When designing or house, DH and I took a hard look at how we really lived and realized that, while the two of us did watch quite a bit of TV, we didn't ever watch it when we had company over. When we have company, we want the focus to be on conversation and VISITING and having a TV going in the background seems to interfere with that. So we decided to banish the TV from our Great Room entirely. Instead we have a very small TV room upstairs next to our laundry room. The TV room is just big enough for our love-seat recliner (where the two of us sit when watching TV) a 48" flat screen mounted on the opposite wall at eye-level when one is seated, and a glider rocker plus a small stack of big floor-pillows. The extra chair and floor pillow are in case friends bring kids when they come to visit. Half a dozen kids can watch TV comfortably while the adults visit downstairs. By banishing the TV from the Great Room, I totally solved the problem of how to keep it and the fireplace from competing. And interestingly, DH and I find that with the TV upstairs, we actually watch a whole lot less of it now than we used to. We record the shows we like and only watch when we make a "decision" to do so. Usually, about one or two evenings a week, we will go up and catch up on our shows and I'll get the laundry caught up at the same time. Most evenings, even when we don't have company over, the two of us will sit in the Great Room and read or work on crafts or do something like that INSTEAD of watching TV. I admit that we did stick a second small flat-screen TV in the breakfast nook where it can also be seen from the kitchen. But I think that TV has been turned on maybe three times in the two years we've lived in the house. And eventually DH says he wants a big screen TV in his "man-cave" over the garage b/c he has visions of hosting the guys over to watch the big games. Truthfully tho, he really isn't that big of a sports-fan so getting the big-screen TV for the man-cave isn't really a high priority. Not saying that our "solution" will work for everyone - but it is another option that some folks might want to consider.

thanks for all of your pictures and suggestions. We are still debating but leaning toward this: Found it on Houzz.com [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

Sidney4 - i just saw an old post from May 9 that asked my location. You can email me through 'My Page' and I will respond. I would love to know where you are, too!

Thank you for the kind words. I honestly can’t see any change in the color in the six years since the cabinets have been installed. I suppose it is possible that there has been some very subtle change in color over time but nothing noticeable ..........even when compared to pictures taken after the installation. I still am very happy with the decision to go with alder.