aktillery that fireplace is pretty, thanks for the mockup! That would be a lot of stone, and perhaps a difficult install in the corner to get it flush up with the walls - I'm guessing that would be on the very expensive side, but thank you for the idea because I did ask for all options! Errant, I really like that slate, it would look great with the accent wall color either same as the rest of the room or maybe a grey-blue. Would that be a flooring tile most likely? That's how I pictured doing the hearth - remove the raised thing (which I'm assuming is just plywood with tile over) and putting tile directly on the concrete slab, perhaps raised a little compared to the floating vinyl plank. For the insert itself I have the option of "traditional" with fake logs, or "contemporary" which has a glass bed. The latter tends to look like a gas insert when well done. I think that might be a better look than the fake logs which look pretty realistic when on but less so when the fireplace is off.

Thank you for the great comments! I knew it would change the room but I'm surprised at how much it changed the look. When I look in here I almost can't believe it is the same room. I forgot to ask.. Do I need accessory for the mantle or leave it plain? I could do like a trio of small plants under the tv or similar? Patty-cakes42- I know what your saying and I really felt the same way before we had this house built. But, with the layout of this particular living room it is really what works best for the space. I've actually come to love it for the fact that it saves so much space in the room and to me looks better than a big entertainment center. I guess it just works for us and to me looks good. We thought about doing doors to hide the TV but I knew that we would just end up leaving them open all the time. Maybe closing them occasionally when guest come so we decided it wasn't worth doing.

Here is some inspiration for you. You can make this the centerpiece of the room, instead of the eyesore. 1) Paint the entire fireplace white 2)Paint the cabinets the same color. 3) For a more updated look, mount your tv on the wall 4) updated hardware on cabinets. 5) Remove the 2 mirrors 6) Add a chunky wood mantle 7) Add a hearth all the way across. I would make it a similar color to the floor. Depending on the floor plan of your room, you also might consider mounting the tv on the fireplace wall. The reason I mention this is the fireplace and tv are quite a distance. It might work for you/might not. Just mentioning this as a thought. Clare-CDR Design. 3D Renderings of your space.

If you go with black/charcoal FP, then I would use light paint.