apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Oh don't put a TV up there. What about a mobile of some sort? It would get nice motion when the ceiling fan is on, and you could probably find something in your room's accent colours since it seems like you have quite a bit of neutral colour in there already.

hmm, that ledge makes me think of that feature in Domino, where they line up a bunch of beautiful objects (globes, candlesticks, white pottery, etc) on a shelf. That could be a beautiful spot for a collection of objects that are all the same color... or maybe an urn with a pedestal base, and some leafy pretty fern growing out it.
The whole scene looks pretty sterile right now, so sticking to something natural, organic, warm would really help.

I would say a large piece of artwork leaning on the mantle. Having a collection of small objects I think would still leave the space feeling pretty empty because the ceiling is so high.

Piece of art on a table easle. Looks like it can't be too large as that appears to be a pretty small fireplace. Candles on each side. It's a safe and balanced approach.

How about scattered chunky shelves on each side that can hold aforementioned collection of similarly colored objects at different heights? The shelves can very in width (not too wide).

Or some sculpture to take advantage of the depth of the shelf (maybe back lit for emphasis).

You might hang a diptych or varying sizes (same height but different widths). The narrower one could hang on the shorter wall. A triptych could work, too. One piece could hang on the shorter wall and two on the taller wall.

Nice ceiling height! Why not emphasize it by placing on it a nice tall vase with some sculptural branches? The organic shapes would look great against the sharp corner and you could change the branches every season or so.

I think something three-dimensional, with real heft,
would look fantastic - especially since the corner is a bit of a challenge for a big painting (all that awkward "air" behind it), and you have such great high ceilings to work with. A few candlesticks, a potted succulent, etc. would still be nice to complement it.

It's a great opportunity to find something you both love - but just to illustrate, some of the types of things I had in mind from ebay:

- Hawaiian wooden bowl: http://tinyurl.com/2hoxp6
- Asian antique wooden wheel: http://tinyurl.com/ypv4yc
- Big industrial old gear: http://tinyurl.com/yo74dp
- Antique standing Buddha: http://tinyurl.com/yrzx8k
- Cool red coffee bin: http://tinyurl.com/2cap5k
- Old gambling wheel: http://tinyurl.com/yob7r4
- Model steamboat: http://tinyurl.com/2hjx8s
- Vintage birdcage: http://tinyurl.com/2dnbm3

Let us know what you decide - and congrats on your new home!

Although I'm not exactly of the one-perfect-object school, I think this niche cries out of that sort of treatment -- one large wonderful sculpture -- a big vase with a fantastic bunch of flowers -- in season, an appropriately scaled Christmas tree -- stuff like that.

Now of course I'd use it to display a collection of ethnic/tribal hats.....

i think helloat, JohnathanB, or aesargeant have given excellent advice. You might also consider an overmantel something like this:

http://tinyurl.com/2jafl7

but the other ideas are better.

How about hanging some organic shapes from the ceiling? (kind of like the willow spheres sold at Pier 1). Using various sizes at different levels could be interesting. I think it would emphasize the ceiling height and you would avoid cluttering the mantle.

Two Words:

Bigass TV

I don't have a clear answer as to how to handle this design dilemma. This is one of those architectural features that have become so prevalent in new construction over the past 15-20 years. When prospective buyers see it, it screams ARCHITECTURE!, but when you actually have to live with it, it whimpers "useless space". It is unfortunate because homeowners have a hell of a time dealing with it.

I guess if I had this situation, I would emphasize the height and use creative branches in a large container. I would play up on the drama a bit and add up-lighting in the back to play on shadows on the upper wall and ceiling.

We have a similar situation with our fireplace, minus the great height. I'd recommend changing the tile around the fireplace if you can(we changed ours to small mosaic tiles) and painting the gold pieces on the fireplace itself. We also painted the mantel a dark brown to really accent the fireplace and to bring out the brown colours in the tile. On top we tried quite a few things, but ultimately have gone with a really tall cylindrical vase with lucky bamboo. If we didn't have a window on one corner I would have gone with a large piece of art. Congrats on your first place!

I think you need an assemblage of large, simple shapes - but be careful not to overwhelm the scale of the fireplace.

There are large, overscaled vases around in black, whites or woven straw which would work as a grouping - some round and low, some tall with long necks - there should be one that is at least 3 or 4 feet tall. You might even put one on the floor next to the fireplace on the opposite side of the tall one, to further balance it and to make your eye travel across the space. Finding the right pieces will take time - or find someone who sells a mix made to go together.

Target has a number of vases you could look at to get ideas.

Because the fireplace is usually the focal point of a room, this space absolutely MUST reflect who you are. A large painting, a grouping of pottery with varying heights (make sure one is tall) or a tapestry. After you've done the room with things you love, look around and see what it says about you. (Classic? Trendy? Old fashioned hippy?) and accessorize accordingly. As for me, I'd love a large print of an impressionist painting, but that's just me.)

I'd affix mirror tiles up both sides to about a foot below the top of the ceiling and maybe paint a faux gold or silver "frame" around that. You'd get a pretty cool reflection plus all the added light bouncing around. And then keep the mantle pretty clutter free, maybe just one big piece/sculpture/vase.

Maybe I just have too many books, but I'm going to say wall-mounted shelves. The mosiac tile idea also sounds good. And if you go for a vase or art, please at least try to find something from a local artist or artisan! I'm on a small budget, but I've been able to avoid putting anything on the walls in my house that generic or mass produced. And things like that are much more personal, which will *hopefully* lead to you having a piece that you'll enjoy for much longer. Just my thoughts...

how about a big beautiful mirror?

Though it may not be the quick fix you're hoping for, it seems to me that what the fireplace needs is more vertical visual weight. The fireplace right now looks out of proportion in this great open space and a bit of an afterthought.

Here's what I'm thinking: Remove the current mantlepiece; extend the part of the fireplace surround that the mantlepiece currently caps upwards by several feet, perhaps all the way up to where the wall in which the doorway is located ends. This will give the fireplace more visual heft and bring it into better balance with the rest of the room. It will also create a massive, flat space on which you can then feature one of the many ideas others have suggested (and create a space where all of the wiring for various electronica can be hidden). You could face this new wall with stone or brick veneer if that fits in with your style, or simply paint it a contrasting color to give it further weight or make it pop.

You could then re-create the sense of a mantlepiece by locating a nice, deep shelf at about eye level or so to showcase small objects, photos. etc.

Great question! I'm in the process of moving into a house which has a living room with that exact same setup, and I was pondering what to do with the space too. Right now I have two narrow, but tall, plants sitting on top of the fireplace, and it actually looks pretty good. But I think it would be the ideal place to showcase some sort of interesting sculpture, so I'm going to look around for one. In order to display a sculpture you'd normally have to sacrifice some valuable table or shelf space, but here you have a nonfunctional space that's just begging to be used.