The TV is way too big to go over the fireplace. You need a console to fill that space and put the TV on it. While I'm not a fan of accent walls, they can camouflage an oversized TV. Maybe a gray wall the color of your curtains. that harmonizes with your wall call will make the TV disappear while highlighting the fireplace at the same time.

Consider a less beefy mantel painted white for your fireplace since your palette is so pale. Then get a light colored console for the right and white bookshelves the height of the mantel to the left to create a reading corner with your gray chair on that side.

May I suggest that you move the family photos to other areas of the house and get art for over the fireplace? Yes, the art over the sofa should be horizontal.

Its all too bland and tan! Don't buy a duplicate picture, and don't hang TV above the FP. You need to lower it where it is above a credenza that fills that wall space right of the FP. Try that piece of art vertically above the mantel.

no above FP, it's too big. the tv will hang over the border of your fireplace.

The tv is hung way too high were you currently have it.

The pictures over FP should really go on another wall. Where they're at currently, is too squished, and too cluttered w/the other items on the mantel. try and do one larger art piece.

In order to give your fireplace some girth, you might be able to do something like this:

it can be in the wood, just showing you an example here.

or, enlarge everything so it will fit properly, and give yourself some bookcases

if you want to hang the tv on the fireplace, you're going to have to extend the stone up and out

and then do the shelving like shown. This would be perfect for you wall.

Notice how the furniture is arranged. Yours seems so far back. can you move it a bit closer?

what would look good are some built-ins on both sides, with the right having a spot to hang the tv

if you got a smaller tv, you could do something like this (move in your furniture closer)

So basically if you want this to work and look good, get a smaller tv and make your fireplace look like one of these pictures.

if you want to mount it to the wall, lower it so that the middle of the tv measure 56" from the floor, and do some built-ins, also like a few of the pics.

if keeping that large tv, you will have to modify that fireplace so that it's a little bit wider.

That TV is too big to hang over your fireplace. You're better off building out shelving and cabinetry on either side of the fireplace and incorporating the TV into that. And you need to remove those over sized personal photos from above the fireplace, those do not belong there.

I love these ideas for the built ins but I have a window on the wall to the left of the fireplace so I am not sure built-in’s would be possible on that side.

Beverly just gave you the solution, floating shelves so that whatever art work or photos you have come to the same height as top of TV.

My fireplace is 60 inches wide & 48 inches tall. The tv is 51 inches wide.

It is not too big to hang over your fireplace, if indeed those measurements are accurate. Many claim that mounting a TV over a fireplace causes neck strain, but that is not necessarily the case. I would personally rather have my TV above the fireplace (with cords hidden from view) than on a console in the corner.

Having two black boxes on top of each other--firebox and TV--is ugly. That's why a lot of commentors suggest moving one of those black boxes to the side and lower.

Purely personal opinion. My TV is over the fireplace, and it's not "ugly." It's nice when we allow for various options in this forum, isn't it? I mean, some may find a large mirror over a fireplace reflecting nothingness to be less than ideal, but I'd hope they could refrain from declaring it to be "ugly."

Yup, take your pick.

Um: It's nice when we allow for various options in this forum, isn't it?

housegal, you've created a false dichotomy. First photo shows a light-colored wall and surround with a lit fire. Second shows a black wall and dark surround and TV over an unlit fire. Those aren't "your pick", as there are endless other options.

Don't want a TV over your fireplace? Fine. Don't put one there. But it IS a viable alternative that many people choose, and it works beautifully for them.

twheat1 - here's my setup. Not ugly. And it works.

[EDITED to remove photo after OP has viewed.]

Don't hang the TV over the fireplace, the proportions are too large for it. I would get a console cabinet for under the TV making sure the TV does not overhang the edges. Something similar to this...

I would relocate your family photos as well. I would put your group photo above the accent chair (next to fireplace), adding in a side table with the lamp on it. Then, move the kids portraits to a new location. Get artwork for over the fireplace and minimize your mantle chachkies.

Your couch also seems too far away from the TV. I would move the couch closer to the fireplace, leaving a walkway behind the couch. Then, you could get another console table for behind the couch for decor (and convenience). What size is your rug? Is it a square? I would turn it so the longest side runs the length of the couch (assuming its not square).

I'm not the biggest fan of the faux plant with silver "bark". I would replace it with a faux plant that looks more real. And yes, hang the artwork vertically.

Hope this helps!

I know part of the issue with the tv is that my tv is so big. Also if we move the couch up towards the tv, you get into the front door being an issue. The living room is not ideal but I am trying to make it livable & nice. Thank u all for your ideas! I definitely have some things to consider.

If only the chaise was on the other side of the couch. I can see the entry location being less of a problem. Hmmm...

Can you post more photos of the rest of the room? Maybe there is a better arrangement that we aren't able to see?? Fresh eyes always help....hopefully! ; )

Yes thank u! I will do that this afternoon.

This is another canvas painting that I considered. It is a 60x80. The current canvas painting is 40x60. i turned it vertical so that I could attempt to determine if the size would be too big (it would be twice as wide-80 inches rather than 40 inches wide) if I went wth the new pic. What do u think of size & color. Is it too matchy with the rest of my stuff?

One thing I haven't seen mentioned that would give you a little more flexibility is to put the tv on an arm...it would swivel, pull out, even go down a bit. It would sit nicely over a console table, but be able to be pulled out and swivel so that it works with the sofa-area centered on the fireplace.

It is actually on an arm & can be pulled out quite a ways but not lowered unfortunatel. Thank u!

From the picture, it seems like the seating area is far enough way from the tv wall that I wouldn't be uncomfortable to watch tv. It may draw your eye up a little but certainly not like you'd have your neck cranked back to view tv. I'd block out the area above the fireplace with dark paper mimicking the exact size of the tv first to see if I liked how it looked and then go from there.

Beverlys option is very doable and looks nice too.

Of course, you can lower the bracket!

I will definitely do that once we get a tv stand for it to sit on so we will have the right height. My old tv stand was 34 in tall.

Ideas on what color the tv cabinet should be?

Rustic driftwood console to harmonize with the floor and mantel. Any floating shelves on the left can also be in that finish.

match the mantle finish for your cabinet or completely contrast it with a colored cabinet.

a pic from my dining room into the living room

Pic standing at my front door. Living room opens to dining room & kitchen

We r also trying to figure out someway to change out the columns to something else

i'm guessing those are for support? you can't do a beam across that opening?

or other options besides the Greek columns

I don’t think they are for support but can’t be completely removed bc we installed the floor around them. :(

Either of these options better? Maybe with a floor lamp between the fireplace & pic and/or a floating shelf under the pic(s) to the left of the fireplace. And Tv lowered with a similar colored wood tv stand

I also found this today & fell in love with it. i wondered if I could incorporate something like this behind my couch if the pic looks ok above the fireplace. I am not sure that we could do the light though so I am not sure it would ever be this cool & funky.

For now, forget about the pendant. Focus on the TV and art. The TV is a massive black box no matter where you put it with a tangle of wires that is unsightly. It's interesting that even in a small room, people hardly ever consider getting a smaller TV to suit the size of a room. They'd rather change structural features, buy expensive furnishings--anything but get a smaller TV.

For now, move the gray print chair under the TV but pulled forward a bit. Relocate the ottoman. If the front door opens, someone sitting in that chair will get a door in the face! Makes no sense to be located where it is. You should've shown all four sides of the room to begin with.

If you're putting that painting on on the mantel, hang it vertically as you had it on the opposite wall. It's too wide for the mantel and looks better vertical. Take off all the clutter on the mantel. The art should stand entirely alone.

Scroll back through 23 comments and reconsider Beverly's recommendations--console under the TV on the right and lose all the wires, floating shelf on the left for your photos. She did a mock-up for you. In any case, while you decide about the TV, move the chair over to see how it looks. Or, if you prefer other advice like putting TV over fireplace, do that. Then deal and look at the many examples of how to balance the sides of the fireplace.

I would go vertical with your wall art. It looks a little bit wide.