I have 3 examples of extra wide fireplace mantel decorating challenges to share today that came in as questions for styling help.
These were part of my Instagram Q&A I did back in January, so I’m sharing a few of the pics and advice I posted in my stories back then. These are rather unusual mantels but I figured if there were 3 submitted on that one day, then there are likely lots more out there and other people might benefit from some of these suggestions. :-)
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Extra Wide Fireplace Mantel #1 - Spanning the whole wall
How to Decorate an Extra Wide Fireplace Mantel [3 Examples] - carlaaston.com
This homeowner wanted suggestions on how to style this ledge, basically a fireplace mantel that spanned the whole width of the room.
It certainly is a nice feature and one that can give you lots of room for collections and decorating, but it was made a bit awkward by only having the window only on one side. It’s a rather symmetrical layout, except for that feature that’s missing on the right.
One thing I noticed first was her lovely collection of mint green ceramics and glassware. I wanted to feature that for sure as it brought a pretty color to the mantel and obviously had meaning for her. Looks like some of it might be jadeite.
This wide fireplace mantel / ledge was a decorating challenge for this homeowner. carlaaston.com
Option A for this extra wide mantel:
One way to make sense of this imbalance is to hang a mirror with a grid to simulate the look of the window on the other side of the fp. This mirror looks similar in size and the silver framing will actually reflect the white walls of the room.
The mirror doesn’t have to be exactly the same size, but enough to feel like a repetition of that shape and style.
Since we’re using a mirror there, the center mirror, which I really do love, would have to change to a piece of art. That might be nice to add in something with the mint color up there, to repeat that color and make it even more prominent. (I love that she has a lamp that color too!)
Option A - Add a mirror of similar size and shape to the existing window on the other side of the fireplace. carlaaston.com
I’d group some of the mint green pieces in clusters across the whole ledge, using the larger ones for sure and putting plants in the ceramic pots up there.
Then, I’d add in some tall white ginger jars to add size and height to the clusters, making the mint green stand out even more. She could even add a few more pieces to her collection as time goes on. :-)
Option B for this extra wide mantel:
I provided another option in case she didn’t want to get rid of the center mirror over the fireplace. Here, I just used the small sunburst she had there, hung on the wall, and grouped the vases and jars as I did in the previous option.
Option B - Keep the sunburst mirror on the right of the fp, decorating the ledge as in Option A. carlaaston.com
Extra Wide Fireplace Mantel #2 - Extra wide niche above fp and tv
I often see the tv built in next to the fireplace and then the mantel spanning both. It makes it hard to determine to determine the focal point and makes for a really wide mantel, like below.
This grouping on the mantel feels a bit busy with too many different items spaced to widely apart. carlaaston.com
In this case, the arched niche helps make for a symmetrical wall but there is still the problem of decorating this long span of a mantel.
There are a lot of items up there so I think simplifying is best.
Here’s the advice I shared on Instagram.
Remove some of the smaller items and keep the mantel a little more open with fewer, larger items. carlaaston.com
A symmetrical arrangement something like this would be good. I do like the idea of greenery up there, although it might have to be faux since it isn’t in direct light.
Keep the focus on the center of this wide mantel by pushing the small lamps in close to the mirror and adding plants on each side for a symmetrical and simpler arrangement. carlaaston.com
Extra Wide Fireplace Mantel #3 - Fireplace and bookshelf side by side
This is rather the same type of situation as the fireplace and tv, side by side, with the fireplace and a bookshelf. The window sort of compounds the decorating dilemma here too, because it goes against the grain to put decor in front of a window.
This extra wide fireplace mantel is presenting a decorating challenge. carlaaston.com
I saw there were two similar style lanterns up there on the mantel, so I decided to go with that for decor.
Clustering them on each side, in various sizes, could make a nice look there. If they spilled over in front of the window, then light would still filter through them and they won’t appear to block the window.
Cluster items of varying heights on each end for an extra wide fireplace mantel. carlaaston.com
Want to see more styling ideas? I’ve done a Q&A in my Instagram stories that are now sitting in my Highlights, Styling Tips 2 and Styling Tips 3 on my profile. There were so many interesting decorating challenges! See if one might help you resolve something in your own home.
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