Great Room

So the floorplan that we admire is basically emphasizes the great room, which is in the center of the entire house.  I love that idea.  We live in basically half of our house.  I despise the formal dining and living room, and I don't want that kind of configuration in my retirement.  The central aspect of the room is a fireplace, which sounds silly in Hawaii, but few Hawaii homes have heaters or air conditioners.  I love a good fire in the winter--even if the cold snap is only about 68 degrees.  Here are some ideas for a fireplace/TV/bookcase combo.  I intend to use two chairs that I have from my grandmother's estate for the front of the fireplace, which will promote reading, conversation, and general lolling around!