Than you for the response. Currently I have. Black mantel on the fireplace. I'll have to change it in order to add a overmantrl, right? Or do you have. Suggestion on what kind of mantel will go with current fireplace.

I like the idea of mantel since it will decide the large blank wall and then it will be easier to find decor doe smaller sections.

Any other ideas?

You dont have to change anything, if you are happy with the black then just add a black overmantel. We had one added to our fireplace.

You can create a water line...either real as below, or just a visual one by ignoring everything above where a single-height ceiling would've been.

Or you can go super high to exaggerate the height even more with just the overmantel as in this example...

or you can bring height to the accessories on the wall as well as they did here...

But whatever you choose to do, remember scale is really critical...whatever you do, it has to be really large to fit the space. Otherwise, it will get lost and look like "room dandruff".

Here's a nice example where they set it off with just applied moldings to the wall.

Does this overmatel have to be custom made or does anyone sell a ready to install mantel? Will getting a Stone wall up tothe ceiling be a better option? It will be expensive and eveyrone in the neoighnoirhoos has the same thing. I wanted to look for something different.

Thank you Annie for the pointers. I like the moulding idea. just need to think of how I can devide the space. Are there any guidelines on deciding moulding dimensions?

I don't know if my ceiling is quite as tall, but I used large pieces of art plus a cabinet(which appears smaller in the picture)to take up a lot of the wall space. The ceiling goes up about 2 ft more above the smallest centered picture.

Is that an exterior wall?

Went back to look at your room, RoseAbbey's idea is right on the money! With such a huge wall, the fireplace looks like a postage stamp, and definitely needs some 'heft'. You could add various moldings around it, even leaving a bit of the wall between and painting it all the same, but the mantle itself would need to be removed first. I like the black! ;)

yes, it is exterior wall

I'm going to pretend that money is not an object and suggest having two large windows put in on each side of the FP, build up the mantel, and do the moulding up the wall.

I have a littlebit of budget but putting in new windows will be a lot expense.

I am not sure I would put anything over your mantel....Maybe that mirror you have on the floor or a piece of artwork. Make the picture/mirror part of the fireplace grouping....maybe hang a couple of inches higher than the top of the mantel. Anything taller would look out of place. I would like to see a tallish plant on the window side of the fireplace and on the other side of the fireplace, a basket, or a low stool or even a low busy plant.

Here are some ideas I found; I like the idea of surrounding it with something more substantial.

Before:

After:

Oversize art
This is elaborate and $$ but just an idea:
Kind of the overmantel idea, but using contrasting color to extend the visual space. And Tibb's windows :)

Thank you all for the ideas! I will sort through and make a decision.