I was just about to post my story about "BATS in the Belfry" - B.ig A.ss T.elevision S.yndrome! You can read about the solutions in my blog at http://we2me.com/musings/. It may not be EXACTLY what you are facing right now, but perhaps it will provide some ideas...

BATS in the belfry
One constant decor issue that continues to link all divorced men together after moving into their new space, is not the wagon wheel coffee table from "When Harry met Sally, the worn, navy blue, corduroy recliner with the pizza sauce stain on the seat or the 4" soap scum deposit that happily resides on the sliding glass shower doors, no, no, no, it's none of that.....ok, maybe it is some of that!
The #1 universal common denominator, that crosses all borders, languages and ethnicities, is what I like to refer to as "BATS in the belfry".......Big Ass Television Syndrome.
"What is the BIGGEST ASS TV I can purchase to mount on my wall?" is always the first silent question, followed by a speeding car ride to Best Buy. Not that there's anything wrong with that. What's wrong, however, is that there needs to be other things in the room to accompany the recently acquired rectangle of visual pleasure in order for that space to be welcoming, aesthetically pleasing and feel like home again.
PROBLEM:
SECONDS after Jon moved into his new post divorce space, he purchased a Mini Cooper, I mean a TV the size of a Mini Cooper. And although he utilized his family room couch from his pre divorce home, a wooden coffee table from a friend and an end table from his aunt Ida, his new space was feeling more like a college dorm rather than a home. There was nowhere for guests to sit and simply talk. His space needed to reflect his personal style as well as be functional and
inviting. Often times, especially men, (sorry guys) have no clue how to make a space welcoming. Frequently, after navigating through the nightmare of divorce, the new space is overlooked. The irony however, is that the new space is even more important than ever. It has to feel like you actually live there, not like you're visiting. When parents have joint custody, for instance, the children really need to feel a sense of permanency. The way to achieve that is to put the effort, time and money into making a house into a home. By doing this you mean to STAY. The last thing anyone wants to feel, is that at any moment, you will be uprooted and moved again.
HERE'S WHAT I DID:
▪ Create a sense of balance with 2 seating areas
▪ Repurposed old couch slip covered and placed in front of TV
▪ Punctuated couch with beautiful blue pillows to create a color direction
▪ Flanked TV with 2 swivel chairs (opposite couch) to create conversational area when TV is not in use
▪ Added colorful area rug to floor to designate and ground the space
▪ Color story-repainted the TV room in a deep rich blue (based on Jon's personal love of boating) ▪ Replaced heavy wooden coffee table with glass table to update and give the illision of more real estate in the room.
TESTIMONIAL:
"The we2me experience was great! Jodi gave me something I didn't know was missing, a place that felt like home again.
She figured out what my favorite colors were so that everytime I walked into that room & saw that blue, it reminded me of boating...one of my favorie things. My kids were now happy to invite their friends over and I was actually house proud. Not only could I watch TV and veg out, but I could also sit quietly with a glass of wine and talk to a friend. My place now had a sense of being grounded. It finally looked liked someone lived here. I was ready to move on. Perhaps having a date over will be next......."
Jon

Appreciate the feedback. TV is 60 inches so while large, I don't necessarily think it takes over the whole wall. My husband wanted a larger TV but we made a point of not making it larger than the fireplace frame. I think our main issue is trying to create balance on the walls. Would love to see any pictures that went along with your blog.

I already have an area rug (pictured), a seating area that can be used with or without the TV on. It's an open space to the kitchen so I'm not sure I can paint just that room one color. Sigh...

1. TV wall - it's a beautiful focus wall, and the height allows you to still do a wood mantle around the granite - either in white or dark wood. I would paint that wall a shade darker for contrast and ideally use art on that wall & move the tv on a side wall - do you have a wall opposite the windows and can you reposition the sectional?
2. by all means frame your wedding photos and have fun with a nice collage in different sizes and assorted frames. I would keep the rug and find the best position for the 2 pieces of furniture by the fireplace - ideally do a floorplan on paper before you move them around.

Thank you! I really like the idea of painting that wall a slight shade darker, seems like a good adult version of an "accent wall." Unfortunately the builder of the house didn't leave much room for floor plan customization. The walls to either side of the TV are windows or a sliding door (pictured below...sorry the lighting isn't that nice).

Will definitely take your advice on doing a tasteful wall of some photos!

Congrats! May I suggest you give the fireplace/TV wall a tah-dah contemporary look with paint plus clear out smaller furniture pieces, add a light fixture and put the recessed lights on dimmers (if not already), soften things up with drapes (as high and wide as you can go). My color palette would be neutrals grounded by black and your photo/art wall could include black + white photos in a grid pattern (I must admit to not being a fan of all wedding photos). Best, Diane

I am firmly opposed to mounting rug & couch on the ceiling. It's just not practical or comfortable. Or are your pictures upside-down?

I like your rug choice and while not a fan of sectionals (because they are often so massive), yours is really kind of nice and clean-line and the colors are fine in the room & couch.

It's a really nice, modern fireplace. Please don't surround it with a colonial-looking mantle. If you wanted to add something, I would only put a simple slab (like reclaimed beam) or steel horizontal shelf slightly above and keep clutter on it to a minimum. Think industrial.

I think it's a shame you put your t.v. there. It's huge. If you like a huge t.v., why not put it on the wall to the left-- left of where the bar is pictured? You would be equally pointed toward it there from your current couch position as the fireplace, and then you can make a choice at times, depending on what type of entertaining you're doing. And then the t.v. won't distract from enjoying a lovely fire. Plus, I wonder if heat from a fire is good for a giant t.v.??

The "blah" factor can be VERY easily fixed and for not much money. Discount stores like TJ Maxx and others carry nice down pillows in really nice fabrics which you can use in some beautiful jewel colors of your choice to mix it up and give you some texture. Make sure that at least the majority are also comfortable to lie on or they will annoy you. You can change pillows out often for only a few dollars, so don't worry about making a mistake. Same with a really beautiful rich looking throw. Don't go overboard and get cluttery. Just what you like. You can keep it on the ottoman when not in use, adding a nice bit of color to the center of the room.

Then GET SOME ARTWORK on the walls. A couple of large, colorful pieces that speak to you personally will change the whole room. Make sure to hang them at the correct height: generally so that that mid or top third of the painting is at about eye level of an average person. Many people hang things too high. And please don't just buy some cheap mass-produced "art." There are real artists in every town, from professionals to students. Go to fairs and festivals and shows and see what you can do. You can buy things unframed or from someone starting out that is beautiful and very inexpensive and one-of-a-kind, that you will treasure (and who knows, may go up in value). I disapprove of "oh, this goes with the sofa" buying of paintings. Let something grab you.

Your brown shelving unit as well as the bar could use a little color. Don't clutter the bar, but swapping out that white candle for a cobalt blue or some other pleasing color may help. Or leave it white--white candles normally preferred--and find a nice small bright color of glass or pottery bowl for the wall end of the bar for a little interest. Or lean a small, bright framed piece of art you like in that position. Easy to move as you wish. You need to spend a little time "staging" your shelving unit. There are a million how-to segment videos I'm sure you can google if you're not great at it, but the bottom line is you need some color there as well. If at least a piece or two could tie to new pillow color, it will make the room flow and feel tied together.

As you collect or buy some small vases, pottery, sculpture, etc... that may have colors that match or are opposite of your new art and pillow colors, put them on your shelves, table, and new mantle. You will not be bored with your lovely room any more. You may be able to "shop" your other rooms for dishes, books you love in lively colors, vases, little favorite objects, etc.... to use for no $


So, nice room..... Please move your t.v. one wall left. Consider a simple, chunky industrial slab of wood or metal for a mantle. Purchase a few colorful & textured pillows that will meet the style of your rug and maybe one simple throw that is not a busy pattern--just texture/color between the couch color and the new pillow colors, buy a few large-scale colorful original art pieces that speak to you, and put in a few finishing touches that you find in your home or collect of books, dishes, sculpture, vases, things you enjoy. And even once you have an arrangement you like, don't leave it sterile in position forever... Your house is not a museum and even museums move their collections. Take time to move things around once in awhile so you continue to appreciate your home.


Good luck. Please send photos of whatever you decide to do when you are finished.

P..S. I agree about the wedding photos... If you want to put them in a nice album or choose your favorite, especially in black & white, and put it on the shelf unit, that would be nice. It lets you pick up and enjoy any time you want. I am not a fan of putting up a "gallery" of a ton of photos all over the wall, wedding or not. The clutter of it gives me a headache. And if you like it, please use frames that are all the same or at least the same type (like all flat black or brushed silver) or collect them into one large frame with multiple mat openings. But it's your home, so do what makes you happy.

Thank you! I tried flipping my pictures but I need to figure out what I need to do to have them post correctly. I will definitely get some art and add a pop of color. I've also decided against doing a wall of photos (might actually move that to a hallway/staircase).

The TV can't be moved, there is a big sliding door on the left wall I pictured in a comment above. I will also add for those of us on a slight budget moving a mounted TV takes a lot more effort than moving, say, a bookshelf. Wiring and outlets have to be considered.

We don't have a formal living room, this is our living room/family room. The TV, I'll admit, we purchased for functionality as we are sports fans and like having people over to watch. I was just looking for advice on how to add some style.

I think you added your comment about having a sliding glass door on that other wall, too, while I was writing the other comment. If you want to get fancy... you could try to find a piece of artwork that you like which is approximately the same size as your t.v. and keep it in a simple flat frame, put it on one of those rolling/hanging mounts (like a barn door?) and have it covered when not it use. The art would roll to the side to behind the bar when not in use. It's hard to judge if from a photo if this may stick out to far into the room over your sleek modern fireplace. So it may not be practical even if you consider it. If you do this, I agree with your instinct not to have anything be larger than your fireplace surround.

But if having the t.v. over the fireplace doesn't bother you, just enjoy it. Try adding the other colors and enjoy your pretty room. Lots of people have large t.v.'s now and it can be a nice entertainment feature.

Your TV wall is quite unbalanced. It would benefit from a full surround and built-ins, IMO.