I needed to mount a TV above the fireplace because it was really the only place in the room it could be viewed by everyone and not in the way. The mantel of our fireplace is rather high (almost 6 feet) which would put the center of the TV well above a comfortable viewing angle. I spent months searching for a TV mount that could lower the TV to a decent height. I quickly discovered that anything motorized would cost several times what I paid for the TV. Beyond that, there were 2 options: Omnimount or Down and Out by Dynamic Mounting (http://www.dynamicmounting.com/index.php). The Omnimount is cheaper ($200-$300 vs. $400-$500) but an inferior product for my purposes. The Down and Out mount is much thinner (protrudes ~4 inches from the wall) and can lower the TV much farther (~30 inches!). I should also say that I have engineering degrees and tend to do all my own work. I thought about making my own mount but was a bit surprised at both the cost and level of difficulty. The Down and Out was fairly simple to mount on the wall and works VERY well.

I had the same problem with my tv.. and I ended up buying a taller console. I don't like anything "busy" around the viewing screen. Lifting the screen was perfect and made a big difference. Plus, I like the viewing angle better now too. An idea for your mantle-- I have two pictures resting on the mantle but overlapping. My situation/tastes are a little different but I think the basic idea could still work for you. Both my prints are matted with a lot of "white space" and they are somewhat related (both are B&W. One is a landscape and the other a tree) I also have a vase on the mantle with.. hahah don't laugh.. interesting "sticks" from the yard-- one of which hangs over the artwork. I think it pulls together pretty well and it addresses a big design hurdle (the entire wall above the mantle is a mirror plate). Your room is really cozy and personal.. I think you'll be very happy with a painting your daughter made just for you. In the meantime I think adding some height and matting your existing prints and putting them in larger frames will definitely make the mantle area more visually interesting. Good luck!

Aunteemom, I think that it depends of how much room you have between the edges of the TV and what ever else may be near it (art, curtains, bookcases etc), but, personally if you do have the room I'd go with the 46", but if you already have the 42", well it is only a difference of 2" on each side, so really not that much amount of difference. Linked below is a post I did in the Galley section of Decorating, a variety of flat screen examples from Home Shows that I have been to in the past. Here is a link that might be useful: Its all about the TV post

Thanks fot the ideas and pics. Now that I know about remote control extenders (thanks, Natal) I may have more options. I plan to hit a couple of antique shops this weekend to see what I see. The real issue is the width of the space (meaning how wide the console/whatever can be). Ideally it would be around 48" so while I like the idea of a sideboard type of piece, most will be too big. OTOH, I did find a regular ol' console at Room & Board that I like a lot, so I could always go that route. Still holding out for a while to see if I find something cool, though!