I need help on what to do with my giant brick fireplace. I like it and wish I could keep it but it sticks out 4 1/2 feet from the wall and takes up way too much in my cramped den. It originally had built-ins on either side but they were removed before we moved in. We host a lot of family parties and there just isn't enough room on the side or in front of the fireplace for a standard couch. It creates a traffic jam or we are tripping over the hearth. We are eventually going to open a wall on the left to add space (had an engineer out) but I wonder what we can do with this giant in the meantime. I'd like to keep some sort of a wood burning box or stove (no option for gas) and I'd like to keep a mantel if possible. Is there some way I can reduce this profile at all?
First image, you can see how far back the bookshelves go and the couch sits past the hearth. We don't currently have our furniture like this since it blocks so many entrances. The second image you can see the back of the fireplace (we redid a bathroom on the other side) and the last image is the best I had of the chimney in the ceiling. We are doing major renovations so we don't mind big projects. Also, the small entry on the right near the basket on the wall is already closed off. The wall on the left will completely come down opening up another twenty feet into the sunroom. We just don't know what to do with this crazy room and giant fireplace and still have some sort of wood-burning heat source and mantel. Ideas?
View attachment 2023-01-11 17.49.21.jpg
First image, you can see how far back the bookshelves go and the couch sits past the hearth. We don't currently have our furniture like this since it blocks so many entrances. The second image you can see the back of the fireplace (we redid a bathroom on the other side) and the last image is the best I had of the chimney in the ceiling. We are doing major renovations so we don't mind big projects. Also, the small entry on the right near the basket on the wall is already closed off. The wall on the left will completely come down opening up another twenty feet into the sunroom. We just don't know what to do with this crazy room and giant fireplace and still have some sort of wood-burning heat source and mantel. Ideas?