Your problem is scale. You need to think big. When you think it's big, get the bigger one. Everything is going to look a little off unless you get the scale right. Big candles, big lanterns, big pictures, big baskets, big, bigger and biggest.

Yes I understand that- that’s why I said I knew those candles were way too small. Do you have any suggestions? I’m also scared of having something massive that takes away from the beauty of the fireplace itself.

I think I'd remove the mantle and let the beautiful stone stand on its own.

Removing the mantle is absolutely not an option. Thank you though!

Could we see a picture from further back? How about a single large object?

The first decision is symmetrical or asymmetrical. Before you start selecting, you need to formulate a plan.

I'm a symmetrical type of person. It's part of my OCD. I think a pair of large lanterns with candles on each side would be a good start.

Then, I would select a large object that is very shiny for the center. Pinterest will have great pictures if you search for mantel decoration. Use them for inspiration. You might consider a large green plant in a metal container that cascades off of the mantel a bit. I like a gold or silver metal wash container.

Last, I would find a series of large ceramic jars to place on one side of the hearth. I like a trio of celadon vases or one solid color ginger jars.

I would keep the basket on the hearth.

All of these will incorporate images of iron, stone, wood, and earth.

I am not home at the moment but here is a picture from further away when we first moved in. We’ve since removed the drapes and the gold piece on the fire place.

The next two pictures are taken from the kitchen. I know it’s not the best photos but it gives you an idea of the open layout. As you can see we’ve upgraded our table that looked tiny in the space.

Homechef- I am also a symmetrical person. Thank you for your suggestions! My next question is WHERE do I find objects large enough? I’ve looked at your typical home decor stores and I never seem to find anything that’s big enough. Do I need a large object in the middle? Will it look empty without something?

Yes, you need something much larger (like the examples - art or sailboat/item). It not only needs to be large for the rock FP, but also the FP opening. See how the boat and the artwork in the example photos are larger than the firebox?

I purchased large lanterns from Wayfair. Houzz sells them. Overstock.com will have lots of items. You just have to know where to look. While Ballard Designs is more traditional, if you look at their individual pieces, you may find something that speaks to you. You can wait for a sale. I also shop antiques shops and fairs. They aren't just antiques.

I really think that you can get a lot of inspiration from Houzz, Pinterest and Etsy searches. Once you see a picture that you like, you can start to look for the various elements. Lil S illustrated this with a picture of the large sail boat model. It's a great example of the scale that you need.

In a pinch, you can hire a designer to help you. Look up Flo Mangan here at Houzz.com She's a great professional designer. She will be happy to work something up. She just asks for you to you buy the most of the pieces from her Houzz.com store. She'll give you a discount. She will also create a roadmap. I think you can do it yourself if you find an inspiration picture.

Okay thank you! I really like this. Simple but still not empty. I’m not crazy about having a mirror over the fireplace though but I like the organization of each element.

Here’s a couple more pictures of the space. The table is NOT staying there- we are doing construction in the space where the table usually goes so it’s just there for now.

I should also add we are expecting our first child in October. So I don’t want too many items on the hearth that will need to be moved in the next year. I’m ok with a lantern or baskets that won’t immediately break if knocked over.

Congratulations on your new house AND the new baby! :)

I like your inspirational photo. If you don't want a mirror, there are other possibilities. But it needs to be large.

Maybe someone will do a mock-up for you showing how mantle lanterns and a sculpture or painting will look. I agree on the hearth. A basket, or something non-breakable.

Thank you!!

I am struggling to picture what else I could put there that isn’t a mirror, clock or picture. I like how the circular mirror looks with the more rectangular lanterns. So I’m going to start by finding some large lanterns. I’m thinking they need to be about 2 feet tall. Does that sound about right or should I try to find bigger?

@lil Can you tell where you found the 3rd picture you posted? I would like to investigate some pieces in the photo. Thank you!

I Googled "tall stone fireplace" and clicked images. It's from Pinterest, but it doesn't show the source.

Something to consider- Ballard Designs offers free design solution help by email. Obviously, they only suggest their products. They're currently having a 20% off sale.

https://www.ballarddesigns.com/design-solutions/content

To add more information to the pile.. in the next year or so we also intend to paint the walls. The color will be somewhere between Cedar Key and Stone Hearth (haven’t decided yet)

Are your paints Benjamin Moore? We used BM Stone Hearth in a previous home. See below.

Also, if you are looking for a large canvas painting, I found some acrylic paintings on eBay, I believe, several years ago. They came rolled up and I made a frame with 1 x 4's for the painting that I chose. Used it to cover and protect a mirror on an outside fireplace when we were not using the area.

BM Stone Hearth

Yes they are Benjamin Moore! We have a bathroom painted Stone Hearth and our entryway is currently Cedar Key and love them both! We need to stay with a very neutral color since our kitchen, dining room, and living room are all open with high ceilings so we are just going to pick one color for everything

Smart! Remember that paint will read lighter in larger rooms, and darker in small rooms.

Can someone please help me determine the size of lanterns or objects I should put on each end of the mantle? Thanks!

My best advice is get a 2x4 and cut to size, place on mantel so you can see the height. As tall as your FP is, it's going to take large objects.

As an example, here is the FP in our last home. The FP surround is almost 6ft tall. The tallest finial is over 3ft tall. The wood and copper panels slide open to reveal a 42" TV. Anything smaller on the mantel would get lost.

I would start with art, and once you've got that purchased, decide on lanterns. Their size will depend on size of art.

What about something like this?

(Referring to the wreath)

Yes! We had a large wreath on our FP in Colorado. The FP was tall and stone like yours.

Good! Any idea where you got it from? I’m thinking I can look at craft stores but I’m not sure if they make them that big. How big should I be looking for?

It was purchased at a locally owned store in Vail. It had antlers, pheasant feathers and large seed pods on it. The wreath width in your example is at least half of the mantel width. You do not want to get a skinny oversized wreath. The wreath itself needs some bulk to it, or else it will get lost.

Yes definitely bulk or else it would get lost in the stone! The mantle is about 7 feet wide, so I’m thinking I should look for a wreath that’s about 4 to 5 feet in diameter. Does that sound about right?

Yes, ma'am.

I shopped around yesterday and the biggest I could find was 36”. It also didn’t have enough bulk so I’m going to have to dig deeper!

Your fireplace looks great by itself. But I would keep the pictures on the mantle anyway. The only thing I would change is the frames and mats. Black frames are stealing attention from the pictures. Try choosing more neutral colors both for frames and mats. I think white and grey will match perfectly.

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