Okay .. I know a picture is worth a 1000 words, but my husband has my camera and won't be home until the weekend. Since a lot of you all are very good at visualizing in your head, let me post some pics of the before and tell you what I'm doing.

I've been working on the family room. I bought a slipcovered tan colored sectional to go in here, it's a five seater. This room is set up 'wonky', you have french doors opening to one side of the room and that's where the sofa needs to be .. a sectional made the best use of space. On the sectional I have gray pillows and some crewel pillows that bring in the tan and blues. The 'coffee table' is two slipcoverd ottomans .. I'm trying keep this room about function and comfort, it will see heavy use. The room is now painted a light grayish blue .. from Lowes, light house 'somethingorother' .. I'd have to go look for the card. The mantle has been painted white .. I know, I know .. but I'm bad like that. Right now the hearth tile is setting, we did the marble subway tile last weekend on it .. the surround ( around the cast iron surround ) will get done this weekend and all will be grouted. I'm not sure if we'll be redoing the bookcases at this time. I had beadboard on order to be made to back the bookcases and redo the awful textured ceiling .. but we are having a hard time with the supplier. That part may have to be put off until after the holidays .. maybe spring, I'll know more at the end of the week.

What I had planned on doing was building larger bookcases that abutted the mantle, then framing out above the mantle, paint it white and for the mirror to go back up. The mirror I have redone, I sprayed it flat black than used silver rub and buff to create an 'antiqued silver' appearance. I don't like the gap between the bookcases and mantle .. do you guys think that I can some how fill the space between the mantle and the bookcase, then frame above, with out making it look strange? If so how would you handle trimming out the piece that would have to go across the top, from bookcase, above mantel to other bookcase, since they don't go to the ceiling? How would you handle the piece between the bookcases and mantle and not make it look too heavy looking on that side? Also the mantle is not in the center of the room, it's a tad offset to the left side .. so I can't really bring the trim on the other side to the wall without it being larger on one side than the other. I hope this all makes sense.

One more question, do all the frames need to match in the room for it to have a cohesive look? I have the 'antique silver' more ornate framed mirror over the fireplace. Then I have these old pictures that I've been collecting with very simple brown frames, once I get enough I'd like to put them wrapping the corner over the sectional. Good idea to mix frames or a no no?

The last question, for now this TV is staying, I'd like to find a flat screen for this area and hang it on the wall, but until the master bed room and bath are completed, this TV will stay in here. Those blue cabinets have been repainted and used in another part of the house. Can you think of any way to make the TV area look more attractive. I do not have room for a large TV hiding armoire here, it would block the bookcase and the french doors.

Here's the room I'm talking about, the sectional is going to sit in this corner.

Looking towards the far end bookcase :

Looking towards the TV area and other bookcase, the mirror over the fireplace is the one I've redone.

Mantel with subway tile :

Old pictures I'm talking about :