it to bring the finishes more in line. I don't think you want a dark fireplace surround, but maybe you would like that.

I also agree that ignoring the inset can emphasize it more.

I am not sure if you were telling us you don't want a painting or you don't want to paint the room.

For me, the proportions are more of a problem at this moment than the finishes.

I would love to see more of your space to totally get a feel for your room. Then we can shop the area to see if things can just be moved here and there.

Love the suggestion to take the mirror away and replace it with a piece of art to add some color there. I see a blue vase on a table......wonder if you could take the flowers out and put that vase up on the ledge in the higher part and maybe find a few more pieces just like that to bring a bit of color and then be happy with it. It will make the chair feel like a part of the room with the color spread around, too. Art with that color would be awesome!

Also wondering if your room is set up in the best way for your two focal points and if that would make you happier in this room, too. I love the couch looking out the window, but is it possible for it to turn and directly face your tv and fireplace? They will be balanced that way, too. Then the blue chair can be used, but on the other side maybe????

From what I could see I would do the following:

Raise the mirror a bit, add larger items such as photographs and a figural.
Raise the curtains to the same line as the shelf above the TV.
Add an arched piece on the shelf. I like the stained glass with a light behind.
Put a cubed shelf above the TV (this could also house additional speakers or baskets mimicking the bottom).

I like the idea of a backlit stained glass in that shelf. Do you happen to have an outlet up there? If not the blue vase with some other similar items would look good up there. Raising the curtain rod is also a neat suggestion. I'm still bothered by that white mantle and now that someone else mentioned it, maybe it is out of proportion. If you keep the dark tv cabinet, can you find some matching skinny shelves to put on either side to make it look larger & have that built in feeling?

Lucidos, can you make the mantle black & larger in a photoshopped picture just to see what that would look like? That is beyond my talents.

Sure thing.. Oh and a battery LED light will last for a month if there is no outlet. Gotta dust up there anyway.

Add a tall narrow brush or tree next to TV nothing over it. On mantel go color like the teals, mix with white tall candlesticks 3 on one end only. That's it. Pier one may have. Or Z galleries, they have great accessories.

You have a lot of brown. Put a throw on sofa with some pillows like on chair.

I have a similar space and also like simple. Mine is above a piano. Not sure if you like something like this but thought I would give you an example.

Mix the teal with orange on accessories.

Lucidos idea looks nice!

Well, the black mantle ties it together with the other dark items in the room. I'm just not sure it looks good with the fireplace tile. Carrie, are your mirror & tv cabinet actually black or a dark brown? If they are dark brown, I would like that better on the mantle.

I tweaked the image to an arched cabinet. Perhaps directly above the unit rather then floating.

Nothing above the TV. Longer console under it.

Longer console to fill the wall, single object by TV, single object on mantel, curtains raised to near the ceiling.

All the different ideas convinced me further that it is the proportions and where the horizontal lines meet or don't meet each other. I don't think a stained glass window is Restoration Hardware style. You like less color, not more.

Groveraxel is asking for a longer console and someone else is suggesting cabinets on sides of tv, but this is all a balancing act that will always be off if the fireplace mantel and surround is not beefed up. If it is, then you solve the problem of the over sized mirror.

If you want a dark surround and it goes with your other stuff, it would put weight on the right side and make the fireplace the focal point, not the tv.

I think this is a difficult problem with inches one way or the other making all the difference.

What happens if you beef the fireplace like this RH image?

[houzz=]

hey grover, can you put the picture above into the room?

I agree with groveraxle, the room is better balanced is an asymmetric way.

or this

I know you said you're not into painting, but it might help to minimize the TV to paint the wall it's on a warm chocolate and pick up the teal of your chair on the fireplace wall. I'd get a tall vase filled with silk flowers and another good sized object for the mantle.

Here's the beefed up fireplace, Ramona. I still think what it needs most is a console that fills the wall.

houssaon's color combo looks great!

There are so many ideas I'm totally overwhelmed! I do like beefing up the fireplace surround/mantle and looking into a white, longer TV console table that wouldn't be such a beast in the room. We really like the mirror there & actually just bought it a couple months ago for that spot. I get that it doesn't seem to reflect anything "pretty", but the whole room is kinda weird and we like that it reflects light and brightens up the high spaces. We've thought about painting the mirror frame, but what color?
Here's pictures of the rest of the room. Please excuse the mess!

I am imagining a new fireplace surround all the way to the sides of the wall and into the corner and above. The surround would fill the wall from end to end. Thanks for doing it thou' -- you are always ready and willing to help.

I get that Carrie's family loves the mirror and I like it too. Improving the size of the fireplace surround allows the mirror to work. I see now that you have a fan, so a chandelier won't work unless you get rid of the fan which you might need.

If the fireplace went darker and more substantial, then the tv console could go light and disappear except for the screen.

If it is a matter of budget, then the quickest thing to do is go light on the tv console, but you will still have the proportions on the fireplace to deal with.

Can you paint the TV console? Remove the top and just sit the tv on top?

Sorry to give you a headache. I am not feeling well enough to work today and doing this relaxes me up to a point.

Painting the fireplace wall looks interesting!

Just playing around with some designs... I'm more of an exteriors / layout guy, so just trying to get better at interiors. The only thing I notice is that the focus wall seems a bit 'high' - due likely to the tall mirror. I like the comment talking about 'reflecting' and paying attention to exactly what is being reflected. What would happen if you painted the wall a color to make the chimney pop a bit? Maybe some plants or other device to center the focus on the TV instead of pulling your eye across to the fireplace, which is less of a major focus in the room... Enjoy! I'll pay attention to the thread too, there are many talented contributors here and I'm interested to see what the final result turns out to be.

Ramona - no apologizes! I can't believe so many strangers are spending time commenting on my livingroom. I'm less overwhelmed now that I have a couple good ideas to focus on. Thank you!

I see now that someone did a post about darkening the fireplace and increasing the surround - another great idea.

That's what happens when you get us deco/photoshop junkies looking at "potential". The presented ideas are great and will go miles to give that room more of the tone your after.

"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen"-John Steinbeck

If you want me to compile a mock up of a few of these thoughts to look at them on one sheet just ask!

**Added: Mull it over and tell me what you would like to see.

Lucidos - wow, that would be fantastic!

Lucidos- We're considering installing some faux stone (possibly like Lowe's AirStone, though I've never seen it in person) around the fireplace up to the mantle, (all the way to the ceiling would be cool, we just want to spend as little as possible.) and then replacing the mantle with something beef-ier in either white or something rustic that would go with our knotty alder kitchen cabinets. I like swapping the TV cabinet with a longer, white console table and mounting the TV to the wall. Like I said, we like the mirror, but we could change the frame color. Then a series of smaller framed artwork above the TV and a few items in the niche - like colored glass vessels, or something?
I liked the pic with the teal fireplace wall, but we've had that wall darker and it really closes in. Here's a "dream" livingroom pic from Houzz to show you the feel I'm after:

Except for the coffee table, which I don't like. I'd rather have some dark metal & wood or glass there.

I love that picture...Allrighty, I'll smash something together for you and have it for you later tonight or early tomorrow. Right now the natives are restless and want some me time :)

Ok this is a mock up to get a basic visualization. Excuse my humor. I'm not sold on the white console table. I did one in pine too for contrast. I have this saved so I can easily add and subtract as you muddle. And also showing you a fireplace done in the Airstone.

Adding the stained glass in the little alcove makes the TV stand look like it's very short. Also adding that huge TV above the fireplace looks bad. Just to wide for the fireplace and too high.

Do you have an option for re-arranging the living room? The TV stand may look better on the wall to the left of it's current position. That would eliminate the conflict between the TV and fireplace.

It looks like you have a little console next to the windows move that and the chair next to the fireplace. Try that large mirror over the new console.

I haven't seen the rest of the room so can't say about how the rest of the space should be arranged. How about some additional photos?

Dar Eckert - if you scroll up in this thread a bit, you'll see the rest of my room. There aren't any other options for furniture placement, really. Especially the TV. And below the grass cloth wall you can see in the picture, behind the longest part of the couch, is the stair case down to our basement.

Lucidos - I'm going to process this for a bit. Thanks - it helps to see a picture of the possibilities. I am now agreeing with everyone that the mirror is too big. I suppose we could find another place for it.

Since I think I'm the one who first brought up the white TV cabinet, I want to maybe make a change to that. If you change out your mantle to something in natural wood & add the stone, then I vote for a natural wood TV cabinet as Lucidos has shown. I would get a wood close to the color of your kitchen cabinets. I only said white to go with the current mantle.

I came up with another possibility. Making a cabinet with bifold doors and integrating the top with the mantel shelf.

Lucidos, I like the idea of making the fireplace & TV cabinet one big piece. That looks nice.

I read some but not all the comments, but I'd put nothing above the TV and replace the mirror with art.

The horizontal line of the above photo is good inspiration to combine the 2 areas. Don't put anything in that high shelf.