We have a similar issue with a rectangular room and windows at both ends. Our feature wall is much longer than yours so we have decided that the fireplace will be central and the focal point of the room. We will build in a simple unit to the right of the fireplace (the southern end of the room) and that will house the TV and media materials with minimal open display shelves for a few special things. At the other end to the left of the fireplace, where the floor-to-ceiling north-facing window is, we will have enough room for our great grandfather's handmade beautiful Edwardian bookcase and two comfy reading chairs strategically places at the sunny window. Re couches, we will probably buy a two and three seater, placing the longer one opposite the fireplace and the shorter one in an L position at the TV end. There are only two of us so watching the TV will be from the longer lounge and when we have need of both couches, it will be for visitors and the TV won't be used. We will put down a floor rug that allows a border of our wooden floors to be visible at the front of the couches and smaller coffee tables at the end of each couch. I want a nice clear space between the couch and the fireplace to make the room look less cluttered. This is all in the planning budget for the new year and I'm busy looking now at color schemes and furniture that's suitable for the room size. Good luck with your project. Annie

The choice of hearth depends on the style of your room decor as well as colour wise. Hearths can be bought ready to go from most fireplace suppliers in a range of colours and styles. Do you want to sit the fireplace on the hearth or on a ledge? We did not want the ready made angled style for our house. Our tiler did the lot from building & sheeting the hearth before tiling & sealing. We love it in our room setting of timber floor, timber ceiling and next to a timber wall.The consideration was fireproof materials and size/style of hearth guided by the building code. Other materials can be tile, glass, stone, concrete just have to be fire rated and professionally installed. Slate has been a popular choice forever and comes in different grades and colours but will need sealing most likely.

Make the most of the era and the exposed bricks. Put in a large skylight and fit wall garden system to "green up" those bricks and larger pots on the base. The brick base is perfect to hide the drainage system you'll need. Get a steel fabricator to weld up a drip tray to fit inside. Mesh over the top covered in your choice of pebbles or a sheet of CoreTen rusty steel laser cut to a design of your choice. Some Balinese statues maybe. Year round herbs.

I'm not sure whether you live in a city or regional area.....I guess more available in a city area. If it interests you just google glass hearth images. Then you can get an idea of what it looks like and whether a glass hearth would appeal to you. You don't need any substrate under the glass and I think generally they are recommended to be 12mm thick so not too thick and chunky. And also can be shaped depending on what you like.