marie, are you talking about the picture over the mantle? No lashings here, I think it's pretty. I'll let others tell you if it's out of scale because I don't have a clue. I do think it's a little high, but I could be wrong there also.

What? What did you buy? The picture? The mantel? The what?

Hurry up and tell me, I want to lash SOMEBODY today...

; )

The picture.

I used the existing hook for it. I'm not drilling another one in the masonry. That darn pic is gi-normous.

I like it, but I do think it needs to be lower. If you don't want to drill another hook, I'd use some fishing line to hang the picture lower - it's invisible so won't be noticeable. I don't know what kind of hook you have there or how noticeable that would be. But even if you see the hook, I still think it would look better than having the picture so high.

Nice choice!

I like artwork propped onto the mantle.

If propped on the mantel and it fell, I guarantee it would kill you. The mantel is over 5 feet off the floor. The picture weighs 40 pounds and is hung with aircraft cable.

I will stick something under the picture, how about the ever ubiquitous mantel clock? Or decorative box.

I'm entering a new phase of life is too short to worry about the perfect thing in the perfect place. I hit 40 and want my house DONE!! ;-)

The thing is, it's high in relation to the mantel but doesn't look high to me in relation to the rest of the space - you have a tall ceiling there. I think if you put something (or some things) that are tall on the mantel, it's going to be fine. I'm picturing something like really large hurricanes but not clear glass - you need something with more visual weight.

But if you really want a lashing....... ;-)

Maybe you could prop the nice picture on the mantle, and then hang something else on the hook, perhaps some type of vine swag like what's in the link below. Something substanstial in width and height that would arc over at least the entire width of the framed picture, or even wider. The one in the link is 32" wide.

Here is a link that might be useful: Swag

Well, I just saw the post about the aircraft cable! Yikes! That IS a heavy picture. I agree with the post about the picture not being high in relation to overall height of the space, and I also think that something to fill in the space under the picture will balance it out. I personally like the picture, and the right accessories will make it look like you chose the picture because you *too* loved it, and not because you just broke down and bought something for over the mantle. ;-) Maybe an italian ruscus topiary? (see link)

Here is a link that might be useful: Italian Ruscus topiary

Very pretty and I think if you get something big and tall for the mantel it won't look to high. Lucky bamboo in a tall cylinder or some large chunky candle sticks or something to that effect.

I'll get something chunky, probably a topiary as I want somethng greeny there. It will be fake I promise. I know you all love fake!

I'm also thinking I'm not going to paint the brass fireplace doors. I like them. I am bucking the trend....

Anyhoo, don't mean for this to drag on. Just feels cathartic to just buy somethng and move on!

It's all about accessorizing the mantel now. You can make it work by selecting the right size items, they'll bridge the art work to the mantel which at the moment is a little disconnected because of distance. But that will change, you're not done yet. It's too early to judge with just one item over the mantel.

It looks great!

One of these on each side of the mantel would look nice, I think. :)

And then maybe a small (real!) ivy in a ceramic oriental pot next to each of them.

And a mantel clock in the center?

Lord, I am a traditionalist, aren't I?

Here is a link that might be useful: Candle Holders

OK so since you can't lower the pic and don't want to get a larger picture how about add a narrow tall vase on either side or group them together. You could even add some curly willow branches or something to add heigth. I think whatever you do you need it needs to be tall to balance out the heigth of that picture. Anything small would look out of scale on that mantle in that room. Where's Les??? She will know!

OSH, you should live close to me. My little house where I store stuff has about 25 brass candleholders and 11 clocks. :) I am a fool, not an idiot. :)

patricia: I *should* live near you! :)

I think it will look great once you finish decorating your mantle and never understood the need for people to publicly *sniff* when a person buys mass-market.

That's about the only thing left that gets my dander up, lol.

I think it will look fine if you put something else on each side to balance the look. That is a really tall fireplace and if the picture is lower, I think it would look visually "squashed."

I like the picture, I like the ht at which it hangs. (Deep breath) I don't like the mantel. It just looks so..... odd to me just floating there with nothing else on that wall to help justify it's existence. You have a tall, bright, almost ethereal room. That mantel looks like a sliver of unwelcome lumber. Let the lashings begin....

{{!gwi}}

I think your picture is very lovely, however, if it can be lowered by using a cable wire from the back of the picture, I think it would look much more proportunate to your mantle. Even though your ceilings and windows are high, the picture in relation to your mantel... is 'floating' up too high. To bring other objects onto the mantle to bring the 'eye' down... still would not give the picture the proper look. It would also detract from the picture, which should really be the focal point, not compete with other objects to 'fill in' the space. I'm not saying you couldn't add other objects to compliment it..just not compete with it. Rule of thumb >> If a picture isn't leaning on the mantel.. ( even if the ceilings are 15' high) the picture should hang approximately 6" above the mantel, not saying you couldn't cheat and bring it up somewhat higher. HOpe this is helpful to you.

Miles---oh how brazen! you lash me to the core! The mantel atually caps a ledge of grey, lifeless limestone, 4 inches wide, completely useless, and unable to be removed without great mess. In the context of the room, the mantel is lovely. Solid cherry, hand carved and stained. My $500 bargain from a church friend who pitied my previous mantel. I'll grant you a nice log holder would look nice but haven't bought one yet.

{{!gwi}}

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I am certain for $100 if I cannot get it to work, I will move to my Tuscan basement (see the thread on murals) and it will live a happy live in the bowels of my home!

Off to buy something mass market!

I almost bought an oil painting of a black lady dressed in clothes from the thirty's for a hundred bucks today. But thought it didn't go with my house.

I have such an eclectic house. Why wouldn't it go? Let my relatives roll their eyes all they like. It will be hanging on my wall tomorrow, MAYBE.

Give the mantle more of a purpose, and it'll be fine. What is that pretty box or something sitting behind your sofa? It's probably too small, but the colors are just lovely. I'd put something like that there (bigger), to brighten it up the space.

Also, I know most people hate lamps by the fireplace, but unless you have sconces there, I think some sort of lighting is always nice.

Yes, too small and too high.
I can't tell what it is depicting but it looks interesting!
That feeling of "get it done" is a very familiar one :)

OK- in context with the rest of the room the mantel seems more "at home". My bad. Thanks for taking my post in stride.

I will have to disagree with the majority of posts: I love the singular look of the one piece at such a dramatic height. If it were me, it'd be bigger and higher, like my hair. I'm also a minimalist. By adding more stuff to the mantel you decrease the value of the art. That is just my opinion.

As you will see, I am a fan of using tall spaces. Our living area has 10' ceilings and I use them.

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Marie, I haven't seen your beautiful living room in quite a while. Thanks for sharing the pictures again.

Susan

I also think it should be much bigger and a tad lower; you worked so hard on your lovely fabrics and furniture, you shouldn't settle for something just to be done.
That spot is a very focal and important one, but since you say you can repurpose that picture, you can keep looking while it's up, you're buying yourself some time.

A thicker and chunkier frame would work well also; then you would not have to add ornaments to the mantle.

I know you weren't really looking for opinions.. and that you know this isn't the perfect piece for the room-- so keep it until you DO find the perfect piece.

I don't have any issue with it.. but I do think a more vertical shape would be more proportionately comfortable. With the "low" (relatively speaking) mantle and high ceilings, I think it would help balance the space and feel less choppy.

Of course it works well for now-- I am just suggesting that as you keep your eye out for the perfect piece (as we all do) that you look for something taller.

I like it. I would like it more if it were bigger.

DGMarie, I like the picture a lot! I like it's bold rich colors and think it looks great in your living room. I understand you're unwillingness to fool around lowering it, although I think it would look better if it were lowered. The bottom line in your situation is not to think you have to fill the entire space, as that's a huge area. Instead, it's to create a large point of interest area on the mantel. At the moment you have the dark mantel and then the beautiful framed picture above it. But, even though the picture itself is large, the big space between it and the mantel cause it to look like it's floating in space and too small. It's not! You just need to visually connect the two areas and add bulk on either side of the mantel to help.
The most important thing, though, is to visually connect that picture to the mantel. Here are a couple of options:

* add a long, low, dark basket or decorative box on the mantel below the picture and fill it with greenery. What you're looking for is something visually substantial to tie the picture to the mantel. I'd look for the very realistic greenery and keep it slighly lower than the bottom edge fo the picture.

* another idea that I'm using in my own living room is to use a suger mold candle holder to do the same thing. It would have to be a pretty tall one to do the trick, but if you can find one, it might work for you. Here's mine, but see my painting is hung closer to the mantel than yours is, so I could use a regular sized one. See how the things on my mantel connect visually to the painting? I have tall ceilings, although not as tall as yours, and needed a substantial arrangement, so it wouldn't look lost in this space :

* another idea would be to add a row of the same objects on the mantel that are darkish in color and substantial enough to visually link the mantel to the picture. Again, keeping them just a bit lower than the bottom edge of the picture. I did this on a much smaller scale with the painting over my chest of drawers in the dining room. I only had to use three votive holders. Of course, you'd have to use something much more substantial for yours, but you get the idea.

DGmarie, by the way, the shot of your room from above is stunning! You have a gorgeous living room. I love all the rich reds and greens in there.
Soooo, I know that you don't want to mess with lowering the picture, but I just had to show you the difference it would immediately make in there. Now the picture doesn't look too small. It's much more visually tied to the mantel. It could still use some accent pieces on the side, but it's looking like it belongs now.
{{!gwi}}

I like it, however there is the issue of the existing bolt cemented into the brick.

Is the bolt in the grout line or in the actual brick? If you can remove it, a touch of caulk matching the cement color will camouflage the remaining hole.
Is it really noticeable? If you lower the pic, the eye is going to be drawn to the pic, not to the existing bolt above it.
It does look better lowered; a few decorations on the mantle on the ends & you're done!

Could you raise the hooks in the back of the picture, this might lower it a bit without you messing with your brick.

I actually like the brick wall without the mantle also....but the piece would have to be much larger.

We added a second story to our last home. The brick FP chimney came through the attic and I had them add to it. It was about 25 feet tall at the peek. I bought a very large picture at Waccamaw - about 5ft tall - and had it hanging over a desk on the wall. (No FP) I think your piece looks better lowered, as Lynn has shown, but I still think it needs to be a lot bigger.

If you want to lower it you could try to hang it in more of an old fashioned sort of way. These were already attached to this mirror when I bought it used, but I bet you could do the same thing with lines going up to one focal point.

lynninnewmexico... you hit it right on the 'nail' by showing 'visually' how the picture would look by lowering it. Yes, by doing this, the picture is NOT at all small for where it is supposed to 'connect' with, and that IS the Mantle. Also, as someone said, the bolt could be painted to match the brick and that would camoflouge it. I've done this myself, and it was never picked up on. That would be the easier solution to the whole problem.. Then, DGMarie, can lower it, add other objects to 'Compliment' the picture >> again, NOT compete w/it. Both DH and myself, have Art & Design backgounds, and this seems to be the number 1 mistake people make, and that is Hanging Artwork either too low or too high. In relation to the space that is on the wall, that picture should relate to the scale of the MANTEL...not the overall wall size (she's not filling up the space of a Museum Wall) By the way DGMarie..your room is beautiful and all of the colors are stunning. I also think the Art Piece you chose is perfect.