Yes, yes, yes. The FP is a little lonely looking isn't it? Certainly not in scale with the room. I think with the style of your home and the proximity of the white columns I'd stay with the off white.

How high is the vaulted ceiling?

A great idea. I would go with the off-white to match the other trim in the house so it looks 'built-in' and not like an after thought or just a big entertainment center sitting there. With wood floors in the room you don't want 'too much wood' and you have lots of wood furniture too.

Thanks so much for your comments. I agree with the off-white - just don't know what/how to design. The column causes an off center look and I don't know how to work around it. The ceiling is 12 feet at the junction of the wall before the ceiling vaults up toward ceter of room. How high should be built-in be? How far out on both sides?

There is a 15" space from wall to window molding.

You have a beautiful home by what I can see of it rrs626. I'd love to see the rest sometime.
The fireplace and a few of the elements in this room have a craftsman feel, if that's what you're going for with the built-ins this first one I have might be along the line you'd like to go...
{{!gwi}}
Where it has windows I'd leave wall space for art. Personaly I'd like it stained as it is here, but we all have our personal preferences and I see you'd like to paint it.

Thanks, Justgotabme. We recently moved into this house and it is still a mess. We downsized and are having a time fitting our furniture in.

I like the craftsman and stained look but am concerned that it will not go with the rest of the house. We have some Stickley Mission furniture but the house isn't really that style. I will post pics later today.

If you don't do the built-ins I would change your fireplace mantel to something that with "legs" that surrounds the rock on all three sides. It looks a bit unfinished with just the top piece.

Very good point! I love this website!!!

Any more suggestios or examples???

I'll look for some pics, but also wanted to say that built-ins for look wonderful! I could definitely see arts & crafts style. My preference would be painted creamy-white similiar to trim colour.

You have a beautiful room and built-ins would make it perfecto!

I like the wall units stained, our daughter has cherry wall units in her Great room along side her FP stained, in her LR she has a cherry surround on the FP. The surround mantle is more formal.
I took this on Thanksgiving. As you can she she has white moldings, all her furniture in the house is cherry.

This room is part of the open living area. The kitchen cabinets are not Arts and Crafts style nor are the doors throughout the house. The arch between the columns has the same sort of curve as the cabinets. The mantel doesn't match the rest of the architecture.

I don't like the wite appliances but will have to live with them for a while. The kitchen isn't layed out right and has too much room in the center - I'm going to add a small work table in the middle.

So much to do!

I think bookcases to the sides would help anchor the FP - it's sort of floating right now. What's on the wall by the column? If it can't be moved even bookcases lower than mantel would be better than what you have now. I'd keep the stained wood. Since you have a mission table I don't think something "A&C Light" would be out of place - don't need to repeat the arches from the kitchen cabinets.

ajsmama, that is a built in speaker on the wall, maybe we could incororate into shelves and hide it. They are on both sides.

What could we do with the column to the left? Stop the built-ins before there?

Your home is beautiful! I actually like it the way it is... with something hung over the mantel it would look much different. Maybe a mirror? I was going to suggest sconces but they may not work with the speakers. To me bookcases might take away from beauty of the stone fireplace as your focal point.

Oh, my! Thanks!!! That is what I thought in the beginning and initially was just considering a bookshelf on the wall near the kitchen where the dark ones are now. Thank you for reminding me of that. I have a large round mirror with a very large flat frame that has a dull silver look to it that I thought about putting over the fireplace. I'll try to take a pic of it and see what you think.

However, I do think the piece with the TV on it looks a little too large or out of place... TVs are always a problem.

I was admiring your beautiful room and fireplace and didn't even pay attention to the tv cabinet! I think your mirror sounds perfect... the dull silver would pick up off the stone colors. Your room just looks so open now and you have a wonderful wall color. Some rooms, like yours, just look warm and inviting! I think you've done a great job...

Gosh - thanks! You're saving me some money here :-)

We still have to put bookshelves somewhere because we have tons of books and they are taking up room in our closets and guest room. The TV needs something to go on that isn't so large. Not sure what that would be but I did see a mission TV stand someplace on this forum that looked nice.