Thanks Chookchook, but in fact the house is terribly designed and there isn't much choice. We have a single living area that is approximately 6 metres x 4.5 metres. The north wall (long side) has a bank of French doors placed centrally, with clear wall space of 1 m on the east and west ends. The east wall (short side) is a full wall of built in bookcases over cabinets, built around a doorway into our entry hall. The south wall is approx 3.1m long, and clear, currently holding artwork. The rest of it is a triple width doorway into the dining room. The west wall is the fireplace with wood heater insert. Mantle is 2.5m long and 1.1m high. There is about 1m clear either side of the mantle that currently holds wall sconce type lighting. The television, a rescued 50 cm old school CRT-style beast, with accompanying ugly digital set box top and DVD played sit in a pine corner wall cabinet in the north west corner. We have a horrid, old, modular lounge suite in the south east corner. It covers all the cabinets below the bookcase between the south wall corner and the doorway into the entry hall. As farmers only just starting to financially recover after 12 years of drought, and our kids finally finishing school and heading off into the real world, I'm just starting to find enough cash to paint rooms. Re-finishing the timber floors is next on my list. But in the mean time, the boys think they deserve a flat screen, and in reality, they do. But how?

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I didn't specify the fireplace - it was the one they owned, so I'm not sure of the brand but many gas fireboxes can be installed in the same way. Try Jetmaster - their Heat N Glow range has similar designs.

The stained glass windows seem to be at odds with the exposed brick, but probably match the original part of the house. If the stained glass windows are giving privacy from an overlooking neighbour I would keep them, and work to make the brickwork more like the original part of the house, so it seems less incongruous. This could be done using a traditional wet plaster or solid plaster technique, which you would need to complete befor your gas insert fireplace is positioned. I would finish it of with a traditional timber fireplace surround and mantle piece, which would be the focal point of a more contemporary room, but link in with the original architecture. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls