I recommend this mount for the tv.

https://www.dynamicmounting.com/product/down-and-out-manual-mount/

I would paint the fireplace a light color.....either the wall color or the trim color.

Furniture arrangement: The tv is really high. Can you put it between the 2 windows?

Do you really need a sectional? It is swallowing up the room. Can you take out the corner piece and make a sofa out of it?

The chairs look good and actually create some symmetry. I think it works well.

Asymmetry can be interesting too, though, and can offer a lot of interesting creative possibilities. For example, you could hang a large piece of art, or make a gallery wall, on left side of fireplace.

First pic below has gallery shown on right side, so would be opposite in your space.

Or one large piece.

Maybe a plant on right side.

Your fireplace is already painted so it is certainly an easy option to re-paint it white or any other color. I think it also can work as it is.

If you bring in more chairs, one fun idea could be a chair or two in a vibrant color.

The 2 matching chairs on either side of the fireplace are actually accentuating the fact that the 2 sides of the fireplace are not even.

I agree with you - the gray brick and very dark mantle are probably not the best options. I would suggest a significantly lighter color. I will also suggest built-ins on both sides of the fireplace - base cabinets with shelving above. That would allow you to place the television on the left hand side in it's own alcove. As it is not the tv looks scrunched place above the fireplace. If you move the tv you could place a smaller piece of artwork above the fireplace. Good luck!

It appears the tv is too large for left side unless you angle it. Bottom line: as with all dilemmas. The first step is a great floor plan. Without that, future steps will fail.

Hi allisonmuser-

Your floors are just beautiful! Makes me think of dark chocolate.

I see you are blessed with a child.

In that case, there is never enough storage, and it is a good idea to have storage on at least one if not both sides of the fireplace for games, toys, books, things for entertaining like coasters, trays, etc.

I suggest closed storage on the bottom and open on the top.

You can get pieces from IKEA and jazz them up or all wood pieces from an unfinished wood furniture place.

You can even get the closed storage from a big box store in the kitchen cabinet section. and then add a shelf unit above it.

There are all sorts of instructions for these sorts of things on the internet.

Is that fireplace wood-burning?

If so, you will want something in which to store logs. You can get a large attractive basket.

Or, I saw a great idea on TV yesterday on the HGTV show Holmes and Holmes.

They built an open wood box (open to the front) and lined it with copper sheeting to fill the space between the fireplace and the wall and that was used for log storage. It was gorgeous!

Sableincal - Thank you, I think right now I’m leaning toward possibly painting it the same color as the walls. I dont understand why anyone would put the fireplace off-centered but its made me crazy since we bought the house!

Freedomplace1 - That does look cool although the height of the TV doesn’t really bother any of my family. I don’t know if it looks much higher in the photos or we’ve just gotten used to it but it hasn’t been an issue for us. A gallery wall could look nice, I think maybe ill play around with that idea a bit and see what it looks like. The idea of a plant is nice too, takes up space vertically as well as horizontally and brings in color. That’s definitely something I’ll think about. Thank you!

Norwood Architects - I’m thinking white may be too stark but that the wall color which has a very light gray tone may be best. I dont think the TV will fit to the left unfortunately but I do love the idea of built-ins. I’m not super handy but maybe looking into the cost of having them done professionally is worth at least investigating. Thanks for the advice!

Loobab- Thank you! I love the floors although the very dark floors are a bit hard to keep clean, especially with 2 kids under 5! We can definitely always use more storage, I’m not very handy but the idea of using kitchen cabinets from a big box store is interesting... I may also look into contacting a contractor and seeing what the cost to have some built ins done professionally would cost. The fireplace is wood burning but honestly, we dont use it and will likely have it replaced with a gas insert eventually. I did actually see that episode of Holmes and Holmes and it was very cool looking,especially with the back lighting!!

CDR Design, LLC - I think I’m leaning towards painting the fireplace the same color as the walls. The trim in the room is white and I worry the super white fireplace will look too stark and possibly end up making the slightly gray/white walls just look dirty almost. The TV is high although it hasn’t been an issue for us. I dont know if it just appears higher in photos or if we’ve just gotten used to it, but it hasn’t bothered us at all. I can’t put the TV between the windows, the space is too small and there is no where else to put the sofa. The wall across from the windows has French doors into the formal living room and a door to the basement. (See photo) As for needing a sectional, we definitely do need it. We spend most of our time in this room and with me, my husband and 2 kids, even if its just us and no company, a smaller sofa just isn’t enough space. I agree the 2 chairs accentuate the unevenness of the walls which is why I’m looking for alternative ideas for what to put in those spaces. The chairs were in our old house so for the time being I just put them there but have no attachment to keeping them. In your professional opinion, assuming the only options for the TV and sectional are to keep them where they are, do you have any suggestions on how you’d style the two sides of the fireplace? Thanks for all of your input!

This is why painting brick is such a selfish stupid idea!! YOU won't own it FOREVER!! Don't you wish you knew what the brick looked like? Sitting in your room that is what I would be debating the entire time...how bad was it they did THAT?!!

Thanks. A couple of months ago, I finished a room very similar to yours. They have four small children. There is a separate playroom, but note the storage we added in back of the sectional for baskets. You could pull your sectional out from the wall a little.

Here is her room I did in a 3d rendering. It is symmetrical. Next is what I am recommending for yours. You need a much larger chair to work with the sectional. I'd choose a white rug with a pattern. There is just a gray overload right now. Paint the doors back to the trim color.

One thing that is not being pulled in is the cabinet color. I don't know if you care for that color or what your plans are for that.

Sorry for the fuzziness of the renderings. They are clear, but houzz degrades jpg's when uploaded.

Hi allisonmuser-

I turned on that Homes and and Holmes episode towards the end-

Was their decision to use copper lining purely decorative or does copper repel insects, because there are often insects in the logs?

It may be a good idea to use gas, or do an electrical kind of thing.

Many parts of the country now won't let you cut down trees, and/or burn anything that generates smoke.

So you can modify the fireplace so you have flames that are decorative but you don't need wood logs, and you won't make smoke.

Yes, the darker the floor, the more the dust shows.

I am a Swiffer gal, and I would make it a fun dance-type thing to do with your kids (turn the music on and dance while you Swiffer with your kids holding on to the handle) and in no time they will be begging you to let them do it for you!

With the kitchen cabinets as lower storage, you want to add kick plates on the bottom, and depending on what type of storage you want, you might actually want to buy kitchen uppers.

Then if you are attaching shelving, you might want to attach molding on the type so it looks more finished.

I would buy pre-fab units rather than have them made from scratch, you save more money. That area won't be your primary book storage area so you don't need solid wood on the shelves.

Noodle around the web, you'll see lots of ideas.

The other thing is, once you know what you want, you can go to a lumber yard and see if they have someone there that build things and has experience.

That might be a whole lot cheaper than a contractor.

About the brick fireplace, you could paint it all white, or, if you want it mostly white but not all white with some brown still showing, you could do the "wax on, wax off" method.

You paint, but then wipe some of the paint off, so it is like you are doing a wash.

It's like a lime wash, or a German shmear or a technique like that.

I would buy a low corner tv cabinet and put your tv on it, then buy a nice piece of art for over fireplace, a tall plant in the right corner with one chair in front.

Paint FP to match the walls. The TV grazing the ceiling is just off, IMO! What is on the left of the large opening on the right of the fireplace? Could TV work there? The additional fireguard on the floor will prevent a lot of better arrangements. If necessary, I would downsize the TV so it could fit between the windows. I don't think your chairs are going to work well here no matter what you do. The solution to that is a 3-seat sofa.

IMO that TV is the issue in the room. Having it lord over the FP will still be a problem if the fireplace gets painted.

I’m adding some additional pictures from different angles. I’m just not sure the TV would fit in the corner to the left and I don’t think my husband would be willing to downsize 🙄 getting a better idea of the layout/wall space may be helpful to those of you trying to help me!

A few more...

You can measure. Eyeballing it looks like the tv might fit with zero breathing room around it. If you like it there and are okay with it, leave it, unless you are willing to do the below.

One thing you could consider it walling off the French door. You could eliminate that entrance to the living room, which is looks like you are not using anyway. Or, you could wall off the French door and add an entrance to the left (right next to the other door). Tv then would go on that wall

I measured and it does seem like the TV would JUST fit to the left although my husband might kill me because I JUST paid to have it mounted over the fireplace haha Would you put a corner tv unit with the TV on top or mount it to the wall on the left? It feels like it would look weird taking up the whole walls width and being somewhere near the middle of the wall height wise but next to the fire place... maybe I just cant visualize it... as for walling off the French doors... thats a project that just isn’t in the budget right now and we are not currently using the formal living room since I have no use for a formal living room and haven’t decided what to do with the space yet (its become the place where unwanted furniture and decor goes to die until I get rid of it) but who knows what we’ll use it for some day?

It is not going to look good shoved to the left of fireplace.

I agree... so assuming sticking with the TV over the fireplace, going back to my original question, what would you recommend for the two sides?

I think the dark grey fireplace being so prominent only draws the eye to it being off centre. A lighter fireplace and the mantel color/length below would be perfect. On other side, add two similar prints and a plant to ground the area, creating a nice focal wall that will also feel balanced, at very little cost

Put the TV on an articulated arm wall mounted in the corner left of the FP. Place a corner cab under it to hold your TV gear.

Mount-It! Corner TV Wall Mount Full Motion, Fits 37"-63" TVs · More Info

A couple of arrangements you might consider. Have you tried the sectional with its back to the living room? You can look out the window.