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, this may be unwanted info, but I'm a big AV enthusiast, and everything I hear and read in the AV / Home Theater community strongly cautions against mounting TV's above fireplaces. This is both for the concern you have, but also because it's after a while considered a pain in the neck (literally) to have the TV mounted up there. It's apparently preferred to have it at eye level when you're sitting down. From my readings, both in AV magazines, as well in online forums, I hear it is uncomfortable having to look up to see the TV, especially w/prolonged viewings. And I admit, the idea of having it exposed to the smoke and possibly the heat makes me uncomfortable enough to not have tried it myself.

I'm no building expert, and cannot answer many of your questions, but we are currently having cabinets fabricated in order to hang a plasma TV over our wood-burning fireplace with smokestack. What we've done is rip out the existing mantel, and the built-ins that had been built around the fireplace, taking it down to the bricks that make up the fireplace and the exterior wall on either side of the fireplace. We're having some sort of floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround built, that will have a traditional mantle, and a recessed area in which the plasma will hang so that the screen becomes flush with the wall. The cabinet maker offered to build either doors that could close around the TV or a substantial picture-frame looking thing to frame in the TV, but I turned down both options. On either side of the fireplace, we're having floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and shelving built in. There will be doors on the bottom to house our receiver, subwoofer and other Tivo/satellite/etc components. The shelving above those doors will be exposed bookcases specially built to house various trinkets that we've picked up in travels, etc. We're not adding extra insulation between chimney and wall on which plasma will hang b/c I understand it's heat coming from the fireplace opening that you need to be concerned with. Hence, the need for an actual mantel to deflect some of the heat. The guy at the TV place suggested building in some sort of fan behind the TV that would extract heat. I set up a meeting b/w cabinet guy and TV sales guy at our home to map out together their mutual needs (which layed out where speaker wire and other wires needed to run, etc.). The installation was supposed to happen tomorrow, but is now delayed to next week (aren't these projects always delayed?). I'll try to post pictures after the install. When we started this project, I just interviewed a number of cabinet makers and had them bid on the project and come up with drawings/proposals. I ended up going with the least expensive, and using ideas that all of them had. There was a huge price range (with the most expensive one almost three times the least expensive). Good luck!

Just saw your post regarding your fireplace mount. There's a lot of variables when mounting over a fireplace: wood, pellet, or in your case, gas - zero clearance insert or real brick built fireplace - then LCD or plasma (plasma generally has cooling fans w/filters that don't like smoke & dust) - smoke is attracted to the screen - temperature rising up to the TV (which usually in most cases is not as bad as you'd think) - height of the TV which should be at eye level at the center of the screen or worse case, bottom of the screen (but then that also depends on how much TV you watch) and yes a tilt mount helps with higher mounts. Next, is on a finished brick fireplace you don't know where studs are or what's behind them - any installations that I've done I have always gone through the mortar into the stud or header, as opposed to damaging the brick which is difficult to repair if the mount is taken down. And, the big next, is installing an electrical outlet behind the TV and then finding a way to route the A/V cables to the equipment - running across the brick really doesn't create the "Photoshop look" people see in magazines! I have done some installations where a remodel was being done and they could open up a wall so you could see inside where you want to mount and figure out a cable route (keep it expandable) and outlet installation. Having said all that it can be done but I have also have had customers who wanted me to take down an installation somebody else did over their fireplace. I won't do a fireplace installation unless I am very comfortable about the installation, the customer understands everything, and then it will often be much more expensive than mounting on a standard wall. So, just be sure about what you want and make sure whoever does it, does it all to code... you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I seen such as AC power cords being fed down walls, etc..