How big is this room? I am a bit concerned about your plans maybe making the room look too small & cramped?

What about shelving instead, which you can place as high or low as you please? Won't close in room as much.

Fireplace looks a bit lost without a mantel. One idea is to look for a used mantel and place it around F/P. I did that for one client. In another case, I added a mantel below the fireplace, so it no longer looked suspended in mid-air.

Very dark brown.

Agree, dark brown to disguise any gaps.

This was the type of mantle I was thinking of...

@shainev...I think a darker color would be more dramatic...the lighter color would also look good IMO.

If you are going to the trouble of stone and a mantle, I'm going to suggest you build that unit in, so the fireplace expanse takes focus easily.Once the proportion is in favour of the fireplace, the mantel will look well. If you leave the entertainment system gaps, the mantel will be lost to the eye.

I would like to contrast a creamy rock (like a ledgestone) with dark furniture. Would the fireplace feel strange since it is not situated at floor-level?

@ James Hobbs: I am looking for a streamlined blended effect overall. If I painted the niche dark brown would it blend better with the furniture and the rock-face? Or the creamy color (like the rock face)? Thanks

Floor level placement is not a problem.

If the rock face is lighter like the pix w shelves both sides, I'd go cream like the example.

@GizV Thats the color I'm looking at. Should I paint the niche the same color as the rock or the furniture piece that would go in it?

I would go with the rock color rather then the furniture in the nook. My thinking is that painting it a dark color to match the furniture would make it too cave like. I like contrast and think shelves or furniture in a darker color will be easy on the eye and spirit. I'd match the mantle color tone to go with the furniture.

If stone and shelves are lighter, dark in background could be nice.

I would do what makes that whole wall read as one unit - no gaps and everything pulled together. Put stone and your mantel from the right hand corner to the edge of the bookcase across the fireplace wall. Stone even on the little bit of wall that is to the left of the bookcase. You could also install stone in the niche' with shelves in there. If you use glass shelves [except for the tv], you could install can lights in the top of the niche' that would shine down on your accessories and give your room a nice ambience.

If you choose to use a darker stone, the wall will look more unified - since the fireplace and tv are both very dark. They will pop out if you use lighter stone - and if you do, choose a lighter wood color for your bookcase and mantle so they blend together.

If there is a gap in the niche' btw. the case and wall, trim it out so the gap is hidden. It will look like a custom built-in. In effect, canceling out the need to paint the niche'.You would just have to stain the trim to match the interior of the bookcase and mantel.

Think about the height your tv will be in the bookcase since it will be close to the fireplace. You might want them at the same level to keep the grouping organized. [I am SO picky!]

Below is a picture of a wall that mostly demonstrates this idea. You should be careful choosing accessories that help with the overall composition. Have a theme like books/photos or pottery/books or collections - just not too many different things so it looks cluttered. This includes the mantel.

Pic...I think it could go either way

You could definitely choose from a few great shadow box or bookshelf options. We recently filled in a niche, and wallpapered behind the boxes. Good luck!

The fireplace is great without mantle, don't be deterred! Mantles are more traditional and in a reasonably contemporary home they are really unnecessary. It's a completely different look.

I would have a cabinet built in, otherwise it will always look like an afterthought. And keep the color light, then it won't make the room look cramped. You could do cabinets below and shelving above for a more open look.

@helga, I would like to go for a medium wood like a brazilian koa as I have maple wood window blinds and "almost" espresso flooring (don't ask... it was this way when we moved in). The brazilian koa has gold tones (that go with the maple) and darker notes that tie it in with the flooring. Would a simple mantle, like the one in the above picture in that color make it look cramped? Thanks for the input :)

@sandy, I'm not sure what you mean about using glass shelves and making use of the light on the accessories. Could you elaborate...Thanks

Also, Would it make a difference if we went ahead and installed oil rubbed bronze fireplace doors?

@sandy. I think we are on the same page. The rock would go up all the way to the ceiling and around the entertainment unit. Unfortunately, the tv and the fireplace could not be at the same level as there would be viewing difficulties. I want to lower the ceiling of the niche to right above the speakers before I tile it. Also, the entertainment unit looks similar to this:

http://www.hookerfurniture.com/index.cfm/furniture/furniture-catalog.show-photo/photo/374_55482_582.jpg

There will be small puck leds on top and glass shelves with wood trims on the side book cases. Unfortunately,I cannot use the trim right next to the rock as it has an uneven facade so there would be obvious gaps. But I could try to have my installer install the tile closer to the unit than the wall allows. Do you think it would work?

Thanks for your input...

@sandy. I was also considering fireplace doors. Do you think a black or ORB finish (all the hardware in the house has been changed to ORB) would be better? Also, there is a rectangular shape available and also doors with an arched top (like the top shape of the entertainment unit). Which one would suit better? Thanks

Well, your ent. ctr. is really beautiful and I know Hooker's quality! Will there be the side units that slope back on yours? Will that be a problem, if so? I couldn't tell by the photo on Hooker's site.
Be sure to come as close to the finish on your ent. when finishing your mantel.

You know, the stone mason will do a wonderful job at those edges/corners and you are not to worry! It is going to be a stunning wall!

Fireplace doors would be nice and especially with the ORB finish. The doors for the fireplace could be either shape- I agree that it would be nice to repeat the curve in your ent. ctr., as you said. I would use black glass for the doors -

How big should the mantle be? The fireplace opening is 19" x 36". The wall on one side is wider (28") than the other side (19.5"), so I'm having a hard time seeing it centered.

- - Well, you are having a hard time seeing the mantel centered because you know way down deep that it should not be mounted that way. If the mantel is centered over the fireplace and is as long as the fireplace is wide, that portion of the wall will always feel incomplete and look wimpy and as if it is going to fall off because there isn't enough visual weight there to support it. Am I making sense?

The mantel should go completely across the fireplace wall so don't fret about centering it. It should also be a substantial size to help balance the ent. center side of the wall. The ent. center goes all the way [well almost] to the other corner so the mantel should make it to it's corner.

The stain used on the mantle and ent. center should match as close as possible. This is to keep the wall reading as one unit. There will be a lot going on there with the stone & wood & accessories, so the more you can cut the background noise, the better. Color matching, taking the stone around the ent. center, etc. You want a calm space where you can you enjoy the important things like, your family & friends, not to mention your art, sculpture, the fire, tv shows, and all of your hard work! You will see that hese little things matter, I swear!

@sandy. So what you are saying is that one end of the mantle should be right next to the entertainment center and the other end should be 12" from the other wall. The entertainment center "begins" about 12" from the other end. Something like this:

how about the depth and height of the mantel?

Take darest color from stone on firepl and paint niche . Try to make wall unit look built in. Add moulding to get this look.

-- I'm sorry I wasn't clearer! The mantle should go all the way across the fireplace . . .from the left edge [where it meets the ent. cednter] all the way over to the opposite window wall. The little bit of wall that is left over on the very left of the ent. center should have a mini mantle too - it is called "continuation" and helps the brain see a completed line. - - - the whole wall will read as one unit - not 2 + a little bit