Call it tech-toy pride.

Must-see TV. Upfront and center as the new focal point in the main room.

Never mind that many designers will cringe at the sight of exposed sets in living rooms, especially those prominently displayed. That opinion is so widely held among designers that some don't even like seeing TVs in plain sight even in more casual family rooms. But slim, sleek, flat-panel screens are changing our interior landscapes. This is particularly true for young people. They are very electronic in their thought processes, so the design for the main room's focal point is shifting. "I have a penthouse that is soft, modern and sleek. The fireplace isn't fussy. And the TV is so contemporary, it's almost like another piece of art," says Davis, a real estate broker.

Some designers find themselves resisting client pressure to show off the TV. "Not in a formal living room," Washington designer Lori Graham says. "I am a purist in that regard." She is putting a set in one living room grudgingly, she says, quickly adding, "It was a loft-like space whose style is much more modern and eclectic." Even there the TV is mounted in a grid of shelving.

"I will not ever put one over a fireplace," declares D.C. designer Susan Vallon. "It is a traditionally warm gathering place and focal point, and you are negating the whole thing by putting a TV there. I would rather have people drywall over the fireplace and remove it as a center of attention."

Rather than being so dramatic as to drywall over a major architectural feature we understand the need of our clients to want the option of occasional entertainment when they would enjoy a TV in their living room and above their fireplace. Be it New Years and your guests want to see the ball drop or the yearly football/Thanksgiving dinner... Finding 'designer-acceptable' solutions is more challenging than trying to swim against flow.