TV's over a fireplace are typically to high, everyone will get a stiff neck looking up watching it. I like the brick and would not do anything to it as it looks great in my opinion. Not sold on the niche but not awful enough to ruin the brick.

The bricks are not ordinary. They look like they have a shiny glazed surface which would be hard to paint over. The bricks could be shown off better with wall washer lights installed in the ceiling.

If you want to cover them up, hire a pro to install wallboard. Was the new gas fireplace and the wood around it installed by a fireplace pro with permits?

the bricks look great. I would forget a mantle if you plan to hang TV. keep it clean.

if you need storage, bring in ready made towers for each side and see how you like it before you commit to built ins.

I don’t think tv over fireplace would work, as you can see skylight shines sun directly on that space. That would wash out the picture. Also if you decide to put tv there, you will absolutely need a mantle there to keep the heat from rising and frying tv. I vote for a nice rustic mantle whatever you decide to do.

Thank you for the comments.

we hate the niche too!

Ruth is correct, you can’t put a TV over a functioning fireplace. It’s a fire hazard I believe. If there’s a flue, and you use the fireplace, putting a cable through the wall creates a hazard. I am not an electrician, but we don’t have our TV over the fireplace for that reason.

Also as Ruth says again, if you do put the TV above the fireplace, you also will shorten the life of the TV.

debra

Hide the electrical wires in the cabinetry that is being installed. If gas fire place, you should be fine installing TV above.

Have your electrician run electrical through cabinet, drill back of mantel that will sit below niche, but be thick enough so the top of mantel is a hair above bottom of niche. Then electrical box for outlet can be installed inside of niche and behind TV.

I like the idea of no mantel, but you might need it to hide the electrical wires to the back of TV. I don’t mind the brick. Good luck!

The clock over the fireplace is much too small for the location. You need to decide on the style of the fireplace surround and mantel and have it built or installed. The floor in front of the fireplace should be stone. Shelving may take the focus away from the fireplace, but may work if the style of the fireplace surround is simple. A TV over the fireplace is too high for comfortable viewing. I would hang a piece of art there if heat isn’t projected upward from the front of the fireplace if you use it.

I like la_la girl’s idea of low built ins. The fireplace box is lower so putting a tv over it should be fine if the tv is mounted not higher than 36”. I’m not opposed to the look of the brick, but I would be afraid to paint it either if it doesn’t work for you decor.

We have 2 fireplaces both have tvs above them, not too high. Both fireplaces are gas absolutely no problem with heat etc bothering the tvs

You could hang the TV over the fireplace, as long as the cables are able to be hidden and run through without making it a fire hazard.

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