Lol, you and red! Red must have done something very bad to you in a past life. I have no ideas just wanted to let you know that your post made me smile.

Also, love your fireplace.

I would do a painting, silver clustered candlesticks and the first swag type greenery.

Painting with these kind of colors:

I would up the variety of greenery, I like this type:

The whole top filled with all white pillar candles would be lovely too. Different heights, but a bunch of them. I've always liked that look.

D, LOL DH says the same thing. Must have been held captive by a royal palace guard in another life.

Bumble - this is for the holidays. Buy a painting for the holidays? But also, because of the unusual depth (2ft plus), when you place something on the back wall it gets lost.

I am not sure if I have a photo of last year, but I have been using a variety of greenery to get the look below. The problem is to get the fullness you end up needing to use types of greenery that last maybe a week IME. That won't do because I need to decorate early. We are going away for 10 days and wont be back until the 23rd, so it needs to be done in advance.

My inspiration photo for last 3 yrs.

What about adding big swaths of burlap for fullness? You may have to prop it up with some blocks underneath. Then place the hardier greenery in the burlap for the Christmasy look and forego the flimsier kind.

I can't find the photo now, but last night I saw a photo where they had a line up of mini potted trees, wrapped in aqua paper IIRC. Since I have so much space and depth, i thought it might look nice. I would vary the heights a bit and put some in back. I could wrap the pots in something (gold foil?) and put a bow on the top?

These kind of small live trees:

I change out paintings but I know it's unusual. I love the trees.

I have a painting I put there one year. I propped it up against something. But it's a tricky space. It needs mass. And I didn't have a painting that was big but still low.

Idea

If you use a pretty framed mirror in the back - low, like in your inspiration - perhaps the reflection will help make the greenery in front look fuller. And you can hang a wreath right on top of the mirror for some interest in the back, playing up the depth of that gorgeous space. I'd use a lovely lush green swag like your first picture, with added white and silver accents - candle sticks, ornaments in a big glass trifle dish, wide satin ribbons, sprayed pine cones (or natural), that kind of thing. Maybe place an order for something fresh you can pick up on the 24th and poke in with skewers and add in pots (like white poinsettias.)

I like your little tree idea too. You could add some boxes or glass blocks in the back to raise some up and vary the heights.

Is there an outlet up there?

I like the idea of trees lining the mantle. I think that would look especially nice if the trees were a variety of sizes with a few bigger trees and a variety of smaller ones filling out the landscape. Would there need to be some colorful element to add dimension? Maybe small Christmas balls in silver and frosted white littering the mantle.

I think you mantel looks fine as it is. I personally don't like the ones that look like several dead trees are draped over the mantel. As to it not lasting - well, they don't! I do wait until a week before Christmas to do my mantel with magnolia branches cut from my trees. By Christmas Eve, they are dry. Some years, I have cut new branches and replaced those on the mantel. Years ago, I gave up on fresh greenery on the banister - I use an artificial magnolia garland I bought last year. I could use a 2nd one for the mantel but I really want fresh there.

When we lived in LA, I had a good friend who is now a famous interior designer. She entertained multiple times between the start of Advent and her Twelfth Night party was legendary. She changed her greenery and flowers multiple times to do this. All it takes is time and money! I'm lacking in both!

I love the idea of the small trees on your mantel.

My immediate thought, before I read your whole post, was layered small trees. So yes, I think that would look great! I’m planning to get several in graduated sizes for my front porch and put them in galvanized buckets from the hardware store.

I saw some at Whole Foods today that were pretty nice for $19.99 each. They were all almost the same size, about 3'. Because the ceiling slopes up I have a ton of height.

I measured it today. The mantle is 6' from the floor. It is 8' wide and 33" deep.

I'm gonna need a lotta trees! Heading out of town for a few days but when I get back I think I will buy 10 or so of them and see how they work.

Thanks all!

BTW I found the photo I was mentioning. I am going to wrap my trees in something too. But what?

Edit - i dont want to buy ten containers, so I will have to wrap them. While i was looking for pretty gold foil I came across this under wrapping paper, OMG I am so going to do this for my DDs' gifts!

I also found florist foil? Which color (my tree - live- is decorated with mostly pink, moss green or lime green, some aqua, gold).

I’m looking on my tiny phone screen so I could be way off, but that looks like it might be felt covering the tree pots in your inspiration pic? I think that would be prettier than florist foil.

Aqua or dark pink/fuschia, maybe?

I think it might be hard to get felt to do that? Maybe muslin with a velvet bow?

Another thought would be to invest in some good artificial greenery to drape, weaving tiny white lights through it. And/or, perhaps a couple large lanterns with WHITE, GREEN or GOLD (LOL) candles in them. There are standing wreath holders that you can get on Amazon that will hold a (non-red) wreath towards the front of the mantel. No one says that a wreath has to be towards the back of your deep mantel. A nice wreath (artificial or real) with white stars, perhaps? Anyhoo, here are some pics from Pinterest and Amazon. I am NOT recommending the giant bows, though. Please disregard any and all red decs . I tried to find inspiration pics without red, but you'll just have to use your imagination (LOL)!

When I blow up the photo, the wrap looks like burlap. This photo is from fabric.com. Just a few of the available colors.

I personally don't like live swags or wreaths in the house. They make a mess. I also like the idea of small pines. Maybe some non-red poinsettias mixed in and large pine cones.

The description with the picture actually suggests blue burlap, but I would think you could use whatever gives you the look you want. Pompom wrapping is novel and fun.

I've done those tiny, miniature poinsettias on my mantle - a royal pain to keep watered and they must be daily. I've tried tiny topiaries (live) again a problem to water. All these things look great for a photo shoot, but for 2-3 weeks prior to Christmas and at least through New Years? Not so great. It's why so many have gone to fake greenery. What is available to the public is just so awful. Florists and designers can buy gorgeous stuff, but it's VERY expensive. The pictures one sees online and in catalogs usually have doubled - even tripled - the garlands to look lush and full. Then one must store these gigantic things.

Last year, I used a 1/2 circle vase holder from the 1980's - it holds 5 very small cylinder vases. I put in cut amaryllis. I surrounded it with my magnolia leaves. They got a bit dry, but the amaryllis held very well and was easy to water. I'll be doing that again this year.

Anglo, yes it takes a lot of plant material to get the look. Even showing my garden shop the photo of what i wanted, I had to go in twice and tell them "more". It was very expensive and fragile. I have to see if I can find the photo from last year's mantle, because that did come closest.

I think I am sold on the trees. TBH, at $20 each, even if I use 10 or so that is a lot cheaper. Plus, all is not wasted. I am sure I can find someplace to plant them, and I can winter them in our greenhouse until then.

Off to look at the burlap... thank you for that suggestion.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mercury+glass+christmas+display&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=sivn&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&fir=lYRWKZ9mQzge8M%253A%252CxyBMIge03cNQdM%252C_%253Bo2BIxuvv0_nSsM%253A%252CJbfCbdRrwfnzSM%252C_%253BsoRU2ewHuV2yBM%253A%252CKtKKoSXzGZOdEM%252C_%253BVsLREqXXVcl2zM%253A%252CTepBs3HfQTw9uM%252C_%253BZAHCClyzHuTlXM%253A%252CxyBMIge03cNQdM%252C_%253BM4d6So2EAYnEwM%253A%252Cx2T7hq-PLi68QM%252C_%253Bjz1SZJzXgn_C8M%253A%252CTepBs3HfQTw9uM%252C_%253B9_b6lXKdwn-8gM%253A%252CKtKKoSXzGZOdEM%252C_%253Bgx50NQIdRQmxPM%253A%252Cw6MvO0jnmbQ8yM%252C_%253BfBE72ZYi1LsEUM%253A%252Cw6MvO0jnmbQ8yM%252C_&usg=__Q6V_IspLG-q5KfUe40_35vGsdTw%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjx5KSUs8fXAhUF0iYKHY5yCswQsAQITg&biw=768&bih=954&dpr=2#imgrc=soRU2ewHuV2yBM:

I saw some very tall, light weight wooden houses a few years ago that I coveted, but nowhere to put....prettier than these, and sparkled( easy to add), though.) Placed at varying heights in front of properly place snowy trees , also of varied heights, nestled into a bank of "snow" ( white linens) for your base. Add whatever appeals to the scene. Tiny Aqua and silver balls, perhaps. Oh, and tiny white lights, of course to light the homes and trees. Can add drizzles of pine down the sides, if you need.

I love those little houses! I have looked at them before. The issue is scale. Keep in mind that the mantle is 6 feet high! Everything gets lost.

I am going with trees. What to wrap them in, IDK yet. But ... i think the key will be ribbon. SO now I am looking at that first.

ETA: The ribbon in this box is from a magnolia wreath i had made for my front door 10 years ago in a different house. The wreath lasted several years, and I kept the bow. I now wrap it around an ornament-filled urn which sits on a table in my entry hall. Where would i find something like this? It seems wrong to call it "ribbon". It is velvet-y on one side, satin-y on the other, and wired.

The closest I can find is this but it's really nothing like it:

https://www.papermart.com/crushed-velvet-gold-silver-backing-ribbon/id=85476

Trees will look updated and fresh, I like it. Since your room has a polished vibe, I think either the florist foil or accent ribbon should be gold. As for the other color? IDK, your big tree might determine that.

I'm late, but preserved boxwood garlands or trees? I'm the type who would keep them from year to year, but if you aren't or can't, then at least you know they'll keep all through the holidays.

I think the trees will look great. I might add in some of those LARGE ornament (balls) which also come in plastic. I use them in outside arrangements in case they get blown around, they won't break. Anyhoo, I might add in a few of the balls and some votives/candles.