To be honest, I'm only putting in the fireplace because it would look stupid without one, as EVERY new home in my area has one. (Most people try to convince me I need one in the office/den and master as well, which I am refusing to do). We will likely seldom use it, though maybe with a gas one I may switch it on some evenings for a bit. We live in California, though we are both transplants here, so we seldom find it cool enough to warrant needing it. Ideally I'd like the fireplace and TV on different walls altogether, but I can't do that without giving up windows, and that isn't an option! Currently our TV is over our fireplace and it doesn't bother me as our mantel is relatively low, and with those new landscape fireplaces it could be lower. For instance, in the second image the TV isn't too high, and I think the fireplace could even be dropped another few inches. I do think I solved my own issue as with the curtains it wouldn't be safe (or look good) to have a corner fireplace. So TV over the fireplace it is :) Also, now that I stare at all these photos some more I realize I like the clean look of not having a table beneath the TV, and if there wasn't a fireplace it looks silly to not have anything under the TV. So the decision is complete! Thanks for your advice, and helping me talk myself into a decision! :)

GreenDesigns, I can appreciate your point of view, but it is subjective. Many designers plan TVs over fireplaces and they look fantastic when properly planned out, which doesn't need to include a lot of black accents. In an ideal set up I would love to have a room where the fireplace and TV were on entirely separate walls, but that often doesn't work, and from my own perspective having the TV and fireplace on the same wall but not stacked creates an asymmetry that I personally don't like. That said, I can see why other people prefer that design and I wouldn't try to talk anyone out of it. Here are some TV over the fireplace inspiration photos: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/orchard-family-room-a-contemporary-family-room-chicago-phvw-vp~213942) [Contemporary Family Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2103) by Chicago Interior Designer Michael Abrams Limited [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/orchard-family-room-b-contemporary-family-room-chicago-phvw-vp~213947) [Contemporary Family Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2103) by Chicago Interior Designer Michael Abrams Limited [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/c3d-design-portfolio-traditional-family-room-toronto-phvw-vp~30500) [Traditional Family Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2107) by Toronto Interior Designer c3d design [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/upper-east-side-contemporary-living-room-new-york-phvw-vp~76170) [Contemporary Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by New York Photographer Alexander Johnson Photography [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/woodvalley-house-interiors-contemporary-living-room-baltimore-phvw-vp~170464) [Contemporary Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by Baltimore Architect Ziger/Snead Architects [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/private-party-contemporary-entry-vancouver-phvw-vp~164210) [Contemporary Entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2103) by Vancouver General Contractor Klondike Contracting [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/living-room-and-fireplace-contemporary-living-room-los-angeles-phvw-vp~302373) [Contemporary Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by Los Angeles Design-build Stonebrook Design Build [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rocky-ledge-living-room-with-fireplace-transitional-living-room-boston-phvw-vp~215246) [Contemporary Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by Boston Architect LDa Architecture & Interiors [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/sf-media-room-traditional-family-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~47212) [Traditional Media Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-home-theater-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_719~s_2107) by San Francisco General Contractor Mueller Nicholls Cabinets and Construction [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/san-carlos-craftsman-2nd-story-addition-craftsman-living-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~138997) [Traditional Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by San Francisco Architect Studio S Squared Architecture, Inc. At first I considered different solutions as well, however I've decided the TV over the fireplace is my preference when compared to the TV being in a cabinet next to the fireplace, or the TV being on a console table with the fireplace in the corner. TV in cabinet next to fireplace - the furniture is always off center. This may good in a room (like a formal living room) where the TV is seldom turned on, but in a family room where the TV is on for a couple hours most evenings it isn't my preference. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mahoney-architects-and-interiors-more-than-cookies-in-the-oven-contemporary-family-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~18241) [Contemporary Family Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2103) by San Francisco Architect Mahoney Architects and Interiors Fireplace in corner - I don't like the loss of symmetry and needing to use a console table. I suppose built in cabnitry would be possible, but again, I really appreciatte symmetry in design. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/our-home-contemporary-family-room-chicago-phvw-vp~571927) [Contemporary Family Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2103) by Chicago Media And Blogs Jiye Lee, Pearls and Green Tea [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/transitional-basement-transitional-family-room-minneapolis-phvw-vp~84118) [Eclectic Family Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2104) by Minneapolis Interior Designer Happy Interiors Though, if I could put the fireplace on a different wall altogether I may do something like this: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eliyahu-berlin-modern-home-theater-tel-aviv-phvw-vp~66329) [Modern Media Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-home-theater-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_719~s_2105) by Tel Aviv Architect SK Designers - Shimrit Kaufman [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/study-contemporary-home-theater-new-york-phvw-vp~42919) [Contemporary Media Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-home-theater-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_719~s_2103) by New York Architect Dufner Heighes Inc

Hi Dee, Angc, Arcy and other GWs, I continue to struggle with how and if to place both a TV and fireplace in the same room. I also really want a window seat on the wall adjacent to the fireplace, and decorative display around the fireplace. You can see the room by clicking on the link above entitled great room floor plan. Thanks for the recent comments; your ideas are all helpful. Arcy, mentioned I should just mount the TV on the wall. Hmmmm, the best wall might just be the stair case wall. Then I could have my fireplace centred with builts-in for decorative display and also my window seat. Not having to squeeze the TV into the remaining space between built-ins and window seat could have visual advantages. The TV would have a 6 foot south window facing it in this location, so we would definitely have to do a low glare TV which I have learned are available. Not to sure what to do with the corner between the built-ins and the window seat -- any ideas here? Would this work at all? I would love your follow-up comments to this idea, please and thanks. Carol

I ran 120 outlet and next to it a good size conduit for everything else. And that is what I recommend if you are keeping entertainment devices in an alcove near the TV or within 15'. We had composite, component and one HDMI going through the conduit, but when our new TV came with three hdmi we switched cables in the conduit. If you place connector plates for HDMI, you may as well place three, and that is expensive, can introduce problems signal degradation (yes even digital signals can have problems from too many connections, and HDMI is famously hinky sometimes) We have cat5e from our home server and network distro going to our alcove next to our fireplace where a switch then distributes to WDTV Live, wii, and xbox. they variously feed audio to our receiver and a/v to the TV. we also have wires coming though the conduit to the TV for wii bar, center speaker, and RG6. there is also optical from the TV to the receiver to move 5.1 for live TV. For example if i was installing plates, a couple of years ago I would have needed composite to feed video camera and now I do that DNLA from my phone to my home network to the WDTV to watch videos I shot from my phone on the TV. Without a conduit we would be saddled with regularly changing needs and permanent obsolete hookups. Conduit for non 120 applications is code, and gives you flexibility. Just make sure it is wicked wide (ours is 3" diameter) so you have no trouble fishing cable heads through. It will be behind the TV and no one will ever see it, if you or future owner want to remove the end and cover it with a drywall patch a 3" hole is pretty manageable. I echo the thoughts against expensive cables, they are mostly overpriced and almost never better. I use monoprice.com