I've been great at making decisions and sticking with them during this build but this is hanging me up. What would you choose to have flanking your fireplace? The first photos is my fireplace inspiration -- similar brick color, raw wood mantle, shiplap on top with our tv mounted above. So my husband votes for open shelving on both sides versus cabinetry on the bottom with a book case on top. Thoughts? Will I regret not installing the bottom cabinets? We have a ton of closet space and a large pantry for storage so that won't be an issue.

The second photo is an idea of what the open shelves will look like.