If having the top of the cabinet bare isn't appealing to you, consider adding a dining table runner. Anything else atop the cabinet would be in the way. https://www.google.com/search?q=images+dining+table+runner&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOmInLjMXZAhWNk1kKHaOfAUkQsAQIbA&biw=1366&bih=650 If you want to change the cabinet itself, you could paint the more decorative part of the doors, -- not the door frames; leave them to match the rest of the cabinet. You might consider adding a floor lamp or lamp table combo or some kind of corner shelving or cabinet or art to the bare corner beside the tv to see if that appeals to you. With something like this you could add some color and/or interest depending upon what you put on the shelves. https://www.groupon.com.au/deals/uniking-5 ... and you'd still have room for a lamp/table combo beside your sofa. http://www.dore-kau.com/ravishing-end-table-with-lamps-attached/

Unfortunately the space you have is not conducive to centering the tv. From an observation I would remove the shelf above the tv then have the tv mounted on the wall. However I would have tv no higher tan the fireplace do that it would look balanced. As I am not looking at the floor plan I can’t really say if there are any other alternatives for your space planning. J Design Group - Miami Interior Designers 225 Malaga Ave Coral Gables, FL 33134 Ph: 305-444-4611 https://www.JDesignGroup.com

Yes, a TV console. You can get them with no interior spaces, but someday you might want to record programs or whatever? At minimum, get something that reaches both windows, and ideally it might be a bit longer. TV should almost certainly come down for better eye level match.

I would add drywall so that the fireplace is recessed. Not 2 levels of drywall. It will not look weird. Sorry but your existing recessed shelf is a bit odd looking as it is. You don't need to put the dvd player and and dish network box close to the TV. They can go anywhere in the room (anywhere in the house actually). There's a little receiver that you plug into the TV, and the other end is a transmitter that gets plugged into the dvd player and and dish network box. It transmits the signal wirelessly to the receiver you've plugged into the TV. Not complicated or expensive. Just be sure that the transmitter has enough plugs for all the things that currently plug into your TV, and if you have HDMI be sure that it is a HDMI transmitter too. We live in a wireless world now! I think the TV should be hung as low as possible. I would not worry about the light switch. There are brackets made to hold TVs on the wall. If you want the TV to disappear a bit more, paint the wall a dark colour, maybe one of the dark colours of the fireplace. Paint the light switch cover and plug covers too.