Just one. WHY! Gas logs are boring( same fire appearance constantly), lacks aroma, sound, coziness, exercise, and something rewarding to do and accomplish. Not to mention the great lawn fertilizer and composting you get from the ashes if you have a green thumb. Don't do it! People though want to retire from the aformention so in all fairness I understand the desire to switch. If you do, just make sure you're happy with the logset! Mendota is from what I've seen top of the line. You'll need to hire a plumber and apply for a permit. Could always go back to wood down the road and sell the logset on ebay and it'll go! Good luck!

I see this thread is over a month old but I will tell you as I would anyone else asking a similar question, if you have to ask you simply don't. Any combustible gas is highly volatile, and potentially fatal if not given the respect it's due. A gas fireplace is not built by a laborer and is not a DIY project. I hope you have changed your mind and gotten a pro to look at whatever this laborer built with out a shut off valve of all things.

@straitlover - yes it was, but we've pushed the chair with the ottoman back a bit and it looks great - aligns perfectly. When we swapped the chairs, we created less room because the chair and ottoman needed more room and the fireplace sticks out about two feet. Since that chair and ottoman takes up more space, sliding it back further into the notch area/corner by the window, where there is no fireplace, it fits better. I'll take some pics tomorrow with no fisheye :-D Game of Thrones now!! Hopefully you're a fan!! Thanks again for the ideas!!

Hi Jillian! What a fun problem to have! It’s always neat to have a cool room and try to improve on it. Based on the limitations you’ve listed, you’re basically left with some kind of art that’s subtle enough not to detract from the fireplace, but has enough visual presence to not be overwhelmed by the size of the wall and fireplace. So there are all the obvious things: large framed black-and-white photos of family, places you love, or prints from favorite photographers. large plaster or stone reliefs in subtle off-whites hung in vertical stacks on either side. large scale black-and-white antique finds like road signs or ceiling tins. But it sound like maybe you’re after something different. could you find a local fiber artist who would want to create two large-scale hangings for you? A friend gave me a dupatta from India. I used it at a wall hanging. You could probably find two in white and silver and hang them on either side. A little more out there - you appear to be good with plants - would you want to create a living wall? But if you just want some subtle texture ... use one of the myriad painting techniques to create a textured look using soft grays and off-whites. *tape off large squares to paint different fields of white to medium gray in a grid/quilt pattern all the way up the wall. (Borrowed from Doug Wilson on Trading Spaces.) work with a local artist to create a mural in subtle colors. The subject? Anything you like. No money for an artist? Here’s an off-the-cuff way-out-there for you: find an image of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Edit it to be black-and-white then fade it until it’s only whites and grays. Project it on your wall. Trace and paint with whites and grays. Then see if anyone can identify it. That’s all easy for me to say! Hope some of it actually helps. Best of luck! Doug Walker