i do forgive your messy family room. but as part of any potential fireplace redo, why not think of it as a good time to organize the surrounding area, otherwise you'll have a nicer fireplace buried under normal family mess that doesnt have somewhere else to go.

unless you have room elsewhere in the room for a storage system, i'm more with your just taking out all of this decorative only area you dont like and replace it with less fireplace and more surrounding storage.

why not start an idea book of tv + storage + fireplace and see where that takes you?

and no throwing your husband under the bus for perceived shortcomings in hanging the tv if we are to forgive your family room mess ; )

i love the idea of making the fireplace smaller and adding storage, as you can see we need it. The room is not very large at all. I'd love to mount the tv directly over the fireplace, but have no clue how to do this on a budget.

Regardless of what you do with the fireplace, get that TV remounted STAT.

Ok, I like your original Idea of the beam. below is a stone, wood and decorative concrete. ah and a TV!

would you run the beam all the way across the whole thing? Or take out some of the brick? It's over 12' wide.

Hey Kathy, no I wouldn't run the beam across but I would consider setting the beam on two pillars (wood or even matching brick) that way the attention is drawn to the fireplace and not the wall. you have a nice canvas to start!

Hmmmm...different color but similar look as your fireplace

I would paint the brick a creamy white like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and paint the room a light beige-grey and add shelving and possibly an ottoman with storage inside. I'd mount the tv (have a local handyman over!).

onthefence...that's terrific!!!! THANK YOU