Really does depend on your color taste, but depending on what kind of natural light the rooom gets, I would either be looking for burgundies and blues, or yellow, whites and graphics. Or maybe turquoise and wood/leather

Also, I don't know if this is to your taste at all, but I think this is a very successful gray room that doesn't use a lot of expensive furniture.

and this is certainly user friendly

A lot of people mount TV's at a higher level these days without issue. I think you're fine to put the tv over the fireplace. I would recommend like a medium to dark taupe/khaki microfiber for a sofa fabric because it will work as a nice contrast to the gray walls & the fireplace. Also microfiber is easily cleaned & durable for children & pets. Then a complimentary pattern fabric for a couple of chairs possible adding some color (depending on your taste) would look great. I wouldn't do greys for the furniture colors or the room may just get washed out with too much grey. Many furniture stores employ interior designers that could help with your design. I work at Schoenfeld Interiors in Bellevue, WA & one of our interior designers would certainly be able to help you pull your room together. Another suggestion would be to find ideas from settings in retail furniture stores if you are able to get to any. Then you could see lots of ideas that can help you find what you would like best in your own home. My last suggestion would be to pick an area rug first and then pull colors from that for your furniture pieces.

The last thing I wish to do is to incite a raging debate, but I do want to point out (again) that the issue is not the viewing height of the television screen. It is that one must decide what one wants to be the focal point of the room...the TV or the fireplace: you can't have both in a limited space. It boils down to a matter or taste and the preferred style of entertaining. (Disclaimer: I have never lived in a house where the television was in the living room, and I very much lament the lost art of conversation.) Alicia and others are quite correct: google lots of pictures to get ideas and/or consult a professional. --rf

you're having a baby! Congratulations! And your room is lovely, I totally understand why you want the TV over the fireplace, probably more for your piece of mind than any other reasons. I also love your fireplace and your paint color. Do you have some pics of what style you like? I do see leather furniture in there, for several reasons, comfort, cleaning, baby, durability, investment, style. Please share more, so we have more to go on of your taste, and remember everything will be perfect, because it's your home.

Why are your drapes knotted up?

@Mary -- looks like they just refinished the floor? :-)

Based in those pictures, I would consider painting most or all if the room a lighter color and possibly leaving the wall with the fireplace the same to have an accent wall. The white fireplace really pops against that darker color. I had a very similar dilemma and ended up choosing solid, neutral colored chairs and furniture, and then chose a rug nd accent pillows that had some pattern, texture and color to it.

You can go lighter with the walls if that is your personal preference, but I also think you can have a fabric on the sofa that is lighter than the walls without it being too light to handle use. It would be great to have the dimensions to be able to put a layout and some suggestions together for you! If you would rather have someone come out to the house to help, you can stop by your local Ethan Allen Design Center where they offer free in home consultations. We have indoor/outdoor and water solvent cleanup fabrics as well as a good 5-year protection plan that covers accidents.

The scale of the fireplace is perfect. That should be your focal point. Perhaps change the color around the fire place to a richer hue. Maybe one of the tones in the brick. Create separate niches. A bookcase with an an overstuffed chair and floor lamp where you can curl up with your little one. I see a small table and charming chairs topped with a chess set by the windows. A sofa facing the fireplace with two accent chairs on either side of the fireplace would be lovely.

I think
Allie gave up......

Love the room, walls (paint color), fireplace, natural brick - Love everything just the way it is! would not change a thing! "ital mover" above, showed a red couch in one of their pictures, & while I'm not a fan of red, I think it would look fabulous in your space, & with your wall color. Regardless of the color, go for washable slipcovers all the way. You can wash them & you can change them out to a different color as often as you like. The pros here are going to cringe, but I'm thinking Ikea Ektorp, or similar, as they have lots of colors of slipcovers to choose from (including the red). Not high end, but rather a starter or transitional option, with all the additional slipcover options built in & readily available. Congratulations on that new, sweet baby on the way!!! That's wonderful!!!

Hi All,

We have had our TV over our large fireplace for many years and the viewing angle is just fine - never been an issue with sore necks or having to look up. so, don't let folks talk you out of it, if that is where it works best for you!!

The nice part about doing so, is that the TV and the fireplace become the focal point of the room TOGETHER, instead of splitting one's attention between them, which can look rather choppy and disjointed, in my opinion, especially when the furniture arrangement is directed towards one, at the expense of the other one. Our fireplace surround is light stone and white woodwork, much like yours, and the black flat screen TV looks just fine above it - to some degree it mimics the look of the firebox area below, and if the dimensions are right, it can look quite architectural and harmonious..............not at all ugly TVish, as some have had concerns over.

We have 3 kiddos - now in middle school and we have had leather furniture since they were all babes. I would highly recommend it as it is just a wipe away from looking new again. No hassles with stain/spot cleaners or wrestling slip covers when your life is already busy with a baby. Something like a nice navy color might work with the cool blue gray walls and the more golden-toned floors. Throw pillows are a great way to inject color and lightness if you wish to.............I agree with others, look up "blue grey rooms" on Houzz and see what you find. Surely something will appeal to you, then copy all the key elements that make that room sing!!

Hi Ali, Congratulations on your beautiful home and the new baby on the way! Your gray is a neutral color and will work with most any palette you choose, depending on what you find comforting, inspiring, and enjoyable. I like bold colors like red, orange, yellow, but aquas, teals, and plums are great too! Just be careful not to go too dark or else plan on utilizing a light or colorful rug under to lift the colors, as dark colors might not standout against the dark gray. You can also go monotone with spots of bright colors, i.e. creams/tans with red or plum pillows and decor accents. More important, choose fabrics that are treated to be stain resistant and don't use breakable/sharp/pointed decor items that can be within reach of little curious hands. You and your baby will spend a lot of time on the floor the first year or two so take that into consideration, and select area rugs that are soft and fairly smooth pile, not shags, as your child's toys can snag or tangle, and may trip a learning to walk toddler.

Hope this helps inspire you! Enjoy the adventure!

I agree the tv over fireplace too high. The tv to the left of the fireplace may be a better option. I have 4 large dogs so a sturdy table keeps the tv safe. :-) I don't use my fireplace so just added an electric one.

congratulations on starting your family. What will be the focus? I think it will be the new addition to your family. How much TV do you plan to watch? TV screens are not good for babies. I suggest you get something small and portable like an iPad to watch when the baby is asleep or at least in another room.

I have to say that I agree with not putting the TV on the fireplace. Especially with that big, fat, juicy wall on the right.

Congratulations to you and your growing family! I think cream colored furniture would look great with this color on the wall.

TV's are best up and out of the way. If you have to have one. The rest should be left for living the way you like to. So design with that in mind.

I have a very similar living room. I put a sofa under the double windows (facing your blank wall), and another sofa at a right angle to that-facing the fireplace. I put the television on the right blank wall. The coffee table can be turned depending on which focal point I want to see--if I want the fireplace to be focal point, I put the rectangular coffee table parallel to the couch facing fireplace; if I wand the tv to be the focal point, I turn the table parallel to the sofa under the windows. I'm not sure of your room's measurements, but that works very nicely for us! I will try to find a photo to upload.

I myself thing you should start with an area rug that has blues in it. It will pull the blue out of the wall color. IMO I think you need to go light with the sofa/sectional that you chose b/c the walls are so dark. You really need the contrast. I'm partial to leather myself easy cleanup with kids. I would push the sofa/sectional far enough back to give you room for two chairs in front of the fireplace (off to the side on an angle). I would get the chairs in a fun pattern-have fun with it. I would then do a metal coffee table with a wood top preferable something with gold in it and if you can find matching end tables or something in the same family. I would do long curtains on all the windows unless you can find slatted blinds for the small windows. I would do something that would play off the blue but keep it nice light and airy. You don't want to weigh down the room with a heavy formal curtain. I would put a console table in front of the three pane window with two lamps and some plants. Good luck! Don't stress decorating is supposed to be fun.

I think you should change out the fan for something less invasive. Simple is better where you have such a gorgeous space. Now for the tv, what about a cabinet that encloses the tv, such as this. It's a tv lift that is enclosed in a blanket chest. It's great to have options to see it or not.Sectionals can be fun ! You can also start small , then add additional pieces. Slipcovered pieces are the best investment I ever made as far as living with kids and creatures. But best of all enjoy and congrats!!! I am...

I think a light gray couch would be beautiful. Adding pops of color in accent pillows and decor would look pretty as well. I agree that wooden tables would look better than metal since it has more of a traditional feel to the room.

First of all congratulations on the baby! Secondly it really depends on the furniture you decide to add but we do have a variety of pillow options that would complement the room. Also if you had any baby needs we also have some very baby friendly items! Everything is 100% certified organic and locally sourced.

Firstly, tv's belong in family rooms/dens not living rooms. Secondly, why have beautiful trim work and then cover it with a black hole? But to answer your question, it's all about what 'look' are you: do you want a traditional "two wing backs in front of the fireplace" person or an eclectic "personal effects from travels and antiquing" or a buy the showroom look type of person?

How far from the fire place will the sofa be and do you have a game room? Our old house had another room for a TV. After dinner we would sit and have coffee and talk in the living room. Other than that, we were in a basement game room watching TV. Our new home has a great room and I promised myself it would be the heart of our home, where we read, rest, talk, have guests and watch TV. It is not uncomfortable and the big black screen is barely noticeable when it is not on. Make your lovely new house a home. And by the way, I love shades of blue and or green with gray.

do not get sucked into 'can't use white because of the baby!' my white upholstered loveseats, chairs...and matching dining chairs lasted white AND with minimal cleaning from birth until the children reached 10-12 yrs. a blackberry fight on the white flokati carpet prompted its re-positioning to the master bedroom, but children will learn their respect for your home from you.

Why not placing mirrors over fireplace? 3 of them. Then paint brick white. TV on right wall, or wall opposite fireplace. Furniture should be pail colour, even white for wood paces or beige for sofa covers because walls are pretty dark.

I just returned from a visit with my daughter and 10-month old grandson - he's just starting to use the sectional sofa to pull up to standing, and there's lots of tumbling around. They are so glad they have a large ottoman instead of a coffee table. They weren't even thinking of a family when they bought it, but are so glad they did. It's a nice safe area for him to learn and play. All the pieces are a sturdy charcoal gray fabric (from ikea), which is great for them because it is their only living area.

I'm a big believer in intuition when it comes to creating your home space. Save pics or sketches of anything that gets your attention -- regardless of whether they 'match' or are in trend. If you do this enough, patterns will start to form & you'll know-it-when-you-see it, when it comes to furniture & paint. Personally, I'm comfortable with neutrals (with contrast) in large things & colorful smaller, that I can easily change. With your blue/grey walls & white trim, with hardwood floors, I like an oatmeal, gregeige side of neutral for upholstered pcs. My rule of thumb is don't buy anything you can't clean peanut butter & jelly from without ruining. Today's fabrics make that easy. TV above fireplace? Works for me. (But then what would I do with that huge corner shelf space? It's just a natural placement.) We have a big one above the corner fireplace in our great room. Your furniture placement is going to decide where the focal point will be. I like cozy. It doesn't matter how fashionable your choices may be -- it's how you feel when you're there. If you like a quirky piece, don't worry about anyone else. Get it & it will make you smile every time you look at it. Enjoy your baby in a relaxed atmosphere.

i don't see any reason to not have the tv above the fireplace. there are many ways to mitigate a big black box staring you in the face. here's a suggestion. there are many frames available, and the new tv's have options for screen savers as well, even mirrors if you prefer. you may want to do more contemporary furnishings. the architecture looks traditional, so i suggested this somewhat in-between style.

I'd paint the brick black or grey.

She probably had the baby!

No tv over fireplace, cover brick with faux stone. Painting brick cost less.

Ditch the ceiling fan...super ugly:(

Your room is big and I think a tv above the fireplace would be fine if it doesn't extend past the fireplace bricks on both sides.
I'd repaint the room a lighter, and different color than gray. The gray hue does not compliment the beautiful floor color. It looks like it has a honey tone to it but not sure.
Also, if you repaint the walls the right color I think you'd like the brick color on the fireplace better. All of that clashes with each other.
Contact an interior decorator and get help with the paint first and then I think furniture and rugs will be easier. The furniture will not look good if you don't get the foundation and basic paint color right in your room.
The fireplace is beautiful and the room has great bones to work with.

Response continued:
After the paint color has been changed on the walls you can decide if u want to paint or white wash the fireplace brick etc. Ask the interior decorator their opinion. Good luck

I like a mixture of cream or barely there gray furniture and leather so maybe leather chairs and slipcover sofa or a camel distressed leather couch with cream color chairs. The kids will probably use the couch more. I have a cream slipcover couch so I can wash the cover if needed. Add color and texture with pillows and throws. I would go with a leather or fabric ottoman its easier with toddlers than wood you don't have to worry about them hitting their heads when learning to pull up. A pretty shelf of some sort might be pretty on the sides of the fire place and a plant.

Could you put the TV on an angle instead of on top of the fireplace. We had custom shelves built in our house because we don't like TVs on top of fireplaces.

Alli, your room is beautiful. :)

I think it's hilarious that everyone is giving opinions that she didn't ask for.

It is her home, so if they want to put the TV above the fireplace, they should.

I would start with your sofa & possibly a rug. Leather or a faux-leather is a great option for something that is easy to clean. If you don't like leather, a performance fabric or 100% polyester is a good choice. I agree that slipcovers are a safe bet because you can always replace them and clean them. :) Maybe your child won't be terribly messy ;)

A dark grey would look nice, or even a dark blue? Red is gorgeous also.

I recently used this photo as inspiration to buy 2 sofas. I've been very happy with the extra seating when family visits. I did not read all of the above ideas so hopefully I'm not repeating :)

I'd lose the drapes because your windows are beautiful just as they are. If you need privacy, get pleated shades that pull all the way up during the day. Do paint your brick it is pulling the room down and too 50's. I like the TV on a console on the right wall with a sectional and a big soft ottomon for the baby to learn to walk around and climb on in no time. That way you can see the FP, TV, and the windows. Place black and white photos framed around the TV. I have a fireplace with bookcases that are beautiful and on a another large wall the TV on a black console. The entire room focuses on the FP with chairs that swivel whenever we watch TV. The chairs face the beautiful view too and the couch faces the TV and FP. I used creams, grays, and dark wood tones with some dark wicker accents & lots of silver. My bookcases are lined with a beautiful gray, silver, and dark wicker grasscloth that ties the entire room together. Over the FP is a huge contemporary piece of art. I bought a fairly cheap piece at Homegoods and painted over some of it with the colors of wanted emphasized in the room. Everyone thinks it's an original expensive piece of art. You can do a lot on a budget!

Hey, Alli, Your home is looking beautiful.

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I like the sofa on the longest wall or facing the TV. So place the TV first as this is the viewing room, the place the sofa opposite the TV. Now add the end tables and lamps and the cocktail ottoman or table. Next, comes either one chair or a pair of matching chairs or two chairs that are not the same. Where do you want them in relation to the sofa and TV. Try them out. If you want a rug then shoot for a 9 x 12 so all the front legs can be on the rug to give a filled look to the room. Last comes storage pieces and consoles to store things and to showcase things that will beautify the room.

Here are all living rooms with TV over fireplace and sofa facing fireplace for comfortable viewing. I think viewing is fine opposite the sofa but krinky necks can become a problem when the seating forces you to turn your neck 90 degree to watch, so sofa opposite makes sense.

These rooms show all the pieces that are commonly put in a living room.....and they can be bought slowing over time, except for TV and sofa.....of course! Hope this gives you some direction of what can go where.

I cannnot tell in this room if there is a TV over the skirted table or not, but it can but I am going to assume yes, there is a TV high on the wall.

Room similar to yours

This room is missing a wall like your room but still there is a invisible barrier at the edge of the carpet and the chaise.

Good luck on your beautiful home, and on the birth of your baby!

I would get rid of that dark gray and go with a lighter more textured wall, change out the molding or paint it and add something with a vertical design on both side of the fireplace.... A nice area rug with texture, leather furniture with texture pillows and more of a dome shaped light, with an amber Hugh...... Metal design above fire place sand some staggered nick back....I also agree, paint that brick

The flooring is beautiful. What kind of wood is it? Thank you.

I do not like the ceiling fan at all. I would definitely go with either leather or faux leather furniture. Get rid of those white drapes and opt instead for a nice pattern with complimentary colors. Warm up the area with a large area rug and of course add nice art on the walls. I am also not a fan of putting a tv above a fireplace. Put a large mirror up there instead and place that tv on another wall.

How close your sofa is to the tv will affect the angle you'll have to look up to view the tv, not to mention that we don't know what size tv you're wanting to place above the mantle. We put our large flatscreen tv over a bookcase/cabinet that was about 36" to 40" high, and it hurt my neck to tilt my head up ever so slightly to watch. At first, I thought it was my imagination. But I soon insisted we place the large tv at eye level, and wow what a difference. Arranging artwork on the wall to camouflage the tv will make it an interesting wall/area, and leave the mantle free for interesting vases, mirror, etc. Good luck, and can't wait to see pictures!

Since your walls are cool and dark, I recommend furnishings in warmer and/or brighter colors to create balance and comfort. What part of the country are you located? In the Gray Northwet, we get lots of gray skies, so more shades of gray inside could be too gloomy during our dark, cold, wet half of the year -- or for those with seasonal affective disorder or depression. In areas that get a tons of sun, layering cool colors could provide respite from the heat outdoors. Regarding TV placement, the fireplace and window (if it has an inspirational view) are both built-in focal points. Putting your TV above or next to fireplace and/or window will help you position furnishings to enjoy your focal point(s) instead of splitting your room into "focal points" on every wall. No rest or peace in that kind of plan. TV above fireplace also helps declutter a living room. Most importantly, ask yourself how YOU like to watch TV... Feet up with your head resting back on chair or couch? Higher TV position works great. Feet on floor with low-back furnishings that don't support your head? Lower the TV next to fireplace. Is TV on during day or only at night? Consider where glare from window or other spaces would reflect on the screen. Then of course, there are Feng Shui considerations if you are sensitive to spaces done well or not so well. Before deciding how to furnish or which "rules" to follow, check in with what issues are important for you to address...clutter, TV watching, glare, views, minimalist or maximalist tendencies, family game time, visitors, quiet time, weather outdoors, etc. With kids around, consider stain resistant, easy to clean options with soft corners and pleasing patterns. Leather, or patterned fabrics help hide wear and tear across the kid years, while solid fabrics make it easy to see any imperfection, like wear patterns, pulled threads, or stains. If you can't afford a pro, trust your gut and heart to make your house your home. Congrats on your new baby and home!