jtpr wrote:

We live in coastal NH and renovated out house a couple of years ago.
The one thing we miss from our old house is the fireplace and wood
stove. Without going into the difficulties of putting in a real
fireplace/chiminey in this house I have come to the conclusion that a
nice solution might be a gas fireplace.

My undertanding is that these are, or can be, ventless so I would not
have to worry about an external chimney.

I like ventless, myself, but with cautions. Check your local laws
and insurance regs for the sizing requirements. For peace of mind,
install a CO/Explosive gas detector in the room.

My fantasy would be to build
a stone wall in the middle of the wall with the fireplace in it and
hang the LCD screen above the mantle.

I think you'll find that isn't isn't a good idea to put your TV over a
fireplace. Though not terribly extreme if sized right, there will
be more than the normal swings of temperature there; a tendency to
create a dusty draft; and a higher-than-normal humidity level. None
of which is good for a TV.

Good luck-
Jim