what are the dimensions of the opening?

We had the same situation when we moved in a new home! I thought of putting a large family pic but the dimensions were really odd enough to get a custom printed canvas or so.

The dimension of the niche were 40x47 inches so then I went with a large mirror that was bought just recently (yeah hubby still needs to find a time to hang it) but u can get an idea!

The mirror is from Homesense (Canada) and it costed me just $60 rather than a couple hundreds for a canvas print.

You can go with a wall painting too if it fits in dimensions. Either have a statement piece there and simpler filler items in shelves, or have a simpler mirror/art in the niche and put interesting pieces in shelves!

Hope this helps!

When it comes to art all I can think is: what transports you or makes you happy when you look at it? Do that.

The dimensions are 30 x 42, would probably do something a little larger marking sure it covers. Looking for something calming/serene. I agree with your advice 100% Brooke, there is just SO much out there :)

im great at finding affordable art, as i visit all the different sites all the time. but i need a kind of theme or something that you like or that is important to you. a place? and animal? activity? the ocean? etc...

Since you have a limited budget, you could look for a cool piece of fabric and mount it on a large frame to make your own art.

truey- My husband and I enjoy traveling. We've been across Europe and love the culture in Spain, Italy, etc. We also love the countryside during sunset/sunrise. We live in MN, and there is something about wheatfields at sunset that is incredibly relaxing. We love being outside with our girls and taking in nature.

What other colors do you have going on in the room?

If you are a creative type, you could buy a large canvas at Hobby Lobby or Michaels in the size you want and let your kiddos put some hand prints and paint splatters. It will be very abstract, but inexpensive and you can change it down the line! Otherwise, with the grey walls, I'd go for something serene BUT with some color so it doesn't get lost in that space... It kind of calls for a statement piece.

Loving something like this https://society6.com/product/pastel-ocean-iii-zj2_print#s6-8094845p4a1v2

Also try minted.com, etsy.com and art.com

Thousands of options from http://mndphoto.com Ranging from photography to fine art, use discount code SERTTY

I would consider having a carpenter build a framed board piece to hang over the niche. It could be larger than the exact hole side. On that you could then hang artwork, sconces, mirror or whatever.

Pier One $199 50 x 40

If you can find a picture larger than the niche that would be good then you can just hang it and cover the niche entirely. Why does it need to sit back in there? That limits you to size and shape.

Actually the niche is too high over the mantel. Usually only 3 or 4 or 5 inches over the mantel is a good height for the picture. Often, it is fine just to set the picture on the mantel.

midwestern style:

https://society6.com/product/cotton-candy-cyc_print#s6-3588953p4a1v2

and this too: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/september-summer-bruce-morrison.html

https://society6.com/product/fields-of-hope_print#s6-530610p4a1v3

61 H x 45 W

Wisteria.com Just set it on the mantel.

How many inches from the top of the mantel to the ceiling?

Here's some suggestion for your wall you might like......to know more about my Art work and collections please visit my shop -

https://www.houzz.com/pro/poochoudhary/__public

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PooviArtGallery

****CUSTOM SIZE AVAILABLE ****

truey- Society6 has great options. Many I love are not X-Large like I need. Thanks for the suggestions.

Could you put them in a mat and a frame?

I have over 200 selections of my own artwork to choose from with various genres or themes. Prints / Canvases can be ordered through my various channels from Economic Selections such as Society6, Crated and Zazzle to a more Custom Size and Higher Quality from Indiewalls. You can definitely find my portfolio for your desired prints from illustrations to photography (color and black & White). Any LARGE texts on any image is for watermark / copyright control and will not be shown on the final purchase. THANK YOU! http://julianscorpio.houzz.com

Do you prefer paintings or photography?

I would suggest you paint the inside of that niche a contrasting color. Now you can find a smaller more colorful piece of art to complement it. Or you can go out and take some nice photos, crop them to the appropriate size, Matt and frame it and your done!

Here is an alternative and it is well below your budget but could be a creative way to deal with your dilemma. It is a tapestry of a wheat field. With some interesting lighting, you could imagine it at sunset or sunrise!

It is 53"w x 38" high so I think it would work, just have to measure to make sure.

I absolutely love this Vang Gogh "Irises" the colors are amazing and would look beautiful with your gray walls...price and size is great!.....wonderful if you have a young family that will be learning about fine art...my kids loved seeing art they learned about in school and could actually name the artist!

Example