Thanks for the laugh, Pal, and good for your mom, Terriks. :) For those who think they're ugly anywhere, I used to be one of you but am very happy so far with improvements in appearance. Modern wall-hung flat screens with minimal frame detail positioned well (with all cords invisible).... Well, they not add the charm something else would have, but aside from what is lost that way IMO no longer ugly. They do affect the mood, of course, and their typically big black rectangle does, also of course, need to be included as a feature in laying out the room. My DIL, who as a single woman had an elegant and very attractive living room, now decorates her living room in a way appropriate to lounging with twin laptops in front a giant-screen surrounded by a 6-year-old's toys. But it looks pleasant and well done...just in a very different style. :)

it's a walkway..generally I'd agree with you given a sectional will be, well, a given..but everybody who goes to second floor would be briefly obscuring the screen. Maybe not a big deal, I don't know how big of a screen you need? it's hard to judge distance from listing pics, might seem larger than it is..but if accurate it's a pretty big screen? what's the length of the stairs wall itself? any chance of going there with a comsole, putting the TVset on it, without making it obscure the stairs? not ideal either, obviously I think it's very smart of you to consider all these things-it's a dilemma in this lovely room as it has too many openings..and sectionals, they love rooms with corners where they can be tucked in, you know. except for some free shaped ones-but these demand huge space to look good in any case..if you go with sectional pick something that looks as gracious as possible..good lines you know? people often mistake "big" for "comfy". in uphosltery, often one has nothing to do with another. Any preferred style? you can always add an accent chair on an angle, you can make it work even though it overcomplicates things of couse..measure everything very well, make a plan on the paper, cut out shapes for possible funishings , try to play with these. See whether and what makes sense the most.

To maximize seating, leave the TV where it is but mount it on the wall a bit higher, and leave the couch where it is, but replace the chair with another couch against the railing to make an L shape. Definitely don’t put the tv over the mantle bc you’ll just get neck strain and there’s too much going on there. Get some nice art over the sofa wall...2 or three pieces.

Looks like no one’s watching TV anyway 😁 The wall to left of FP with tall lighted niche & plant table - how wide is that wall? Can’t see all of it. Can you wall mount TV with bracket inside niche & TV pulled out so it’s sitting just in front of niche? Place a console cabinet underneath TV to ground it & maybe add a shelf inside niche & above TV for some kind of art to give the niche & light a purpose & make the set up look intentional. Or, swap out existing TV bracket for one of the brackets that allow for pulling TV out & down when watching. Kind of a pain if TV on a lot of the time as with kids.