abbyjean, thank you for your comments about the mantel. You said what I was unable to, I tend to display pieces that are important to me and/or have some sort of history. The picture over the couch is an exception to that rule for me. I'm very sentimental.

Sadly, the entryway is to small for a bench. (there is a bench cover over the radiator in the vestibule.) I know the bench isn't perfect where it is, but I really wanted more seating than the couch provides. I was searching for a bench when I found the pew at an antique store. What other seating solutions could there be for that area?

abbyjean, maybe you're seeing the back door. The table you're seeing is my desk. I have a chair next to it.

abbyjean, I may try the bench swap tomorrow. The bench by the window is my great grandmother's hope chest. It's filled and heavy. But it's also very sturdy and could provide the necessary seating. I'll post pics when I do that.

Yes, THAT is what I am seeing........through the door between the bench and the tv???? Is it an office?

Here is another thought for Great Grandma's hope chest......what about using it for the tv? There is something off balance with the way the tv is off the edge on this one. The chest could fit diagonally in the corner and the tv fit right on it and still some fun accessories with it, too. The pew could then go under the window and maybe that chair by the desk for an extra chair by the couch. The color looks right and the legs look like it would match nicely with the coffee table. I am guessing only one would sit on the pew at a time anyway.

Oh, and the stool is random. It gets moved around a lot.

I'll do some measuring of the hope chest tomorrow. Using it for the TV is an interesting suggestion!!! Here are pics of my VERY messy office. My husband is out of town and a neat freak and would kill me for showing my dirty little secret. No judging, right? ;-)

NO judging at all! I like that chair! Do you need it by your desk or are you willing to try it by the couch? That piece on the wall over the bench in the LR may have to switch directions then, but looks like it could???

The selving is remarkable, the sofa wall is great, the two things I hate is the crown molding, which looks like the cheapest molding you can buy at HD, and the Mantle which you never said you liked. Also the single window need curtains. Don't get me wrong, this is a great room but the crown is so small you don't need to remove it to add a better size one over it. And the mantle is the wrong size, scale and style. Check to see if you can find a oak mantle with maybe a over mantle to compare with the selving.

Just to chime in, I like the idea suggested for setting the tv on the hope chest. Not sure, but in the pic it looks like it is hanging off the edge of --something? I think TVs over mantels make the viewing angle impossible, and when it is off you just look at a black rectangle. The house looks like it has loads of charm! Also, I would definitely hang the mirror, so you eliminate the ceiling reflection, and then play with the accessories to tie the mirror to the mantel. Back to the tv, having it by the FP is a good choice, you are keeping the focal point together. Beyond that, I am thinking you have a lot of good choices already presented :=)

Fredm51 - I love the shelves, too! It was hard to find a house with so much unpainted wood. I love it. I've learned a lot about the original house and the original crown molding was a rope - not rope molding, but a rope! The original owner/architect was very artsy and creative. I've actually thought about painting the molding the same color as the ceiling. It would be difficult to put a bigger crown molding in because the walls are HEAVILY textured. I have looked for an oak mantel. It's just going to take some time to find just the right one.

Thank you, Connie! The house does have a lot of charm and quirks. It's been a lot of fun. We've only been here since last October. The TV is a struggle for me. I'm going to try it on the hope chest, soon.

abbyjean - that chair is from my kitchen table. I have two extras. One time, I tried them under the window. I've attached a pic.

I've also included a pic of the vestibule floor. My profile picture is a drawing of the outside of the house. It was etched in a wood block by the original owner/architect around 1929. He used it as a stamp to make Christmas cards one year.

That floor is gorgeous! Etched in a wood block? Do you have it????? It needs a special place, but you already know that!

Are the chairs sea grass? I can see one with that table in the living room instead of the pew.

That iron/glass cart you have in the corner by the shelves is catching my eye, too, and I am wondering if it needs a better place??? What would THAT look like under the window? I am starting to wonder if you have enough benches in that area. Do you have room in your office for the pew if you put the table and chair in the living room?

I'm not crazy about the two chairs in that area. I would still prefer one large chair maybe with an ottoman facing into the room and then getting curtains to frame the window.

If you go to our web site www.oldworldstoneworks.com or our Houzz site there are many photos of beautifully decorated cast stone mantels. Love your house!

The chairs under the window was an experiment I did a couple of months ago. I liked the idea, but not the execution.

As for the drawing of the house, I do not have the original wood block, just one of the remaining Christmas cards. It was given to me by the daughter-in-law of the original owner/architect and it is framed and displayed on the wood shelves.

When we moved in to this house, it had red and yellow taffeta curtains (billowing and bubbling) everywhere. The textured walls were glossy and the color of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese powder! I have since calmed everything down to focus on the homes architecture. For now, I really like the windows without curtains. I think they're pretty on their own.

tennisanyone, here's a picture of the chair that was in the corner. It just didn't work for me.

I really like the chair in the corner, I would have pulled it out a bit and separated the ottoman from it a bit too. I would have kept the other lamp. What I don't like is the table under the window. I would add drapes. You have to live with it so it has to feel right to you.

This is an old pic. I've done lots of moving around since then. The table is no longer there and I'm not a fan of the torchiere lamp. Sigh. I think I need to focus on the mantel and figure out the TV situation.

Anxious to see if the chest works for the tv. Take your time. It will FEEL right when it is.

abbyjean - What do you think?

That chest is big! I like the color of it there, as the tv and the chest totally tie in with the fireplace colors in that opening.

Can it be wiggled in a little tighter with maybe the hearth area between the legs on the right side? Put the front leg in front of the hearth. Move the fire utensils to the other side.

I went back and looked at the first picture and I think I like the original piece on the mantel instead of these two pots.....the colors tied in better with the mirror and pic. We WILL make these pots work in the room, though, as they are wonderful.

Did a little wiggling. I also moved the TV to the other side of the cable boxes.

I kind of like how the terra cotta pot ties in the terra cotta tile from the fireplace surround.

DING DING DING! I think you've got a winner!!! I was hoping you would center the tv more so it would not stick off like it did with the other table. AND it is still a safe distant from the fire. AND the utensils staying there work with the black on the tv, too.

Now that you mention the terra cotta....of course! They totally belong together!!! How does this FEEL? Did you sit on the couch to make sure you are comfy to watch the tv? Angles work ok together for that? I like the heavier/substantial feel this corner has now without the table you had before.

Sorry, I've been away. The pottery is good scale. Try with the mirror turned vertically. I liked the chair in the corner but would have hung the small oil painting above it to pull some color over there. Then would have added a pillow to the chair that brought the colors from the painting down to the chair.

Oh......yes, may we see it with the mirror turned? Then all the rectangles right there are not the same direction. I have got to get outside to mow, but this is waaaaay more fun!

Should I center the turned mirror? Or, should it be offset?

Try it both ways. If you have some candlesticks to replace the painting (if it goes elsewhere ) they could balance the right side.

Shakerjaebs, you may want to consider TVCoverUps for your situation. Framed artwork(including your mirror or painting you have hanging) or panel adds to the room's decor, and hidden beneath is the TV. Units are available in Automated and Manual lifts and allows for TV tilting hardware(I saw you mention this earlier, I have posted an image w/ an example of this). TVCoverUps can also be built to accommodate AV equipment, Speakers, Blu-Ray/DVD, wires and other consoles-eliminating the need for additional furniture such as that large chest. Each unit is always built custom to the viewer and space, so it is always best to give us a call.

Commercials upset me!

abbyjean, we are not a commercial- we are just trying to offer shakerjaebs solutions to their living room arrangement. Our product, TVCoverUps, has helped families across the world with similar problems, it is just one way helping one design their space. Each response we post is always directed and personal towards the discussions at hand.

Tell me what was PERSONAL about your reply and about the others I have seen you suddenly appear on today.

Try a large round or oval mirror on wall above. The rectangular one makes the mantle look bulky.
Or try three round mirrors of different sizes. Larger one in middle.

Forgot to mention.......how nice you do not NEED window coverings as these windows do deserve to be seen and they truly are part of the home's architecture. AND you have so many nice furniture pieces that work with it, too. Can tell how hard you have worked to.....calm it down, too. LOVE a home with history!

I also really like the chair in the corner as 'tennisanyone' suggested. It's perfect for a reading spot and feels like a library.

I like the chest and TV together and agree, TV in the middle of the chest and I think the unit could come forward a bit too. This works real nicely.

Forward and turned in to the room a little more??? Toward the couch????

Ok, so here's a of the mirror turned. It could NOT be hung up that way because it's bigger than the space above the fireplace. It's leaning out A LOT! Thoughts? I put the accessories around it really quickly. Suggestions welcome.

I agree about the idea of the chair, but for me, it just wasn't the right chair. When I find one, I'll give it a try. My husband has been out of town - I have to wait and see what he thinks about the TV.

abbyjean, thanks for the comment about the windows. It may be hard to tell from the pictures, but the way the textured walls hug the window is really cool and I don't want to cover that up.

Also, and this is hard to explain, most of my decor has meaning to me or it's own history. The mirror over the fireplace was hanging in my house growing up - my mom found it at an antique store in New England. I believe it's quarter sawn oak and when you look at it closely, it has the little lines in the mirror. Making this mirror work above the fireplace is important. I'm not going to be replacing with a different shaped mirror that I find at Bed Bath and Beyond. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I just like most of my pieces to have meaning.

There! You tried it and we got to see it, but had no idea there was not much room. NO way do we want it leaning and/or touching the ceiling. So what this tells you is this......the mantle is DONE! You have special pieces up there that make you smile at THAT focal point! I love that mirror even more now that I know the history and it was fine the other direction, which is NICE!!! Walk away.......and wait for hubby to come home and give his stamp of approval. I love making changes when I have the place to myself!!! GREAT job!

Great, mirror horizontal and you're done with the mantle. Yay!

@ LB Interiors that's what I suggested 23 hours ago :)

The mirror will be great hung horizontally, just so it is closer to the mantel at the bottom than it is to the ceiling up top. It really does need to be hung though.

I guess I was the only one who liked the artwork over the mantle which I think balanced it more. I have seen 100's of mirrors over the mantel but I still prefer artwork, seems more original to me. I would put the mirror in the vestibule where it would be more useful.

@ anne dee. I was just agreeing that's all! And I also think it was suggested by others. Not sure. Just agreeing!

tennisanyone, I appreciate all of your suggestions. I may someday put artwork above the mantel, but for now the big wall over the couch needs it more. It was hard for me to find such a large piece that my husband and I could agree on :)

@ anne dee. Just a note: I just reviewed your comment of 24 hrs ago. You posted a suggested pic showing a vertical placement of the mirror... not horizontal suggestion! I believe your statement to me is not right!!! as the later comments just above, the consensus is that the vertical placement will not work!