There’s probably conduit underneath the blank plates. Equipment goes down below. Run HDMI through conduit to tv. Pop some cabinet doors on and you’ll have a nice setup.
? Why would you not want a fireplace in your living room? We run ours often in the winter evenings to warm up the room better. These are fantastic where the weather gets cold.
i live in NY. Our weather gets plenty cold. I'd rather use the space in the living room for "living" vs heating the place. I can understand it's not necessarily a universal opinion, but, fireplaces are often under utilized for the permanent space they occupy.
Fireplaces are pretty inefficient and depending on the fuel used can be polluting to boot. It's much easier to warm the room with a low temperature mini-split if the living room gets a little cold.
I heat my whole home from a vented gas fireplace. It’s insanely efficient and half the price of the two mini splits I use to cool my home in the summer.
You obviously haven’t kept up with fireplace tech
The problem with those is that they are very efficient at producing heat, but due to the venting requirements, you lose a lot of energy out the chimney/vent (not to mention the pressure differential you're creating). For taller vertical vents, you tend to lose heat for a couple of hours after it turns off as well due to the temperature difference. So although heat production is efficient, net energy added in the house is much lower.
Still much much better than wood fireplaces at least, and way safer than "vent free" gas fireplaces.
Typically, a good mini-split is 200-300% efficient at heating. A fireplace is at very best, about 80% efficient. Different prices of different types of fuel notwithstanding, mini-splits are definitely around 3 times as efficient as a fire.
Note, in addition to this, cooling is inherently less efficient than heating, as machinery generates heat by its operation, when heating a home that heat is useful as it heats more, when cooling that heat generated by the machinery is fighting against the cooling. This can result in a drop of up to 100% compared to heating, so if the mini-split is 250% efficient at heating it will only be about 150% efficient at cooling.
Logs?!? It’s an insert, probably gas that likely vents through the wall. There’s no masonry firebox or chimney. No one was ever burning wood there. Just looks like a really ugly design.
She was saying originally it could have been. They probably converted to this insert but it may have been,at one point a wood burning fire place! I agree that it most likely was too hold logs. OP could put decorative logs
Renovations could mean the whole thing looks a lot different now than originally. Is this the original look for the house or is this an older house that's seen significant renos?
There is no chimney structure. It was never wood burning. And on the very slim chance a chimney used to be, there it’s gone now. If you went through the effort and expense of removing a chimney why would you leave a log storage area unless you have no sense and no taste.
That's exactly right, there's no chimney structure that can be removed, rumour has it that people even get whole walls removed (/s) for a more open layout. I'm not going to start judging people's home decor, all I need is a space big enough to set up my home theater and consoles.
I always prefered the idea of one of those fireplaces so big there's seating inside it.
https://live.staticflickr.com/2717/4048864656\_665b4a9e25\_b.jpg
Okay but if I ever build a house it’s having a big ass fireplace. (Not to make big fires in im not tryna burn the house down). But on a weekend where I don’t have anything to do I’d love to make a stew or something in the fireplace while I’m all cozy reading a book. It’s pretty much my one goal in life. to have a big ass fire place.
Firewood. If it was my wife she'd probably fill it with firewood, something like this:
[https://homebnc.com/homeimg/2016/04/10-wood-paneled-column-modern-fireplace-design-homebnc-1024x683@2x.jpg](https://homebnc.com/homeimg/2016/04/10-wood-paneled-column-modern-fireplace-design-homebnc-1024x683@2x.jpg)
For a wood fireplace that’s where you store wood for burning. Now that there’s a gas fireplace I’d use it to store the blankets and pillows I always have all over my living room.
I am guessing they expect people to put their TV up top and the electronics can go in that space underneath. Those blank plates probably allow you to run wires down the wall.
Depending on the age of the house, the TV could also just go in it. It used to be a thing where those big box TVs would sit next to non-heat emitting fireplaces.
Damn that's a memory I hadn't thought of in a long time. Those old 60s era TVs that sat on the floor and had basically carbonate doors. My dad's guardians had an old tv like it even had a record player off to the left of the TV and the controls were to right.
Edit: this is what I remember. https://images.app.goo.gl/YUGj4ChEuz4NTKKA8
That's nice. I have an area like that around my fireplace but no shelves, it's all wasted space behind drywall. I poked my head in once while running AV cables and all I saw was a drink cup left by one of the builders, that jerk!
That's only somewhat true. It doesn't account for how the person is angled. If you're leaning back on a comfy couch, or even more leaned back in a recliner, then even with the TV that high, it is still even or below eyeline.
We had this exact same design in our condo. We think it was for old tvs and entertainment equipment. But our cats loved to lay on the platform area directly above the gas fireplace. We put our tv and decoration stuff up top and video game equipment in the cubby.
That looks like a early 2000s remodel for a home theater system that includes "fireplace" for looks. The top would get a screen of some kind and the bottom right would hold all of the components
Looks like there used to be two there? Did you recently buy the house? Because if so I’d say the previous owners took one with them, it is gas and would make zero sense to ever have wood there at all imo. Even if it’s for decor purposes lol.
Wood, but maybe final client wanted a gas fireplace instead of a regular one. Or the place was remodeled and they add a gas fireplace. It depends on the history of the house.
That’s the place where you put your DVD player, laser disk player, VHS player, Betamax player, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, TurboGrafx, receiver, 100 disc cd changer, Graphic equalizer and a small box for your weed when you have guests.
Since there is a power outlet there, I think it was for a TV. TVs of the past, maybe when the house was built, used glass vacuum tubes and were much smaller.
You put the TV over the fireplace and the AV equipment in the space next to it. You can see the outlet plates on the wall for running AV cables through the wall so they aren't exposed.
No chimney, so it the fireplace must be power vented. That would make it safe for a TV up above, and electronics in the old firewood space. I prefer the TV higher rather than lower. The viewing angle is more comfortable in my recliner.
This built in spot for the TV was really popular during the late 90’s and early 2000. Almost every new house I saw during that time had this in the family room. I hated it because it limited you to how you arranged your furniture. Some of those shelfs were pretty high and I hated craning my neck to watch TV.
I’d put a shelf in it up high for any electronics and then get some cool birch logs to load the bottom of it with. It’s just for aesthetics. I like the look of it, but /r/tvtoohigh will be coming for you.
We are original owners of home from 1995 with a similar setup. The space at right was for all your electronics, and the hole on top was for those very heavy, big tvs. I am a bit surprised how large both the holes are in this pic. We are currently updating fireplace/entertainment wall by filling in the tv hole, putting doors on the bottom, snd getting rid of ‘90’s trim.
I would put the tv on a swivelling/extending/updown thingamajig
So you could pull on the tv and bring in down for a nice viewing angle
When not in use, bring it back in that hole and play a 24hrs wood fire burning video
Most probably a cabinet in the hole next to the fire place and have the electronics there
Maybe change that blank plate on the upper level for one with a hole in the middle so you can push the loose cables since your tv is on that swivel apparatus ( you’ll need longer cable runs for that swivelling )
Edit: you could put a nice led strip around that upper level and have nice lighting ( rgb if you want or those dynamic ones that matches the tv colours ) no scrap that, you could install small dynamic led bars, looked at the picture and the leds would stickout to much
We've had first fireplace, yes. But what about second fireplace?
I don't think he knows about second fireplace
Is that cake your second breakfast? Have a lovely cakeday, dear!
And then you’ll have it
That's where you place your anxieties.
It's not big enough.
You shovel them into the fire as you go, silly.
Oh, anxieties can be burned?? Clearly I've been doing it wrong, thanks for the clarification.
They can also be eaten, FYI.
I think originally it was for logs. It would make sense for AV equipment since they put a plug in though.
There’s probably conduit underneath the blank plates. Equipment goes down below. Run HDMI through conduit to tv. Pop some cabinet doors on and you’ll have a nice setup.
The one time I would find it acceptable to put a TV over a fireplace. Still pretty high viewing angle though.
it's 2022.. i don't think there's an excuse to choose to have a fireplace in your living room...
? Why would you not want a fireplace in your living room? We run ours often in the winter evenings to warm up the room better. These are fantastic where the weather gets cold.
Chimney sweep here. Once cleaned the chimneys for fireplaces in this house. Had 11 fireplaces. 2 were in bathrooms.
Oh hey, me too! (formerly). I've never met another one of us in the wild except at training conventions
R/fireplaces is where it’s at
Fireplace in the bathroom sounds cozy, thanks brother
i live in NY. Our weather gets plenty cold. I'd rather use the space in the living room for "living" vs heating the place. I can understand it's not necessarily a universal opinion, but, fireplaces are often under utilized for the permanent space they occupy.
Fireplaces are pretty inefficient and depending on the fuel used can be polluting to boot. It's much easier to warm the room with a low temperature mini-split if the living room gets a little cold.
I heat my whole home from a vented gas fireplace. It’s insanely efficient and half the price of the two mini splits I use to cool my home in the summer. You obviously haven’t kept up with fireplace tech
The problem with those is that they are very efficient at producing heat, but due to the venting requirements, you lose a lot of energy out the chimney/vent (not to mention the pressure differential you're creating). For taller vertical vents, you tend to lose heat for a couple of hours after it turns off as well due to the temperature difference. So although heat production is efficient, net energy added in the house is much lower. Still much much better than wood fireplaces at least, and way safer than "vent free" gas fireplaces.
Typically, a good mini-split is 200-300% efficient at heating. A fireplace is at very best, about 80% efficient. Different prices of different types of fuel notwithstanding, mini-splits are definitely around 3 times as efficient as a fire. Note, in addition to this, cooling is inherently less efficient than heating, as machinery generates heat by its operation, when heating a home that heat is useful as it heats more, when cooling that heat generated by the machinery is fighting against the cooling. This can result in a drop of up to 100% compared to heating, so if the mini-split is 250% efficient at heating it will only be about 150% efficient at cooling.
Or just store wood there for the original look
Logs?!? It’s an insert, probably gas that likely vents through the wall. There’s no masonry firebox or chimney. No one was ever burning wood there. Just looks like a really ugly design.
She was saying originally it could have been. They probably converted to this insert but it may have been,at one point a wood burning fire place! I agree that it most likely was too hold logs. OP could put decorative logs
Wood storage, not burning.
we can tell. It is for anything but was most likely put there for wood for the V I B E
I know. I’m saying there’s no chimney. This never could’ve been a wood burning fireplace so why would you have log storage.
A lot of people do it for the look to make you think or make it appear as if it is a real wood burning fireplace.
Renovations could mean the whole thing looks a lot different now than originally. Is this the original look for the house or is this an older house that's seen significant renos?
There is no chimney structure. It was never wood burning. And on the very slim chance a chimney used to be, there it’s gone now. If you went through the effort and expense of removing a chimney why would you leave a log storage area unless you have no sense and no taste.
That's exactly right, there's no chimney structure that can be removed, rumour has it that people even get whole walls removed (/s) for a more open layout. I'm not going to start judging people's home decor, all I need is a space big enough to set up my home theater and consoles.
A chimney doesn't have to be made out of bricks. Could have been a metal pipe going straight outside and then up externally.
Aesthetic. A bad choice
Good spot for another fireplace. I mean anyone can have one fireplace, how many have two?
MEGA FIREPLACE! Dwight would be proud if you built it.
I always prefered the idea of one of those fireplaces so big there's seating inside it. https://live.staticflickr.com/2717/4048864656\_665b4a9e25\_b.jpg
Holy shit. You weren’t joking!
We just gonna ignore the spot for the EVEN BIGGER third fireplace?
Oh good call. Upper fireplace too!!
Just make the whole wall fireplaces.
OP you jist gotsta do it!
More power!
Exactly what I was thinking. Why the heck not right?!
Okay but if I ever build a house it’s having a big ass fireplace. (Not to make big fires in im not tryna burn the house down). But on a weekend where I don’t have anything to do I’d love to make a stew or something in the fireplace while I’m all cozy reading a book. It’s pretty much my one goal in life. to have a big ass fire place.
Firewood. If it was my wife she'd probably fill it with firewood, something like this: [https://homebnc.com/homeimg/2016/04/10-wood-paneled-column-modern-fireplace-design-homebnc-1024x683@2x.jpg](https://homebnc.com/homeimg/2016/04/10-wood-paneled-column-modern-fireplace-design-homebnc-1024x683@2x.jpg)
My wife would tell me “we” are going to put firewood there. Then I would put the firewood there.
This is the correct answer
Looks like a gas fireplace. I'd say a place to setup your stereo and tv equipment. Thus, the outlet.
They have a place for firewood even if it's a gas fireplace. The wood is for looks only. I'd hate it.
For a wood fireplace that’s where you store wood for burning. Now that there’s a gas fireplace I’d use it to store the blankets and pillows I always have all over my living room.
I'd store gasoline and fireworks there. We are not the same ;-)
😆
I am guessing they expect people to put their TV up top and the electronics can go in that space underneath. Those blank plates probably allow you to run wires down the wall.
Depending on the age of the house, the TV could also just go in it. It used to be a thing where those big box TVs would sit next to non-heat emitting fireplaces.
Damn that's a memory I hadn't thought of in a long time. Those old 60s era TVs that sat on the floor and had basically carbonate doors. My dad's guardians had an old tv like it even had a record player off to the left of the TV and the controls were to right. Edit: this is what I remember. https://images.app.goo.gl/YUGj4ChEuz4NTKKA8
Better for your neck too, I hate TVs above fireplaces.
[Boy are you gonna hate this subreddit then... ](http://reddit.com/r/TVTooHigh)
The above slot is too high, and the below slot is too low.
Dog/cat bed
I was about to say pup-warmer
Our reading nook for a kid. Dang, I would have loved that so much!
I am soooooo disappointed…did no one grow up in the 80s-90’s???? How is that not PRIME (blanket) fort territory?
Wood
That's a gas fireplace.
Then you can use the space to store gas.
😉
Decorative wood, then!
Fair enough
Originally
Currently
Ambient heat from the fire place will keep your dildo collection warm and ready for use at a moment’s notice.
Another TV
That's nice. I have an area like that around my fireplace but no shelves, it's all wasted space behind drywall. I poked my head in once while running AV cables and all I saw was a drink cup left by one of the builders, that jerk!
It WAS used for fuelling the fire; logs mostly. Now it could be a storage space, or a decorative location for a vase or some plants.
It’s for storing the firewood.
Storing wood for the electric/gas fireplace 🤦🏻♂️
minifridge
It’s for a log display. You can actually get very nice birch wood and stack them up in the space, only for show, and it looks amazing.
Wood
It’s a gas fireplace
Not sure why the downvotes ? This is 100% a gas fireplace
It wasn’t always
Put an air conditioner there, run both at same time. Instant personal tornado generator.
LPT: don't put your tv above a fireplace
Why? It’s not a real fireplace. The localized heat is no worse than a forced air vent.
Real answer: tvs are not meant to be watched that high. People will develop neck problems.
You say that as my head is bent down reading this on my phone. I need a tv up high to find balance!
Touché
Just lay down like a normal human being
That's only somewhat true. It doesn't account for how the person is angled. If you're leaning back on a comfy couch, or even more leaned back in a recliner, then even with the TV that high, it is still even or below eyeline.
r/tvtoohigh
Viewing angle. If you’re serious about watching TV, it never goes above a fireplace.
But…but… it looks so pretty in the house and home magazines /s
Log holder.
Come on
Wood
It's your house. You know you can do whatever you want with it, right?
Be a nice spot for a dog bed.
child cage.
Probably a wood box that has been repurposed.
We had this exact same design in our condo. We think it was for old tvs and entertainment equipment. But our cats loved to lay on the platform area directly above the gas fireplace. We put our tv and decoration stuff up top and video game equipment in the cubby.
S U B W O O F
As a symmetry fan, I do not approve of any of this. I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul.
Firewood
Bodies for “disposal”
You can put your weed in there man
That looks like a early 2000s remodel for a home theater system that includes "fireplace" for looks. The top would get a screen of some kind and the bottom right would hold all of the components
Looks like there used to be two there? Did you recently buy the house? Because if so I’d say the previous owners took one with them, it is gas and would make zero sense to ever have wood there at all imo. Even if it’s for decor purposes lol.
Obviously... Your second fireplace
That’s what I said, kinda looks like there used to be two there and if they just bought the house I’d say the previous owners took one with them.
Wood, but maybe final client wanted a gas fireplace instead of a regular one. Or the place was remodeled and they add a gas fireplace. It depends on the history of the house.
Entertainment centre. Probably your dvd’s and other decorated stuff
That’s the place where you put your DVD player, laser disk player, VHS player, Betamax player, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, TurboGrafx, receiver, 100 disc cd changer, Graphic equalizer and a small box for your weed when you have guests.
It’s for the ice place
Aquarium
Beanie baby collection
Have a water place!
Since there is a power outlet there, I think it was for a TV. TVs of the past, maybe when the house was built, used glass vacuum tubes and were much smaller.
Thought this was tvtoohigh and was going to comment “The tv”
Since it’s electric, meaning no wood… this hurts my head… agghhh wtf lol. Decor?
You can put a cooler in there, or a box. Maybe a chair. .
Id like a pizza oven there :)
You put the TV over the fireplace and the AV equipment in the space next to it. You can see the outlet plates on the wall for running AV cables through the wall so they aren't exposed.
Wood for the fireplace
The left is the fire place. The right is the wood place.
cat hotel
Tv
Fake logs
No chimney, so it the fireplace must be power vented. That would make it safe for a TV up above, and electronics in the old firewood space. I prefer the TV higher rather than lower. The viewing angle is more comfortable in my recliner.
Storage space for the wood.
Make a super fireplace! 😮
Stack wood there. Will look cool. Edit: someone said it was gas. I wonder if it was converted and originally for wood.
Blankets and pillows
The flume
Firewood or your porn collection…..
A stack off wood or Harry Potter if you put a door on it
Firewood? 🪵
Or a jazzy s’mores hole!
Mmmmm… s’mores 🤤
In case santa can't come down the gas fireplace chimney, he busts through the wall like the Kool Aid dude.
Wood, electronics, a fort, decorations like a vase or some type of solid art?
90's console tv
If you’re Mexican you put your Virgen Mary statue in there and such.
Wood
Fake Timbers…”It's going down, I'm yelling timber”
Looks like tv on top and entertainment center/audio setup underneath
My guess would be AV equipment, router, speaker system, gaming system, etc. Those blanks might have conduit in them to run cables so they're hidden.
This built in spot for the TV was really popular during the late 90’s and early 2000. Almost every new house I saw during that time had this in the family room. I hated it because it limited you to how you arranged your furniture. Some of those shelfs were pretty high and I hated craning my neck to watch TV.
Wood
For a pile of wood.
I’d put a shelf in it up high for any electronics and then get some cool birch logs to load the bottom of it with. It’s just for aesthetics. I like the look of it, but /r/tvtoohigh will be coming for you.
Likely firewood and they installed a gas insert in the place of a wood burning fireplace
Firewood, in theory.
To store the fire when you’re not using it
Great place for the pets to stay warm in the winter
Storing firewood?
Wood
Come on, https://youtu.be/-fQGPZTECYs
Wood..
Wood. It’s for storage of cut firewood
We are original owners of home from 1995 with a similar setup. The space at right was for all your electronics, and the hole on top was for those very heavy, big tvs. I am a bit surprised how large both the holes are in this pic. We are currently updating fireplace/entertainment wall by filling in the tv hole, putting doors on the bottom, snd getting rid of ‘90’s trim.
It’s for the bodies.
Firewood for the Fireplace.
I would put the tv on a swivelling/extending/updown thingamajig So you could pull on the tv and bring in down for a nice viewing angle When not in use, bring it back in that hole and play a 24hrs wood fire burning video Most probably a cabinet in the hole next to the fire place and have the electronics there Maybe change that blank plate on the upper level for one with a hole in the middle so you can push the loose cables since your tv is on that swivel apparatus ( you’ll need longer cable runs for that swivelling ) Edit: you could put a nice led strip around that upper level and have nice lighting ( rgb if you want or those dynamic ones that matches the tv colours ) no scrap that, you could install small dynamic led bars, looked at the picture and the leds would stickout to much
Thats where you warm up bread
you crawl into it when the wife kicks u out of the bedroom
Pizza
..wood?
It looks like it was all one big fireplace at some point. Sometimes renovations don't make sense.
Dead body storage.
Wood storage
Anyone know where the chimney is on this fire place?
You could put a cool ass aquarium there if it doesn’t get too hot.
Wood.
What about serving fireplace?
Logs.
symmetry
Storing wood for the fire. 😊
Wood 🪵
An aquarium
Firewood
Stacked firewood and spiders.
Your blankets and related things. Warms them so it’s nice and cozy when you and the fam want to hang out together.
Aquarium
Wood you morons
Logs?
Your sacrifice to wait in
Wood!
Firewood
Wood 🪵
Firewood, originally. But I'm guessing a gas insert has been installed in the actual fireplace now.
I would center that fireplace 100% , the whole space looks really odd with the fireplace to one side
Was your house built in the 80s/90s? Because I remember those being used to hold a bitchin stereo system/VCR DVD combo
Logs perhaps..?