I put the TV on a separate wall than the wall which will eventually have a wood burning stove. (The mantle and backdrop is already in place. Right now I am dealing with homeowners insurance that doesn't want me to have one.) I don't watch much TV at all, and I really dislike - for me - having an ugly black box being the center of living room attention. When I have guests over, we're here to talk. I can think of exceedingly few occasions I'd be watching the idiot box with guests. Probably if they were here several days, we'd rent a movie or two via Amazon Prime. (Moot point right now, COVID and all.... but hopefully that won't last...) And with a wood burning stove, the exhaust pipe will go up and bisect the view of any TV over the mantle. I sat down on the couch to figure out the best viewing height - which is well below what the mantle might ever be, at least on this couch. It would be fine if I could lean back and rest my head, to have something over mantle height - assuming I'd go with a regular fireplace. But at six feet tall - there just isn't a couch or sofa like that. Plus as others have said, what about decorations? I enjoy decorating my mantle for various holidays! After all, that's really what mantles are for, right? The thing is off to the side, and it does not get glare there, either.

Lilylore, you "read" what I wrote: "Thoughts on off centering."...bravo. "I don't really need to (pick apart) see your room to comment." LOL. "it does have symmetrical elements and a very limited palette" I totally agree with that regarding Casey's room. My home has a 70's vibe...no molding really and I just had a dark brown grasscloth hung from floor to ceiling. The room is long enough to have two seating areas and the windows are centered at both ends (ones a sliding door actually, but centered non the less). Calm...sigh if only...two young boys and lego hell, a dog I should have named Doorbell and a husband who won't leave the kitchen until it's spotless. Calmness I think is EXACTLY why I "feel" better in a more edited space. I say "feel" because I love those rooms with tons of books in china cabinets and more with old broken busts and layers apon layers but I've tried decorating that way and it drives me nuts. And oh yes, the only furniture in the room are two sofa's...no not a matching love seat and sofa...two sofas that most people would never throw together. The one on the wall (or away from the wall) will have to have more symmetry. Oh as for people picking my stuff apart...pfff, no worries I've been down this road but... it was an excellent trip because someone very special on that road told me that I can do instinctively what most people spend money and time for getting a deco degree to try and do...I already knew that. Ok I'm bragging now. As soon as I type the scale in the living room I'll dare show pics. But trust me, I won't be thrilling to many people with my show...its so real most people can't take it. Ok, I'm gonna go try some stuff... Pfff "talking about the room in abstract". Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my.

How about the shutters, but with wall lamps attached? A tiny whole could be drilled into the shutter where the cord would go, completely invisible. FYI, hard wired wall lamps can be reworked and become plug ins, easy peasy. With the wood ceiling adding a rustic element, shutters would follow that sort of style w/o 'bringing in the barn.' While I like the pictures as well as the shelves, why not think outside the box? You could still have pictures on either side of the shutters, maybe 3 smaller vertical or 2 larger horizontal, depending on how much wall space you want to take up.

Instead of small photos and shelves on such a big wall, I think a "feature" wall of graphic wallpaper or painting design would look fab. Not exactly this print, but something like this. But, to complement your furniture and design style. You can move the current shelves to the other wall for a collage of photo shelves at eye level.