Examples of what I'm trying (in vain, it seems) to mimic:

*Beam mantel, but again, mine would wrap on all three sides

Snapshot of current state (bad angle):

Not to throw you for loop as I'm sure you're set on it but I've heard from some folks that putting the TV above the fireplace was a mistake. They compare it to being in the front section of a movie theater.

What about continuous line with mantle?

YES whaas! It was a HUGE concern of mine, actually. Two friends recently built with tvs over fireplaces, and I hate watching tv in their homes. I bought a stand from mantelmount.com though--so height is no longer an issue. YAY!

Realize heat and lifetime of tv will be compromised with tv above, but to be honest, we're in east Texas.... the fireplace will rarely be used. It was a no-deal for DH to have a fireplace though. ;)

Thought of that lavender and I'm not opposed to it entirely. Do you think I should skip the wooden beam mantel in that case? Does the original design seem to be "too much"?

Or maybe lower line of built-ins....if deer are too big to have it even?

Agree. TV over fireplace is only moderately ok if your sofa will be pretty far back and you mount the TV on a mount that can tilt down a few degrees.

I would not mount a TV over the fireplace with a raised mantle.

We found a tilt mount to use and also put our fireplace on the floor to bring the TV down some and it's still going to end up 5.5' off the floor.

How big are the deer? Your husband probably wants them centered in that space.

(I prefer my deer outside, walking around on the back hill)....but if he wants this, it should be a real focal point :)

I roughly measured the width of deer but don't think height is to scale. Will have to check!

Is this your only TV area? If not, then above fireplace is fine. Probably football, etc? I hope you have a girlie area...with husband having 'deer room' :)

Mama Rachel, this mount allows you to pull the tv out from the wall and down several inches. Trust me, I lost many a night worrying about a stiff neck. I'm confident this mount relieves those concerns.

I've discussed with a designer at one point that cutting the wall 50/50 isn't aesthetically pleasing. idk!?

Here's a similar idea...on either side of a window. Notice how nice the wood bookshelves and gold tones look in the room? And the leather! Maybe something to think about?

You think this is a "deer room"? HA. You ain't seen nothing lavender! But yes, I'm getting a sewing room/guest room/playroom. So he can slap up a couple deer. ;)

Open floor plan with really only one other wall as an option--the wall opposite the fireplace. Front door is right next to that wall, so I'd prefer to mount pictures on it. Hate to walk in, and deer jutting out as you walk by.

The overall look of the house will be "coastal cottage farmhouse" (that a mouthful?!). Whites, greys, chrome and nickel, wood, etc.

Interesting...I'm trying to visualize how the cords connected to the TV spring back and forth.

No, not mounting deer on either side of window....just an example of two deer mounted on the same wall. You would have them by the fireplace. I love that curtain fabric! :)

Gotcha. I'd prefer they get lost and let the fireplace be the standout. Don't tell him I said that.

Whaas, not entirely sure, I'll be honest. We have conduit installed to route cables. And the mount comes with a cover to hide the wall attachment. But that doesn't answer your question. I'll keep ya posted when I find out in a few months ;)

I'd love a 3D rendering of what I originally have planned. Anyone up to the challenge?? :):)

Thanks architect! Love that design. I considered a similar layout, but decided to go a different route. Mostly because moving the fireplace down the wall would result in 8-9' of cabinetry on one side. Maybe it would have looked ok, but I wasn't sold on that piece being so LONG. So unfortunately, at this point, fp stays. Womp, womp.

Do you have thoughts on where the shelving should stop in relation to the mantel? Does just below seem odd to you? Will cutting the 10' tall wall exactly in half look off?

Continuous line with mantel in my LR. Just to give you another idea of what it might look like.

This is one of the hardest decisions when building. Good luck!

Here's what I'm planning for my craftsman house with fireplace and tv above the fireplace. BTW: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the mounting idea. You just solved a major problem.

Our wall is only 13' wide but we are using a narrower fireplace too. You can scale appropriately, or add double doors on either side.

Are you still planning on installing your MantelMount? I found it on google, bought it and love it. It really solves the problems with mounting a TV high on the wall (like over a fireplace). I used to get serious neck pain watching my TV over the fireplace. With Mantelmount installed now we just pull the tv down to eye level and push it up when we're done. Can't say enough about the product, plus they have awesome customer service.

Alwolin, YES! I'm excited to install it. I feel like a commercial plugging them, which is kind of weird considering I've yet to actually use the product. But if the mount is even a fraction as great as their customer service, then it'll be worth every dime!

Thought I'd share what I decided to go with (after much flip flopping!). Will tile the surround and hearth, cover the lower cabinets with doors, and add adjustable shelves to the upper set-backs. Happy with how it's turned out so far!

Another update (with the Mantel Mount pulled down)

Now do decide.... hardware or no

Besides the somewhat creepy deer its looks very nice! Thanks for sharing the pics.

If you get a chance it would be nice to see it with the TV up.

Where are your electronics located and do you have a single source sensor on top of the mantel?

There's an outlet right behind it and conduit (or something) running down to the bottom right cabinet. We'll keep the Apple TV there. DVR is wireless. Sound bar wil be mounted to the top of the tv. What's a single source sensor??