No. Your art is too high and your stuff is too small. Lower the art to about 6" above the mantel. Lose the dinky votives and that orange thing and get two or three tall candlesticks to put on the right.

Better:

Best:

The sizes and arrangement in groveraxel's examples are really nice. But I love the colors of your votives and Buddha ... they glow beautifully against the color of the fireplace. If you like them, perhaps find more pieces in the proper size range but with that bright color effect?

HI - God no don't start doing the traditional left and right side decorating . Love the little Orchid plant and because things like that are off set you should do an off set display . Take down the candy colored votives. Leave the Orchid plant where it is and lower the picture down to sit on the mantel tucked behind the plant a little on the right side of the plant . Adjust the picture and the Orchid to be a little off center left . Now if you have a bit bigger picture you can put it a little behind the first picture right and then add one big thing a little to the right front of that bigger picture . There are a lot of examples on Houzz to help you with mantel displays . Now you might be able to tuck the little Buddha in there somewhere . By the time you get this far you will have the eye for this . Put the little candle votives on the hearth at the bottom or else where . Added note -- paint the brass on the fire screen with a heat paint in black .

I can't move the picture to be lower, the prior owners put a large nail in the wall to hang a large canvas picture, I don't have a ladder to get up that high. I might be able to find a larger picture so it hangs lower. I like the three candles sticks.

I would keep your Buddha up high where he deserves...but perhaps staying off to the side.

I would be tempted to ditch the votives.

Bigger art time...what about a cool quilted hanging in a large size?

Back with a quilted hanging picture...but then got another idea...

What about a window frame or even a shadow box frame you can make yourself to be lightweight and the right size...then fill the slots with beloved photos?

I would tuck the Buddha near the orchid. He kinda goes there AND it adds color. I would also look for a larger picture that might bring in some of the colors of your votives. You can hang it without a ladder and make up that deficit below. Alternatively, you could even buy a large mirror - one that would reach from the mantle to cover the nail - and then prop the picture up in front of it. The votives aren't bad, they just aren't right for the space. If you want to keep them there, consider finding various heights of candlesticks - try the dollar store or Pier One, etc. - paint them black and place the votives on top of them.

How about leaning the photo/art on the mantel and use 2-3 books stacked to raise the Buddha to rest on. Use the orchid to the left but let it overlap a bit of the photo. Add some fireplace tools. To go a bit further add a wood mantel on top of the brick and spray paint out the brass with paint made for heat in a spray can. The wood mantel could be beefy and natural or stained wood or painted white. You could even add a pair of pics on either side of your small pic you have now. Or replace art with a much larger taller art piece/mirror keeping it no more than 6"s above the mantel. The larger the art etc the grander the fireplace will feel and become more of a focal point.

Elaine, borrow a ladder and lower the art. You can easily remove a nail with a claw hammer. A little spackle...

(nice to see you again, Kevin!)

Nancy Barnett - I like your idea the best!

Lower the art as illustrated by groveraxle in the "best" photo. Kill and destroy ALL silk flowers, period. A real orchid is cheap ($10 at Kroger in Houston) and if you have to replace it every 6 weeks that should hardly break you. The votives, while colorful, look cheap and unfocused if all you are trying to do color-wise is highlight the orange Buddha.

Please don't throw your orchid plants away every 6 weeks!

A large dramatic black and white portrait of yourself ... personalise your place

Hire a handyman first who had a ladder and a hammer.

Saw this on a Sarah Richardson house.

Long narrow vertical mirror on left side. Hang sparkly glass pendand light about one third down the mirror on the right. Place Buddah and votives under light fixture. Find a narrower wall spot for the lovely print. I love this look! but you will need a handyman for about an hour and a half.

So one of the best things you can do is have an invisible hanging mantel built which is three sided the open side slides over the existing stone you have as mantel now. You can make it as large as you like including depth to give you much more room for decorating where you can then layer in your mantle art, or vases,etc.

I like the idea of adding books under the Buddha. He needs to be elevated. Lean the art on the mantle, but put the votives some where else. Live orchids after blooming will stay alive if you put one or two ice cubes on the roots every other day & leave them in a semi sunny window. Make sure the leaves stay green & moist & the plant will bloom at least once a year.