Please provide photos of all four sides of the room so you can consider other possibilities for TV relocation . The problem isn't the fireplace surround, which harmonizes well with your wall paint, floors, and rug. It's the following:

--Did the previous owners leave the TV behind? It's way, way too big for the space. A smaller screen will harmonize better with what we can see of your room. Right now you've got two black areas dominating your living space--huge TV screen over black firebox. The surround actually softens the black boxes, so don't be in a hurry to change it. Get a new, smaller TV!

--Yes, remove the cornice on top of the TV if it must stay.

TV shelves are very cluttered and need to be edited down:

-- Less is more. Just display the two art works on the top shelves. For balance on each side, slide each art works to the side. Put the bowl (s) next to it with nothing else so their shapes will stand out. Or just have the two art works and nothing else.

--Combine all your books on a couple shelves across from each other on the same level.

--Put all photos on shevles across from each other on the same level.

--Heavily curate what you put on the remaining shelves.

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I'd paint the whole back wall of shelves including the shelves, crown on the fireplace & mantel the same flat black of the TV wall.

EDIT the shelves and the travertine surround will look great.

The top shelves need something tall, not matching, but similar to fill the space between the top shelf and the ceiling 3/4 up the wall.

I agree with what Maureen posted

I agree with all above but no one has mentioned the printer, router(?), and other equipment on the lower right hand self. Perhaps there is another home for these items? The router - if that is what it is - can go to anther nearby closet, or basement if available. The photo monitor with the cord dangling can be house on same self with other photos IF you can find a way to hide the cord. If not, move it to another room.

It sounds like the consensus is to keep the travertine, and change everything else. You all just saved me a project! Thanks!

Most people here would love to help if you want additional suggestions for the rest of the room, which we haven't seen. Feel free to show photos of all four sides. You might even be able to keep the huge screen if furniture layout is changed to face another part of the room.

Designer types take in an entire space even if someone is just asking about one feature. A lot of design is directing the eye around the room to the best parts and away from the less desireable parts.

I’d keep the travertine and look everything else too. That travertine is beautiful!

Wow - I love the mock-up Emily posted. If we had cabinets like that we could hide some of our clutter! This house has absolutely no storage.

Emily's rendition is pretty awesome! This would be a definite improvement without having to remove the fireplace surround.

Love Emily’s mock up! The closed storage would be a life saver! I’d get stressed having to stage all that open shelving with young kids!

Really, the travertine is the best thing on the wall. Top molding was someone’s creative effort but doesn’t work. Painting as in one of the two suggested paths will be much nicer. Darker mantle with dark back wall is pretty if that works in your room.

Oh, lighting the shelves makes a difference also! Sneaky designers :)

The worst part of this is the crown moulding detail. It is much too prominent and heavy for the space. Don't get me wrong moulding is beautiful if done correctly but this isnt. The first thing I would do is remove it. Take your stone/tile all the way up and remove the mantel. Its not needed. I would then add an additional shelve on each side and carry the drywall across the top to add some lighting detail. The moulding can be replaced with a simple one. For added interest i would wallpaper the back of the shelves in a natural fiber paper.

I agree - I hate those huge corner blocks, but they are everywhere on our main floor (living/dining/kitchen). I feel like it would be a huge undertaking to replace them, but now I'm thinking I will look into it. I'd rather not hire a professional to re-do it all, because it's really only those outside corner pieces that I find objectionable. I'm pretty handy and have access to a tool library, so maybe I could DIY some smaller corner pieces to take their place. I will do some research and see what I can figure out. The wallpaper suggestion is fantastic and a great way to add some texture! Thanks so much for your ideas!

Generally I have found the corner blocks are used by people who do not know how to cut a mitre. To replace them you will need to be able to match your exisiting crown and re cut all pieces that meet a corner. It will definitley be an undertaking. A good finsh carpenter can remedy it in no time if your existing crown is available.

Note that @Emily‘s rendering uses a textured surface and black-brown (brown-black) behind the TV area. Your fireplace behind the TV looks to be painted a true black which I don’t think works as well as the color used in the rendering. One quick inexpensive interim change is to repaint that area in a flat-matte black with a brown undertone.

I just used BM Black Beauty because of its brown undertone. You can order a bunch of samples (try also BM Black Bean Soup, Bucktrout Brown, etc) at Samplize and try them out.

Thanks - yes, I do like that black-brown color. Current color is BM Wrought Iron in a flat finish. Windows face south and west.

Painting travertine is possible, but it is porous and will want a dedicated masonry primer and a heat-rated finish near the firebox. You also lose the natural stone texture, so it can read flat. It is the lowest-cost path, but rarely the one clients are happiest with long term.

Cladding over the travertine with a large-format porcelain or a thin stone is the stronger move. The key details are managing the added thickness at the firebox opening for clearance and code, and deciding how the new face meets your existing mantel and hearth so the transition looks intentional rather than tacked on.

Honestly, the biggest opportunity is the millwork itself. A refined mantel, cleaner shelving returns, and an integrated TV detail would modernize the whole wall more than the surround material alone.

I agree that the travertine is the best thing about the fireplace. IMO, the black is too harsh. The decorative corner blocks on the crown molding are usually installed for 1 of 2 reasons-either someone thinks they look decorative or they don't know how to miter crown molding, which is, admittedly, very tricky. Perhaps switching them out for something simpler would help.