A house provides you with more than shelter, comfort, and security; it's the primary place where you interact with your family. In the past a fireplace was a warm location where the family naturally gathered and that is still true although the fireplace has become more symbolic than functional. In many homes the real gathering place for the family is in front of a large screen TV so how do you decide which element gets "pride of place" in your primary living space? Some will say put it the TV above the fireplace and others will say put it in a corner or others will say put it in another room so it doesn't distract from family interaction. The same goes for a dining space. Many will want it to be open to the living space and/or the kitchen and others will want it separate to reduce distractions and encourage family interaction. Of course, the family will interact in any case but it's a matter of whether it is casual or more structured. And then there are guests. Usually you will want to talk to them in your best space but other family members might want to watch TV in that space so you will probably need two TV spaces. I design houses for clients so I try not to have an opinion about how they want to live but I often gently guide them toward spaces where family members can interact face to face. For me that is the most important function of a house.

Some fireplaces are deserving of being called a monstrosity. Our old one certainly was. Bellsmom on the kitchen forum enhanced the monster so you can see it better: I begrudged it taking nearly 4' of depth for most of the width of the room to support its tiny firebox. We considered putting the TV over the fireplace in the remodel, but we wanted wood burning and the low emissions fireplaces are all quite tall. Also, I didn't feel it would be comfortable for me that high and the hood might block some of the viewing area from the kitchen. Post remodel we have a tamed fireplace, definitely not a monstrosity: The new fireplace takes just a small bit at one side of the wall leaving the center to our - horror of horrors! - 60" flat screen TV. We like the size because it makes it easier to read the screen when using it as an internet browser. The large size is also very nice when viewing from the kitchen which is over 20' from the screen: The new fireplace is an EPA Phase II wood burning fireplace. It runs efficiently and produces minimal particulates. Convection air flow around the firebox heats the room nicely and the intake air control allows control of how quickly the fuel burns. We live in an area with cool winters - enough that the additional warmth in the evening is nice since we usually keep our thermostats low. It heats the family room and kitchen nicely and the room is still comfy in the morning. Because it is EPA phase II, it's legal to use on most "No Burn" days. So far we haven't had to buy wood. Our yard and tree trimmers of neighbor's trees have supplied enough.

My usual strong preference for rooms that are meant to be lived in is to plan them to serve us in a variety of ways, and floating a couch in the middle of a normal-size room focused only on a TV, its back to...nothing, is so limited. Doesn't matter how many people have been doing this, there's more to family living than watching TV and a living room needs to accommodate other activities. Like chatting quietly with a friend, sitting together or on the phone. Organizing a club project. Building a dinosaur while dad keeps an eye on the TV. If it were mine, I'd sell the entertainment system and probably put a couch on that end wall, consider reconfiguring the sectional so the short piece backed to the wide top doorway, but the long stretch facing out into the room. Flat screen TV on the short wall in the lower left corner (happily hidden from entry too). Easy chair, or even two, in the middle (swiveling?). A secondary conversation area (chairs or chair and loveseat) by the fireplace. Or a reading corner and in the other perhaps a small card/games/project table or a desk and chair (facing out into the room). All open and sociable. The idea for a backless sofa is also an extremely nice one, but with the combination of a normal-size room and all those doorways/fireplace I would personally definitely pass on two full sofas with backs and otherwise keep the arrangements nicely open to each other for active living. (No neck strain from trying to admire the dinosaur without getting up.)

I like number one and two and feel TV viewing would be better than for number 3 for most people. It probably depends on furniture arrangement. With kids, the TV will get used more often and having it on a swing arm would bother me. I think if you prefer number 2, go for it. My daughter moved into a home with an offset fireplace (like further on the left side of the wall) and she put the TV on the right with a TV console underneath. She did a very large screen TV and she has a sectional on the right side backing up to the window and also facing the TV. She also has a couple chairs looking towards the TV, fireplace and window. She has beautiful windows with a nice view behind the sofa. That is what most people notice. Take your floorplan with you to furniture stores to look at sofas and chairs. A designer may be able to help you with layout for furniture and give you a clue to where the TV would work best with your furniture. That worked for my daughter.