Family room remodel...I think I'll be able to get started this year!

[Jim O'Dell]

So in my normal way of doing things, I'm going to throw out some ideas, and ask for some feedback. The couple that owned this house before evidently loved baby blue. So they installed blue carpet and painted the fireplace to match. It is, was, the same brick as the outside of the house and would have been fine with an earth tone carpet. Fearing the amount of work that would be needed to clean the paint off of the brick, I think our best bet is to paint it again. Thought about faux painting it to look like normal brick again, but I don't have the skill nor the patience to learn. Much less the money to hire it done. I also thought about using a veneer stone or brick to go over the existing brick, but this thing is already a monstrosity, and doesn't need to be any bigger. Plus the fact that it would be a problem with the insert...how to do it and still get the insert out if it ever needed to come out for service or replacement. Soooo, I've decided the best thing to do is to paint it and try to make it disappear. Here is a shot, dog toys and all of the wall as it is now.living room before picture.jpg The paneling on side walls will come down and the sheetrock behind textured, if it isn't already, and painted. The carpet will be replaced with either tile, or an earth tone carpet. We both want tile, but not sure if my body is up to it. This room is all part of an open room with the kitchen, and is about 42 X 16.
I want to house a new big screen TV above the mantel, or at least the replacement mantel. I have tested the temperature about 12" down from the ceiling in the center of the fireplace, and with a fire going for 3 or 4 hours, tops out at 82 degrees. I will have to have audio cabinets for the stereo and HT equipment and place for my speakers. LOML still demands some storage and we both want shelves for books and nick-knacks. I have an old house plan drawing program that luckily works with the Win 7 system I have now. I was very surprised. living room remodel.jpg The shelving is kind of crude as the program is not very friendly on customizing items in the library. Mantel is not by design, only to show where it goes. Drawers on the lower cabinets will have a modern Mission twist to them. Possibly doors with pull out shelves inside. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions. Thanks! Jim.

[scott vroom]

Jim, my first impression is that the wall is too busy.....like a honeycomb. I'd consider eliminating some of the shelving to create some open wall space for balance. Oh, and I'd plant some trees out that window....kinda bare don't you think?

[Jim O'Dell]

Point well taken. Oh and you should have seen the hallway before I put a wall there. Jim.

[David Larsen]

I for one do not think a flatscreen above a mantel is a good idea. Sit in your chair and look up to that area. After a 2 hour movie, I think it would strain my neck.

[Jeff Mackay]

I for one do not think a flatscreen above a mantel is a good idea. Sit in your chair and look up to that area. After a 2 hour movie, I think it would strain my neck.

+1 on disliking a flatscreen above a mantel. Above the mantel is often the only good choice, but ideally, if you have enough room to either side, you could put the TV in a cabinet next to the fireplace. I chose that route:

[Jason Roehl]

I'm with Jeff and David on this. A TV above a mantel is too high to watch comfortably. I have a 40" LCD wall-mounted so that the bottom is 36" off the floor, and I think that is a touch too high. I had to do that due to my (modified for the flat screen) entertainment center with a center channel speaker on top of it. Whenever I get around to doing the mancave remodel, the components will go off to the side, and the screen will come down a few inches. Although, it's probably not a bad height for a larger screen, and it does work pretty well height-wise for playing the Xbox Kinect.

[Jerome Hanby]

I think the TV above the mantel is not a great idea as far as viewing TV goes. For digital artwork, home message center, images from security cameras, and other features all combined, having a separate screen completely out of the way might be nice.

[Jim O'Dell]

Unfortunately, above the mantel is the only spot for it and still be able to get decent surround sound. The main chairs for watching are recliners, so the angle vs neck comfort aren't that big of a deal unless we have a lot of company over and have to have some on the sofa. But we don't entertain much. And when we do, we aren't watching TV, so I think it will be ok. I plan on building the center channel speaker into the mantel. Haven't figured out just how yet, but will probably use some high density foam for insulation on the bottom and either a curved bottom skin to funnel the heat away from the mantel, and/or some computer fans to power exhaust it out the sides. The insert already blows heat out from the fireplace, so it really doesn't get that hot.
I dislike the TV to the side. Kills the stereo imaging for the speakers. I also want the speakers on the short wall of the room so that the, if I have the term correctly here, standing bass wave has a longer area to work in. The ideal thing would be to take the fireplace down and make a flat wall. If I had designed the room, the fireplace would have been built on the exterior wall to the left, and more of it outside...but...then I wouldn't have this design problem, er challenge, to deal with.
I've also gotten some good ideas from another forum. One is to ditch the black because of how it would show dust and dirt. So that will need to be dealt with. Any ideas? My hope is that blending the color of the fireplace into the wall will help to make the size of it disappear. Thanks for the ideas! Keep them coming. Jim.

[John Hays]

Man, I feel your pain, because I have almost the same problem in my living room (except I have the added pleasure of a 1x2 foot window on each side of the fire place that sit about 5' high).

Anyway, I would suggest building your base cabinets as you planned, but perhaps using glass shelves above them would make the area appear a little more 'airy' and open. Then you could add a few pot lights in the ceiling (above the shelves) for some nice ambient lighting on each side of the TV.

The bricks could be painted with a medium gray or almond color, which would supply just enough contrast between your wood cabinets and black TV, but also blend in well with the earth tones in the carpet and walls.

Just a thought.

[John A langley]

Jim - Here goes my shot at it. You say the room is 16 x 44. I think what I would do is build bookcases on either side of the fireplace. I'd start at mantel height and surround the brick with some form of wood paneling and enclose the side of the fireplace in wood up to where the code says not to go any more. And clean the last little brick that is exposed. Put two couches at 90 degrees from the fireplace with coffee table in the middle. Youi still have about 30' south of your fireplace. Whichever wall has room for your TV right or left of the fireplace and you could put a couch and two reclining chairs on the oposite wall. If you set your speaker us right your surround sound should be pretty good. You have essentially created two rooms out of one very large narrow room. If you have friends over you can sit in front of the fireplace and visit and not worry about the television. You also have a comfortable area for your TV. The center of your TV should be the center of your eye height. That's my two cents. Have a great day.

[Jim O'Dell]

Good idea John, except it is already split into two "rooms" per se. Maybe you missed the part that the other part of the room is the kitchen. Sorry that might not have been clear. From the now picture, you can tell that the fireplace part of the room is open. There are 2 chairs to the left, part of one of them you can see. The current entertainment system is on the wall to the right. I'm standing behind the sofa to take the picture and the kitchen is behind me. Maybe this will clarify the situation a little more. The fireplace is on the east wall. Thanks! Jim.