This is my fireplace and it looks like the stone you have. This will give you an idea whether you want to do it from floor to ceiling. I love how mine turned out. Good luck with what you decide.

I think it would look really nice to replace bottom half and floor area and then go up to ceiling. No molding on sides as the window trim is right there.That stone is very pretty and will look nice with mantle and television .

Why not remove and replace a few pieces of floor tile around fireplace. If you tiled the wall up, would you still be able to hang tv?

It will look good with that new stone. I installed tile/stone with my uncle through college and remember doing a wall around a fireplace and we did go floor to ceiling. It will look great. I'm sure there is a solution to mount the TV over the stone.

I appreciate the input so far. Thank you everyone. Not sure I am swayed one way or the other yet. TBD.

How about mosaic tile. This is what we did to ours.

look at photos - google - of mantles and start from scratch...I have a beautiful mantle and surround - all white wood - with white marble at the bottom...and lose the tv...a fireplace is a beautiful thing...get the floor tile off the wall.

I agree that you def need a different tile/stone on the fireplace surround. But I think the stone you've picked - while beautiful - clashes with the floor - and I'm not just talking about the color. They each have their own pattern (which is generally true for most tile and probably all stone). I would be careful not to mix 2 different patterns like this since it can feel too busy, even chaotic in a room. I think I'd look for a tile/stone/quartz/corian, etc. material that is pretty simple/plain (yet beautiful) and matches in color tone as much as possible OR with a contrasting color (still plain) - but this depends on your wall paint color(s).

If you have tile on the floor, you don't need more of it on the wall. Search google "images" of fireplace mantles and pick one you like of wood, mantle and suround to the floor and you don't need little brickey tiles on the floor, just one piece of marble, white with a splash of the color of the floor running through it. Then you'd have a nice warm colored floor and a white contrasting mantle that all goes together.

I also meant to add wood to my list - agree with lyndsey. Keep it simple and it will be beautiful.

Again, I appreciate the perspective so far, however I would appreciate if the focus of the answers would be on the question(s) asked. Thank you to all of you who have answered my question. I am not looking for any opinions as to the TV. I am not looking for any opinions as to general design ideas or other suggestions as to what type of stone / tile that should be used. While I appreciate those, I am not looking for help in that area.

Very specifically, I am looking for suggestions as to what area should be tiled and possibly removal of the mantle. The question is VERY specific:

What area should be tiled:
1) simply tear out that tile and replace it. (same exact surface area)
2) tile window molding to window molding, and end at the same existing height.
3) Tile the ENTIRE wall.(it is not much larger than the visible area in the picture)
4) Tile floor to ceiling but JUST between the windows.
5) REMOVE the mantle all together and tile floor to ceiling.
6) Other area should be tiled: ___________

Feel free on if you think the mantle should stay or go, as well.

Thank you.

I vote for number four. Tile the area floor to ceiling between the windows. Then I suspect you need to keep the mantle to visually separate (and maybe provide a heat barrier?) the TV and the fire box.

You do have to wonder what the builder was thinking, besides saving a bit of money!

I vote for #1 or #4 but not window to window (Brandi's example). Keep the mantel, will help redirect heat away from tv.

Brandi -- I like what you did...what is on the edges ?? Is that tile or is that painted molding ?

It's painted molding to match the rest of the molding in the room. I can take a close up picture if you want me to. If I had the budget to build the fireplace out I would have and that would have eliminated the molding but that is what we had to use to get a "finished look" on the edge of the stone.

Thanks Brandi - They have stone pieces that I will be using if we do what you did. The stone will trim it out the same as the molding. THANK YOU.

You're welcome. :-)

I would want a beefier mantle. Following to see how it comes out as I also have builder tile fireplaces, but from 1988. Can't wait to see your finished fireplace!

We have our tv mounted on the other one with wires in wall and plug behind. We have had it like this for 7 years with no problems. We actually love it.