OP here: It worked good! The Sanus VisionMount VM400 full motion wall mount for $40 off Craigslist works EX-CELL-EN-TE!! Feels as solid as a rock! Oh, it also has the option of pivoting/folding up towards the left or towards the right, which in our case, where our stud was not centered on the wall, was the perfect offset to make the tv pretty nicely centered (the actual mount on the tv is around 3" offset). Like the 20" extention capability & 180 degree swivel feature too. Also, the Sanus website has an installation video which was more helpful than the written directions. So yeah, it worked out well, thank goodness! Thanks to all who responded!

We have a rainy day here so I've been playing....beginning to think maybe less IS more: I moved the other two prints and put them on the walls beside the FP. I am warming up to this now; maybe I was used to having four prints, and now that they are still in the room, it maintains the continuity I was used to. And......back to the chairs; a pair of these PB chairs has been hiding in the recesses of our CL: Pottery Barn Calais chair in leather They are almost brand new so not exactly a fire sale price; they are asking $500 for the pair. I think that's a little high, but assuming the price was right, do you think they would finish things off well? Or should I leave well enough alone? I'd purchase them only if they are more comfortable than what I have, and I won't know that until I see them. I can't test the link until I post, but in case it doesn't show the right one, the CL chairs are brown leather with espresso stain legs. I still really like the sconces but wonder if this is just as nice in some ways. I am now looking at my FP and wondering if the sconces would look good on either side of my mirror! But, no worries, that will have to wait for another day, lol!

Hello I'll try and answer your question as stated, without getting into rearranging your furniture or your life for that matter. We have done this a few times and here are your options. The TV mount can be installed on brick using the proper masonry anchors, the mantle can be lowered by someone experienced in doing so, should you decide to go that route...but that's not the difficult part - getting the wires to where they need to be is. If the brick is only a facade, meaning that it is 1/4" with a drywall wall backing and there is a stove-pipe flue, then it may be possible to get wires behind the wall (power & signal cables) run them down inside the wall, out the left or right side bottom (or basement) and pick up power/signal at a convenient point. Not such a simple task to say the least, very messy, but we've done it. If it's a true brick fireplace with a brick flue (if it's an older house, then it probably is) then wiring it this way would not be recommended - or possible for that matter. The option here would be, surface mount the power and signal wire, conceal within wire molding and route down the side (I would not recommend trying to notch out the brick to conceal your wires yourself (as AC line voltage must be run inside of a conduit). This is not the best look, but some clients insist on doing it this way despite out guidance. There are many trade-offs with mounting a TV over the fireplace, height being one, as mentioned in some previous comments - however, in some instances, it's the only option. If you decide to keep your TV where it is (as shown in the photo) I would recommend concealing all your wires in the wall, installing the TV on a full-motion mount with the SONOS Play-Bar mounted below - so it swings with the TV. Mounting it this way, will enable you to direct the TV towards the kitchen area for convenient viewing if that is one of your goals. You should consult a Pro-A/V installer in your area for this type of job and not attempt to DYI. Good Luck Frank

Adding to Kudzu's caution about the back of the bookcase probably being thin material (quarter inch or even less), you need to know for certain how the bookcase assembly is secured in the opening. It could be lightly fastened to studs on either side aided by a friction fit. Likely there is no stud behind it (in the center; the recess could have been framed to the size of the bookcase, possibly with a header if this is a supporting wall. Rare earth magnets can help locate fasteners when a lot of stud finders fail. If you are determined to put the TV there, the smart thing to do would be to pull the bookcase out of the opening so you absolutely know for sure what you are working with. One other approach would be to look for fasteners on the other side of the wall if the fireplace is situated on an interior wall.