And do you want a rug?

No slats in here. The trick to making this eclectic space work is being thoughtful about negative space and not piling on too much. Let the fireplace be the queen architectural element of the room with a well thought out plan of contemporary furniture as the supporting cast. Don't over crowd and don't over decorate.

Instead of slats, just place a large floor plant on the wall to the right of the TV.

What do you intend to store in the media console and on the shelves? And could you store that stuff elsewhere? If not, please show pics of the entire room so we can get a feel for the ideal furniture layout and what should be placed where in the whole space.

I don't think either of those media consoles work in here. Though the more contemporary one is better than the cream one.

Old fireplace, contemporary furniture, sense of balance, proportion:

I do not feel the slat wall does anything for the room. The black coffee table and side table are too heavy and almost act as more TV black space but horizontally. It feels forced to try to take your eye away from the fireplace. I feel the fireplace surround is too traditional for what I THINK you are trying to achieve. I would spend my money on simplifying the fireplace surround then work towards the rest.

I agree with others that there's too much to look at with no focal point. How to streamline:

--Ditch the slat wall idea

--Get widest possible media console or run a long low shelf across the wall. Or get a smaller TV with existing media console. (I can't tell if your photos are Photoshopped. So confusing.)

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--Your black coffee table, black TV screen, and black firebox create three enormous visual black holes in the visual field. Get a much lighter coffee table. Fill fhe firebox with birch logs.

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Stylewise, I'm seeing a mishmosh here. The window seems to be MCM, and you seem to want to go in that direction with the slats (which everyone is suggesting is a no go). Instead remove the fireplace surround entirely. At most, just a simple mantel. It's very unclear what the style of your house is, or what you're going for. No etagere, no slats.

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Concur with others about ditching the slat wall idea. The space already has a focal point in the fireplace. If that was my space, I'd do some editing of furniture (too many small pieces around the space) and add a large rug. I prefer the darker, solid drawers media console and I wouldn't use a bookcase in that space. Use art instead of the slat wall and misc decor items on a bookcase.

In order to move the room in the direction of MCM stylewise you're going to have to change the fireplace surround. Can you show us a picture of the fireplace straight on? However you decide to do that will influence which media console you choose.

IMO a nice wall of Besta from Ikea with TV , storage and a bit of display would be my choice .You seem to be going in a modern direction so IMO the FP surround is all wrong . A bookshelf used to display stuff not needing display is just wrong. Check out Besta it can be configured to look custom

It’s important to work with a room‘s features and they don’t. My daughter’s friend is adding slats (with tv behind) but note how the other modern features create an appealing connection.

If you could update the fireplace, it would be a different story.

Otherwise, suggest a wall unit that better suits your traditional fireplace and room. I’m sure a carpenter could build for a decent price.

Add art over fireplace to help pull it all together.

Geez, NO SLAT WALL. It doesn't complement the fireplace.

It's not that you can't mix contemporary and traditional, but you have to be careful when doing it. Consider Ladder Bookcases combined with a wall hung media console for your space.

CB2 Ladder Bookcases

Original post on same dilemma

Living Room Design Feedback

Thank you all for the feedback.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting — I’ve looked into IKEA BESTA but couldn’t find the right color, and I’m hoping for a console with black metal legs and a long, floating-style look.

I hadn’t considered the fireplace architecture until you all pointed it out—thank you! The sofa and black coffee table are staying, but I’m open to ideas for pieces that complement the fireplace and make the layout feel more intentional. I’m aiming for a Japandi style and prefer an asymmetrical TV unit design. If I can’t find a long floating media console, I’m considering adding a bookshelf on one side—as long as I find the right one.

@littlemissdena, unfortunately I don't have a budget to reface the fireplace and no rug.

@Kendrah, I agree with the idea of negative space and have thought about it. I want to use the media console to store board games, books, a gaming console, and a game collection. I’m thinking of using the bookshelf to display a figure toy collection and small decorative items. The fireplace has a classic traditional style, which I think I can modernize with Japandi or contemporary elements.

Here’s the old design, which had a different seating layout. I can't take a picture of the current living room anymore since we are in the middle of construction and the living room becomes a temporary storage. The reason I had to change the layout—though it's not my preference—is because we want a big TV!

What style of media console do you think could work? I was thinking this console legs could complement the fireplace style a bit. Also the glass bounce the light from the window very nicely.