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Home Decorating

Art Over Fireplace

15 years ago

I'm busy looking for a painting to hang over my FR fireplace. What I need help with is size and proportion. How do I know if I need a horizontal or vertical piece? How about size in relationship to space? (I usually tend to buy BIG.) Please show me your fireplace and what's hanging over it! Thanks!

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Comments (13)

mclarke
15 years ago
Honeychild1, because of the proportions of most fireplaces, it is usual for artwork to be horizontal. But not always. Can you post a photo of your fireplace? We can make suggestions...
Sueb20
15 years ago
This is not the greatest picture, but here is mine.

{{!gwi}}
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OMG, I Googled 'Art Over Fireplace' and One of Mine Came Up!
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Comments (20)
OK, most everybody probably knows this about Photobucket, where a lot of us store our pics to post, but this is a reminder to all. Go to your PB home page. On the Blue Banner that leads over to your name; move your cursor over the "Home" button;on the banner that drops down below, click on "Stats". This will show you just how many views each of your posted pics have had in a day, a week and a month. Kind of eye-opening! For example, on August 4th, the day after I started this thread, there were 155 views of the photo I posted of my mantel. That's just one day for that one pic. There were more both before and after that. You all should check your own to see for yourselves. Now, I was about to tell you to check your privacy settings over on PB, but the drop-down button for it only appears infrequently, which has me a bit concerned. Just a few minutes ago, I could go to my PB Home page. Go to the blue banner; hover your cursor over the Home button; on the drop down banner below it, there sometimes is a Privacy button. You click on that and then click on Privacy & Emails Settings; click on Privacy Settings/Content Privacy. There . . . if you can get there (they don't make it easy), check the box "when I upload, permanently remove information about where my photos were taken". Also there, uncheck if it's checked, the box that says, "allow others to copy my photos and videos". That is, if you want to keep you photos a bit more private. If you do get there, I'd strongly suggest reading all your options and making decisions then and there. You may not be able to get back to your privacy site for a while. Just a heads-up. Lynn
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Comments (11)
For the bookshelves, I would suggest a lot more books and fewer smaller pieces scattered about. The same goes for the console below the dramatic mirror. Fewer, larger pieces, of which some should be black. Photographs there are not strong enough to stand up to the mirror, ditto the candy dish. The fireplace is beautiful but begs for one large, meaningful painting, not just something decorated. Simple candlesticks on either side in subdued colors would be nice. I hope I don't sound too critical, but you have a nice space that is cluttered with too many unrelated objects. I would take down the square tiles (?) by the bookcase. Personal photographs in the living room are best grouped together in nice silver frames on a surface or left for more private parts of the house. Over the piano I could see a gallery of interesting drawings in similarly colored frames, although the frames should be different. Another option would be a very large painting, although not as subdued as the one over the cabinet. There I would remove everything, place the lamp on the right and the flower arrangement on the left and take everything else off, so that the emphasis is on the painting. The colorful piece in the middle especially detracts, as does the photograph. I think we all lose sight of the fact that simplicity and negative space are very important.
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Comments (5)
My goodness too much stufffffffff. Too many competing objects. I'm trying to figure out the one element you can change that will fix the room. I'm sure you paid a fortune for the draperies so even though they seem a bit fussy, I'm trying to not focus on them. I think maybe if the paint color is cooler to coordinate with the cool sofa and cool chairs that might help. Is the lovely green rug larger? Looks like the colors are good. Can you place that rug in the living room?
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Need so much help... but let's start with art over the fireplace
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Comments (4)
I like the gallery wall. as for the artwork, I really don't think any of them work. then again, it could be those yellow/gold walls. perhaps painting the walls first would be a good idea? so, what if you removed the white mantel altogether, and replaced w/a single wood mantel? it might free up a little wall space between the ceiling and allow more space for art. something like this? this is also a narrow distance but everything they've done is proportional. here is a good size art piece with a similar FP like yours (notice the smaller windows, more on that below, and furniture placement). another one w/just a single reclaimed wood piece. or, you could try something like this: as for tv placement, how about something like they've done here? you would have to do smaller windows, at least on the tv side, but you'd gain extra storage w/smaller windows furniture layout above, or below would work or put the tv on the gallery wall and move the gallery elsewhere.
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moremoremore
15 years ago
Dreadful pic...but here is mine. It's really trial and error...and see what appeals to you visually...
(I know I need something to the left...still decorating the space!)
cind11
15 years ago

Here's mine. I'm getting so good at this picture thing-lol.
mcps
15 years ago
I went vertical over mine...
mimi_2006
15 years ago
I went horizontal although I sometimes think vertical might have been a better choice because of the flat screen tv next to it that's nearly the same shape. It's not expensive art, I still have my eyes open for something else one of these days.
nhb22
15 years ago
Horizontal

I buy big to fill the space.

With the following fireplace wall, the space was too big for the painting, so we trimmed the wall out with molding and painted the entire wall in a semi-gloss to mimic paneling.

{{gwi:1529594}}
sallymo2015
15 years ago
I did round to take away from all the square/rectangle shapes I already have. But it's a mirror, not a picture.
{{!gwi}}
lynninnewmexico
15 years ago
I think that when choosing what to hang above your fireplace, you need to consider the ceiling height and what's flanking the fireplace, so that it doesn't end up looking too busy. I had room to hang three paintings above mine, and the wall needed the extra pieces.
justagirl
15 years ago
Ohh - lots of good ideas here! Keep em coming!
IdaClaire
15 years ago
I should have gone with a horizontal piece to better fit my space, but I opted to use a piece with special meaning to me instead. The photo is a Hopi basketmaker, circa 1920, and the frame was made by my dad.

{{!gwi}}
honeychild1
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for sharing all of your beautiful homes! I've never posted a picture on this forum and I'm not sure I know how. I'll take a photo tonight and then give it a try. I can give you a physical description of the fireplace and wall. The fireplace is centered on the wall with a window on each side. The ceiling is 12' tall, the fireplace is 56" and the windows with transoms are 95" tall.
lynninnewmexico
15 years ago
Auntjen, any chance you can show us a close-up of your painting? It looks gorgeous, as does your room.
Lynn

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