IMO, it is too much on that wall. I would loose the cabinets underneath the window and make the windows taller. They look too small right now and the wall looks very busy. I like the height of the fireplace as it is, it is the focal point in the room and it anchors the room. (are you planning to stone the fireplace) Is there no other wall you could put the bookshelves? To me it would look best with only the larger and wider windows and the tall fireplace on that wall. It is really important to get as much light as possible into a room.

Hi,

A few questions. Why not take the windows and bookcases to the full height? It seems a little odd to stop where they are.

Regarding the TV, looking at a TV in close proximity to 2 windows can be a problem depending upon what direction you're facing. West/South/East light can be annoying if the sun is strong...hard on the eyes when you're watching TV. You could close blinds or drapes but then you're defeating the purpose of more adding windows by taking away the light.

I'd suggest taking the bookshelves and windows to the ceiling topped off by a nice crown. Perhaps the windows could then be made slimmer and shelves put on both sides? I take it the base cabs are already made?

Oh, regarding the TV, there can be issues with them over FP's. Perhaps those with them mounted over them could chime in on just how high a TV should be over a heat source. I don't have that so I'm in the dark on that one. But 48" might not be high enough? (I'm no fan of them being high either...)

That in combination with the windows on the same wall as the TV might suggest that the TV be put elsewhere perhaps...dunno.

Me ...again lol.

I WAS going to do a quick sketch but my program seems to be taking a short holdiday today...arrrgh.

Since you have over 6' there, consider doing a tall window centered (30" or so width) and then bookcases flanking at 2' or so each. I think it would look more balanced, a taller window will let in more light since the sun comes in from high, and it will get the windows away more from the TV.

PS: consider putting the fishtank in another location? TV/FP/fishtank/windows/bookshelves with stuff might be a bit overwhelming.

Can you share what is on the other 4 walls? To be honest, I'm not loving windows flanking your fireplace with bookcases like that. Plus I think window treatments on those windows will be a nightmare.

If you must have windows on that wall, have you thought about doing more of a transom type window across the top with bookcases below? I recall a room with a fireplace and bookcases with windows - Zulu's room that was so popular here. I can't find an old link. Can anyone share?

We have a wall that is similar to that. Our fireplace is stone and runs floor to ceiling with a wooden slab mantel, and we have shelving on either side. There are no windows on our wall. The ceilings are 11 feet.
I would look at transom windows over the bookcases as opposed to the double hung windows in the drawing. To me the drawing looks kind of choppy.
The other thing I would encourage you to consider is NOT putting the TV over the fireplace. What we ended up doing is setting up the shelving to the left side of the FP so that the top of the base cabinet is where a 42" TV sits and then there is a single shelf across the top. The right side has the same base cabinet and then shelves all the way up.
We had two reasons for this-first of all by putting the TV on the left base cabinet it can be seen from the adjacent breakfast nook, and second of all we were concerned that by putting the TV over the fireplace it would become the focal point of the room which we didn't want.

TRK65 or someone else who has or has recently added a great room with 12 ft. ceilings. I am very nervous and in the building stages of my great room/kitchen. Kitchen has 10' ceilings with box beams - not worried about this area. A large 9 ft wide, archway transitions from the kitchen to a 12' ceiling into the great room. This large room will have two 1 1/2 deep tray/coves (with soft lighting)bring the perimeter around and bottom of tray at 10 1/2 ft. As there will be two, one cove area will be above dining the other above couch and fireplace area. As we are in the framing/roofing stages, I am scared and hoping I did not make a huge mistake making the ceiling too high. The entire room is 16 1/2 x 32 1/2 ft. Again, the room will be divided into two separately lit trays. I'm sick about the fact that this might look all wrong. Please help me with this or show me some pics to put my mind at ease. I have large windows with transomes on each side of fireplace and large pocket slider on adjacent wall so I do have plenty of light in the room. Thanking you in advance.

Not sure what you think about this shape window but it is another option to consider.
Good Luck!
http://www.eplans.com/image-gallery.hwx/Q/Plan.HWEPL10871/ImageId.588364

It is great that you get to incorporate so many elements, but I agree that it looks very busy. Do extra windows really need to go there?

KellyKath, If you start a new thread with your problem, you will get more responses. My living has 10' ceilings and isn't nearly the size of yours (about 16x18). Anyway, I keep looking up at the 10' wishing I had just a touch more height. The top of the windows are at 8'. With a taller ceiling, I would do transoms to raise the window height to keep that about the same.

Here is the rest of the floor plan

I am not sure that we need windows by the fireplace but I have had numerous comments that our house will be dark, esp. the family room because of the screened in porch going behind it. Also I cannot think of another place to put my DH and boys fish tank except there and we thought putting the TV over the fireplace would enable us to see it from the kitchen during football parties, etc.

I think putting transoms would be a good idea. Would you build the built ins then put the windows above them?

Thanks again for everything.

Would something like this solve the problem? It isn't to scale, but I was thinking a set of french doors plus a bank of 4 windows instead of the fireplace wall windows might free up your wall for cabinets/fish tank/ect.

{{!gwi}}

I've been in lots of houses where there's a screened porch outside the family room. and the only windows are on the screened porch side. I'd describe the resultant room as "cosy," not "dark."

Which way is north on your plan?

Suero beat me to my question.
Our great room only has windows on the back of the house and there is a screened porch directly on the other side of those windows. The exposure is pretty much due West so we do get a fair amount of light. Our FP wall faces North so any windows on that wall really wouldn't bring much light in anyway.
The blueprint that Paint Chips edited above is a good rendering of what I might look to do. Our window wall has a bank of 3 double hung windows with fixed transoms over them and a single door also with a fixed transom above. This maximizes the available light, especially since the porch which is 12' deep beyond the back side of those windows limits what light can get to the windows in the first place.
As far as the ceilings-I don't know what kind of moldings and trim you are using but an alternative to the tray ceiling might be to trim out or coffer the ceiling. We have a coffered ceiling that gives us 9 rectangular "pockets" of drywall surrounded by heavy moldings. We painted the drywalled sections of the ceiling to match the wall color and it really pops against the trim. I wish we had some recessed lighting in there but I have resisted tearing the ceiling up so far.
I'll try to get a couple of pictures up from home later.

OK what do you think about this.....

Putting (3) 3-0 x 4-2 windows from the right of the family room (by the fireplace) along the back row and then adding a door at the end of that run. Similar to paint chips idea but keeping the door at the left side. Could we keep the dining room the same with the door along the back wall? I want to have one entrance to the screened porch and one to the deck. I thought about doing the shorter windows to allow my sofa/chair to go in front of them. Do you think this could work?

Thanks for all your help and please keep the ideas coming. I would love to have this photoshopped if possible.

I second/third the suggestion of transom windows if you want windows on that wall. I don't have any pictures handy but have seen them elsewhere and they look nice. Do the cabinets with bookshelves completely flanking the fireplace, and then the transom windows in the top quarter? third? of the space.

I personally would hesitate to put the TV over the fireplace. What about doing the fish tank on one side of the fireplace (one one of the cabinets, which I think is what you suggested), and the TV on the other side, on the other set of cabinets, both TV and fish tank being under the bookshelves. They would balance each other out, you'd still be able to see the TV from the kitchen, and that would leave you the option of running the fireplace stone all the way up as in your picture, or doing some nice artwork or a mirror above the mantel.

Good luck! I'm eager to see the finished results once your house is complete.

Mc
I would agree w/what others have stated. Although it is difficult to see now - w/the blueprints, the wall/room are very heavy on one side - further, that you are installing a lovely new fireplace that should be the focal pt but if it has a LCD above it, the TV becomes the focal pt. There have been lots of creative types here that have hidden the LCD - faux cabinet doors (Alison) and the likes

I would do some research as to the lighting, height placement in the room before mounting the LCD

http://ezinearticles.com/?LCD-TV-Wall-Mount---5-Things-To-Consider-For-Your-LCD-TV-Wall-Mount&id=964782

Thanks for all of your help! Does anyone have a picture of 3 windows on a wall followed by a door?