If this was your living room...inspiration required

[mrsleomcgary]

We've just bought my mums house and once she's moved out (yes,she's still living here, yes it's tense,) and of course we plan on redecorating from top of bottom so it doesn't feel like we're living in my mums house iykwim!

This is our living room, we plan on making it more neutral, new carpets new curtains etc but can't quite figure out what to do with the mantelpiece. I know the photo is terrible so it's a dark mahogany varnish and feels like solid wood. It sits on a white raised platform,only a couple of inches, and is about 6inches wide. It has a dark,laminate backing so you can't see through it. It goes without saying that the fire is going and being replaced with something more modern.

I think we should pull it out and start again,fit a nice electric fire and replace the mantle with a nice bookcase or cabinet. DH thinks we should sand it down and paint it nd try to get a fire to fit within. Which I'm not necessarily against trying but I can't imagine how to decorate with it there.

Any suggestions/inspirations? Both of us have similar taste but aren't very good at putting a room together and don't have much of an eye for detail. Any help appreciated!

Id get rid. Id remove it all, possibly put a new fireplace, possibly not.

Tbh I always think fireplaces look odd on walls that arent chimney breast ones.

start from scratch

Ooh had another look at your photo - id put the tv on that wall, with pr wothout storage unit, then in the corner up by the tv put a wood burner or similar in the corner at an angle - a rounded one.

I'd get rid. What are your options for a fire there? I assume there's no actual chimney anywhere - I know some chimneys are on the outside wall so the internal one looks flush

On current fireplace wall..

Fire into the top corner

Definitely get rid totally. It's not nice enough to keep as a "feature" and you'll just make life hard for yourself getting something to fit.

Do the TV and fire need to stay on that wall, or can you change the whole room around?

Another vote to remove it all and start again.

There's nothing salvageable there. Don't waste money trying to make it work.

Is your mother moving out soon? It'll be hard for her to stop seeing it as her house and changing things might push her over the edge.

(Definitely get rid of it though.)

See this is why I love mumsnet!

It's a terraced house there's no chimney breast there (unless the people my mum and dad bought the house from 35years ago hid it). I've attached a phot of the room from the other side, as you can see its massive, used to be two separate rooms which have been knocked into one, the old dividing wall was pretty much at the end of the mantle. Have to say I love the idea of the wood burner.

And can I just say all the furniture in there is my mums, we sold practically everything so we're properly starting from scratch. And forgive the mess, it's absolute bedlam at the moment with 3 adults, 1 baby and 2 houses worth of stuff in one house!

Mum had an offer accepted on a new place today so she'll be moving sooner rather than later - though she's already said that since the new place needs completely redecorated she'll move in once she's had it done up. But do and I have agreed its best waiting until she's gone before we start anything.

I second the free standing log burner idea. You can get some great ones.

Ooh and you could get an L shape sofa, with the longest part on the wall opposite where the tv would go. Then just a new dining table where the old one is.

Lovely big room!

With the shorter bit of the L down inbetween the two areas so a right handed Lshape if that makes sense.

Yes I'm with you, longer bit where the mantle is then can move the TV to the opposite wall.

You may be my new interior design guru hacked

Ah man that room has so much potential.. have fun

haha nah I just spend too much time on Pinterest.

Warning: if you are not a Pinterest user and wish to become one, please be warned. Spending time on Pinterest makes time rush past.

I don't think you should fit an electric fire. The wood burning stove in the corner would be much nicer, and they kick out serious heat for a few dry logs. The flue needs fitted out via an outside wall.

If you are wall mounting a TV, you need to consider a storage unit below it for the sky box and things, and drawers for games and DVD etc. Also consider the wires from the TV to the various boxes below. They need hidden in conduit as shown in the pic above, or the TV mounted on stud work which is then boarded out and painted / papered over.

You'll have a beautiful big room there when you're done!

Like this for the stud work

If you are wall mounting a TV, you need to consider a storage unit below it for the sky box and things, and drawers for games and DVD etc. Also consider the wires from the TV to the various boxes below. They need hidden in conduit as shown in the pic above, or the TV mounted on stud work which is then boarded out and painted / papered over.

We have our digi box etc on the unit next to the TV and plastic trunking for the wires......and a cat.

Or you could just stand the tv on a unit and save the hassle.

That looks like a gas fire. It's not got a back boiler has it?

Gas fire but no back boiler. Fire hasnt actually worked for years,dont think it was ever condemed but mum decided years ago it wasnt safe (dont know if that actually was the case or if she just decided it was). I used to work for a building company though so plenty of access to qualified gas engineers.

static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/10/22/1287749633494/Anatomy-of-style-living-r-001.jpg

there's a nice living room for you...