We're framing our living room this week, and we have to decide where the fireplace will go so that windows can be framed. We will have a 13'6" x 19" living room. The builder framed all but the 13'6" exterior wall so far (exterior portions on the 19' walls are framed now). Which means, we HAVE to put the two windows on that 13'6" wall now. There are no other windows in this room.

I've noticed the fireplace that I envisioned won't fit on that wall with the windows he ordered (windows are either 3' wide or 3'6" wide, with trim. I'm not 100% sure). I very much wanted a 7' mantle. I might I have room for a 5' mantle if we do a narrower trim, but the windows would have to go on the far ends of that wall, leaving me with no corners for furniture placement . The windows will be 24" from the floor, so I can't even put furniture under them :-(

I've attached some photos. I made the exterior walls a blue color and interior walls a brownish color. The TV will go on the wall shared by the kitchen. The TV will definitely not go on the mantle. This is a propane fireplace that will vent directly outside, we will not have a chimney.

If the fireplace is centered on the exterior wall, I will have to put the windows as far along the edge of that wall as possible to fit at least a 5' mantle. I feel like that is going to be a small fireplace. I'm not even sure that 5' would be too long to make sense for the space (in case we have curtains up or something?). I know what a 4' mantle looks like, that's definitely too small. If I put the fireplace in the corner, I can get a bigger mantle, and I don't have to stretch out the window placement, opening up that corner on the top left for furniture or something. And it might not feel as cramped.

I feel like corner fireplaces take up a lot of space, but I also hate the idea of taking up an entire wall with windows and a fireplace.

This is what happened after we had to slice down our floor plan over and over until we got a wall too small for what I wanted :-(

I'm not sure if it is possible to consider the fireplace centered on the wall to the foyer? With it having to vent outside? I don't know if it has to go on an exterior wall or not. That has pros and cons..that wall is almost useless for furniture because of the traffic that has to pass on that side of the room, so the FP would be good there. But it would disrupt traffic flow if it sticks out, and could create a fall hazard.

Ideas, Photos, Experiences, etc are all appreciated. And we have to decide what we're doing by tomorrow.

HEre's a photo of what I wanted the fireplace to look like, we probably can't do a FP that has stone going the whole way to the ceiling due to cost (which also might make a corner one look funny)

I like this corner fireplace, but again, I don't know that we can afford to do stone the whole way up. But this one has tapered ends on the hearth, so doesn't take up quite as much space

This is what it could look like if centered on that exterior wall, but again, couldn't find a pic showing a fireplace that doesn't go the whole way up the wall. I will have to really consider what I can do with the windows in this situation (curtains, blinds, etc)