In my experience, most people here will want multiple shots of the space from each connecting space.

debra

Hi. Thank you for the input. I don't think that matters in this case. This is more of a structural question for the wall.

I would hire an architect , I’m no expert but it appears to me that some significant structural changes need to take place.

@drsaj, @K Laurence gave you good advice.

IMO, a tv does not belong in this formal room. Your focus should be on the fireplace, not a tv

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I think the only way to figure out what you can do here, is to start by doing some major demolition. The curved columns/ovals could just be empty wasted space OR they might have support columns hidden inside OR hidden hvac/plumbing/electrical. You won't know exactly what you have until you tear it open. Ceilings and walls can be patched. Matching existing tile, if you need to make patches, will be much harder.

Do what feels right in your home. If you want a TV in this room - by all means, do so.

My husband watches science fiction and I do not. I had to always run upstairs to look at another TV until I put one in the formal living room.

The TV does not take away from my beautiful space at all!

Other than our bedroom, this is the only place to have a large television. We don't have a family room. We've lived here for 9 years with the smaller television and we've been able to make-do. If we decide to keep this setup, I'd at least like to update the fireplace surround. The mantle is fine, but I don't like the columns.

Its not my favorite place for a tv, but, if you want a bigger one, you could put it on the mantle of the fireplace. That looks like a much longer area for a tv, and maybe put shelving in where the tv is right now. I would also leave those fireplace columns, even though, they are not my favorite either, because, they do go with all the other curves in that wall, so look like they belong there.

Before much can ahppen you will need to know how much of that is actually holding up walls and ceilings. You will need a structural engineer for sure. Is the rest of the space formal or only this monster ?

The minute you demo anything higher than the step you're going to be searching for matching flooring material. The space is very complicated with the curves and the random soffit heights.

If you just smooth out the face of what you have you end up with this below

If you try to replace the FP with a linear one, you'll have to address the curve in the wall.

If you try and take away all the embelishment from the FP hearth the opening will not be large enough on the wall IMO.

There might be a way to blow apart the face of the curved wall and inset a linear fireplace and also inset a niche to receive the TV and a sound bar. How much is involved to remove the fireplace and flue it's hard to say without a visit to the attic.

Also your decision to select a gas burning fireplace or an electrical one will have an impact on what can be done.

Patricia, my husband has been up in the attic and this is not a load bearing wall, but thank you for your input!

Beverly, thank you for the Photoshop images. That helps a lot! I agree that we would need to keep the fireplace embellishments. It's really ugly without them. I imagined the the wall above the TV and fireplace might look too plain, so I like the mural idea unless we could find a large rectangular painting to hang there.

We have one other idea related to your last photoshopped image. What if we just kept everything as is except replace the 48 inch tv with a 65 inch tv? It would have to protrude out of the existing opening quite a bit to hang over the bare curved wall to the left. The TV would then be at an angle. Would that look weird?

Beverly, somehow I missed this last photoshopped image that you posted. It was what I was hoping we could do. I'm going to have an architect come by in a couple weeks to see if we can make this happen. Thank you!

Just keep in mind that because the wall is curved applying objects to the face of the wall will look terrible. The items will need to be recessed in a niche IMO either the total screen or at least the mounting bracket.

To me, the room needs to function based on how your family uses the room.

When I lived in San Diego I think we lit a fire twice in 20 years that we lived in our home. We watched TV daily. The fireplace was a waste of space and a hinderance.

My current home is in Central PA. I do use the gas fireplace to make the living room a bit warmer in the winter, but I still use the living room as the place where I relax in the evenings and watch some TV. My sofa faces the TV and is perpendicular to the fireplace. This arrangement provided the best viewing distance and height for the TV.

In your home I would probably strive to keep the curves and detail, and eliminate the fireplace.

Jennifer, being that we're in Arizona, we never use the fireplace since it warms up the house more than we'd like. Thank you for the additional idea! We will consider it.