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Please help decorate brick wall above mantle

9 years ago

My living room is relatively small (13 x 16) with only one wall. One 16 foot wall has 3 feet of shelves on each side of a 10 foot stacked brick wall that includes my television and fireplace. The center is between the two and a mantle goes above the whole unit. What should I put up there, one big picture or painting or a grouping? How big should it be and should I hang it or lean t on the mantle. I'm worried about putting something too big up there, but the wall opposite is open to the kitchen and dining room so I feel it can take a bigger picture. What type of pictures look good on the brick walk? Thanks for your help.

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Comments (11)

Annie Deighnaugh
9 years ago
I'm not really seeing it...a picture would help...
koinsf
Original Author
9 years ago
I thought that I had uploaded, I tried again, hopefully it works.
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myself I love your mantle the way it is..just my opinion..as for the decor, it depends on the style, my guess is that you are going somewhat rustic with a tad contemporary..am i right? I think i would find 2 long narrow matching pictures or mirrors or pieces of art and center one on each side wall of the fireplace above the mantle, one thing that really looks great is to layer..so if you use mirors or if you use an outdoor scene ..say with a lot of grasses..you could layer your grasses in front of and below the art on the wall..to tie in the art to the mantle, and then add a few other outdoorsy things to the mantle..the photographs are too small for there, put them somewhere else..although lovely they are just not the right scale.. do you happen to have a rock collection? it would be pretty on the mantle with an outdoor picture of a stream going over rocks along a meadow? with the grasses.. or a few beautiful unusual rocks on the mantle with the grasses..or a hurricane lamp with washed river stones filling it..clear glass..to tie in the rocks of the fireplace with your art. tell a story about what you like, if you love horses a horse running through a meadow, if you love old mills, an old mill with a creek and some old wooden architechtural pieces.. a tall grouping might work in the center going down to a shorter one on each side..or a tall one on each side of each wall with shorter in the center.. maybe two long art or mirror pieces, a much taller grass in the corner center and the smaller grasses just over the edges of the art on each side.. there are number of ways to do this..but you love it..leave it white unless you hate the white..i don't..i think white and stones is very updated rustic
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I would definitely hang it higher, and it does look good framed. Either way, get rid of the floor vase. Is it possible to move that brown furniture on the left away from the fireplace? The fireplace needs breathing room, as much as possible, if you can't move it. Moving the picture up is the most important consideration. The mantel does not need any other decoration.
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I think I would remove everything from the mantle/cabinet and paint it one shade deeper than the wall it is on. Then fill the niches with large pottery, baskets, or metal bins. Leave the mantle empty and possibly two wrought iron wall sconces for a large fat candle on either side of fireplace. This picture shows some elements that might translate to your fireplace area. Color of fireplace is similar to wall. Basket adds texture that would look good in the niches The pottery vases and tall big plantings help balance the weight of the whole fireplace wall. I think it would also be nice if you had doors made for the side niches and use the center niche for a large filling plant in pottery, metal, or basketry.
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Your wood mantle is far too small for the size of that wall. If I were in your shoes (and I have been), I recommend you consider having a much larger surround built.
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User
9 years ago
Can you step back and take a snap if the wall including shelves on either side? Also, do you have furniture in the room? Context is vital if you want decent recommendations. Thanks :-)
Annie Deighnaugh
9 years ago
If the mantel is wide enough, I'd consider a large picture and then tall stuff on the mantel to make a vignette.

You could also do something like a triptych to get the width without excess height.

The background of the brick is pretty neutral in color, so you can use the art to bring in other colors you'd like to see in the room.
christine40
9 years ago
we had this set up in the past, and and ID recommended a large clock-'see through' type so, the brick shows through the back..will try to attach a pic? Or maybe the link to the Howard Milller clock.

Here is a link that might be useful: howard miller clock
koinsf
Original Author
9 years ago
Here is another pic from a little farther back, it's angled because I had to go from the dining room. No furniture yet, we just moved in and ours went to the basement.
patricianat
9 years ago
In case you cannot get Christine40s page, I think she means a skeleton clock.
teacats
9 years ago
A dark-framed round mirror -- to visually balance all of the very, very strong horizontal lines ......

.... then add three very chunky matching dark candlesticks (different heights) on the right-hand side with tall creamy white candles ....

... if you can -- try to keep the objects on the new shelves to one or two colors -- maybe start with dark-woven baskets -- and creamy white bowls. Then have your family pictures turned to black-and-white (mat in white with dark frames) -- and place them against the back wall of the shelves ..... or hang them on the back wall of the shelves ...
koinsf
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I like the idea of a clock or mirror (round), but since I have about 4 feet of height and 10 feet of width, what size would work well? Again, thank you for your input.
teacats
9 years ago
You would have to take a tape measure and see what size would work -- but this is just an example ......

Here is a link that might be useful: Lamps Plus -- possible mirror
teacats
9 years ago
Perhaps an artwork that picks up on the grays and browns in the room ......

Here is a link that might be useful: LP -- example of artwork

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