In addition to my post above...having lived with a fire set in a wall for many years with a vent to let the hot air into the room...I'd do neither of the above....except maybe old cabinets of well seasoned timber and not new built ins up against the wall enclosing the chimney. The heat from that fire and from the vent would affect the cabinets, dry them out, make them crack...especially since timbers today are not well seasoned as when the fire place was built....That enclosed chimney/flue would radiate heat as well...There's a reason why the walls each side as well as the timber shelves are a dark colour and there's nothing built into the spaces on either side. Installing the cabinets and painting them a pretty light colour might look good for a while but not if you intend on making good use of that lovely fire place. I've lived in my current 1900s house for 32 years and have come to know the why's and wherefore's about timbers and heat in old homes. One longs for a lighter environment sometimes but this needs to come from other sources rather than anything against the fire place. Its a bit of a blocker to renovations at times but again, with Wuff, "Embrace what you have"...read up about homes of the same period, surf the net...you'll find some beautiful solutions. Here's one....you could clad the walls either side of the fireplace with a fireproof stone cladding...enlarge on that...may not be your 'cup of tea' but for what its worth in making your place "yours".

Hi Malibu_tan Well I must also agree with the other four comments "the fireplace is a focal point" , all I would add to that is - man/woman has been looking at fire for many years, and it's reference to our being most likely goes back to primordial times. Fire (the moving flame) is deeply rooted in our psychic, and our relationship with safety and comfort, I would remove the heater and celebrate the fireplace. You can always put in an ethanol fire and close of the flue if required, but I would not get rid of such asset to your residence and your life. Depending a bit with the style of the house I would go as far as providing side book shelving storage, or DVD's, or your best collection of miniature spoons should miniature spoons bee your interest. Whatever you wish to display for your or your friends enjoyment. Then I would complete the lounge design around your final choice of tiles and mantle, if you are putting in a slightly better mantle than you have at present, or if you are going for a modernist look. (it all depends a bit on tastes and budget) If you are in a "period style" you could look at something like Regardless of your tastes I think you can get an ethanol insert in just about any fireplace, corny as it sounds the fireplace is "the hearth of the home" . Possibly not the response that you were perhaps seeking, and you might have a lot of reason why you want to remove it - well I would like to hear your comments. Hope this is of some help Regards Michael Manias

What else is going to be done in the room? The heater revamp needs to be done in context. I'd beef up the mantle. And replace the fire place with a gas log look. Even a fake fire place adds value and atmosphere.

Hi ronmarg77, Personally, I'd take that lovely fireplace and turn it into a feature of the room! It already has that lovely brickwork around in that gives it a theatrical feel. I would suggest moving that armchair away from the fireplace to open up the wall, and mounting the TV on the wall as well. The colour palette of the room is quite neutral, so adding a splash of colour via a rug or some cushions would elevate the appeal. Depending on what the other side of the room is like, you could add a potted plant to throw a splash of greenery and colour to the room. You could then fill the emptiness on the wall that's either side of the fireplace with some lovely art pieces. These would keep the room cosy, but not clutter up the floor space, thus allowing the fireplace to still be the main feature. To really maximise the warmth that a fire brings, I'd recommend some warm toned pieces, such as this dyptich, Rock and Trees, by popular artist, Penelope Oates. These two pieces would sit nicely next to the fireplace https://bluethumb.com.au/penelopeoatesart/Artwork/rocks-and-trees-diptych Some other warm artworks I'd suggest are: https://bluethumb.com.au/ric-burkitt/Artwork/january-landscape-richard-burkitt https://bluethumb.com.au/emily-lauro/Artwork/an-autumn-walk https://bluethumb.com.au/tjukupati-james/Artwork/17-450-alpi https://bluethumb.com.au/penelopeoatesart/Artwork/stratasphere If you mounted the TV on the wall on one side of the fireplace, then an artwork would balance out the other side. I hope this helps!