While the mantelpiece gets lots of attention, the space above it has long proved a challenge for decorators. Styling this area can transform the overall room aesthetic, as it is so often the focal point of the space. Paintings, mirrors, ceramics, and lighting are just some of the possibilities for filling the wall above your fireplace. So here, we’ve assembled 10 overmantel ideas that go beyond the obvious, including insights from each of the designers and suggestions on where to look to recreate these ideas at home.
1. Play with Scale
The London-based design studio Elicyon was tasked with decorating a home at one of the city’s most prestigious new neighborhoods in Chelsea Barracks, where contemporary design blends seamlessly with the heritage within a historic army barracks. This elegant living room features a neutral color palette with sculptural tables and prominent abstract artwork.
‘The fireplace has a monolithic yet light quality to it, and it enhances the symmetry of this space,’ says Charu Gandhi, founder and creative director of Elicyon. ‘We played to this symmetry with the setting of the furniture but softened the geometry with curved, warm-colored pieces.’ The artwork is by Geraldine Larkin, who stitched this metal tapestry as a counterpoint to the fireplace’s linearity, and the sofas and armchairs are custom-made by George Smith.
2. Take Tiles to the Ceiling
When there is no fireplace surround or mantelpiece, the wall can be treated as one whole canvas with dramatic results. The fireplace wall in Malene Djenaba Barnett’s Brooklyn home tells a personal story. The award-winning multidisciplinary artist and textile surface designer, and the founder of the Black Artists + Designers Guild (a global platform and community of independent Black makers) began making ceramic tiles for this scheme, which resulted in what she calls a ‘legacy’ wall. ‘Each tile is hand pressed, glazed, and fired multiple times,’ she explains. ‘The clay is terracotta with various glaze finishes.’
3. Add Warmth and Glamour With Gold Decor
Shiny surfaces are a surefire way to add warmth and glamour to a space, and this room, designed by Studio Vero for a house in London’s Notting Hill, has plenty. ‘The owner is a hugely vivacious character with a warm and sunny disposition, and it was important that this room – the main entertaining area – reflected those qualities,’ says creative director Romanos Brihi. The golden textile artwork is by Colombian artist Olga de Amaral, who is known for her woven gold and fiber works, and the designers added a Michael Aram fireplace screen below to mimic the flickering flames of a real fire. Above hangs a 1970s Murano chandelier.
4. Disguise the TV
In multipurpose rooms or apartments that are tight on space, the area above a mantelpiece is often used to mount the television. To disguise a TV when it’s not in use, consider taking a leaf out of this design by London-based decorator Octavia Dickinson and hiding the TV within an overmantel cabinet. ‘I needed to fit a television in this room, but the joinery to the right was too narrow to house one of any reasonable size,’ explains Octavia. She commissioned the artist Beatrice von Preussen to create collages to hang in the separated panels of the cabinet, and the mantelpiece was made particularly deep. The decorative bowls are from the London gallery Wilson Stephen Jones and are mounted using plate hangers.
5. Curate a Gallery Wall
Instead of hanging a single picture above the mantelpiece, consider a gallery wall instead, such as in this apartment in New York’s West Village. ‘We wanted this apartment to feel like an old boutique hotel suite – really collected and full of character,’ explains Louise Copeland, founder of L.B. Copeland Interior Design. ‘Since the bedroom walls are clad in velvet and we were already using a picture rail, we figured we might as well really load it up! There aren’t many walls elsewhere – lots of bookshelves and big windows – so the bedroom naturally became this cozy gallery of antiques. The pieces are all vintage finds I collected specifically for these spots because of their size and color, so the arrangement feels intentional. Carrying the gallery over the mantel was the final touch that made the room feel truly immersive and layered.’
6. Hang a Mirror
Mirrors have long been hung on overmantels, but the shape and style can have very different impacts on a space. Traditional design dictates that the mirror should be in a gilded frame, but more contemporary rooms suit slender and sculptural shapes.
‘The mirror (Alonzo from Soho Home) was the perfect piece for above the mantel,’ explains interior designer Jessica Davis, founder of Atelier Davis, who decorated this house in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. ‘The home is Victorian, so we wanted something that nodded to the traditional nature of the bones of the space but that still felt clean and modern. Also, the room is pretty dark and moody, so I love using a mirror to bounce light around and make it feel a bit more airy.’
7. Create Something Unique
The fireplace in old houses presents a wonderful opportunity to ground a room, bringing bold design ideas to center stage. Decorative molding has long been used to embellish the overmantel area, but in a historic Toronto home, interior designer Colette van den Thillart designed a fireplace surround that strikes a more contemporary note. It mimics rays of light emanating from the fireplace.
‘The sculptural plaster chimney piece has become a sort of trademark of mine – this one was loosely inspired by both Renzo Mongiardino’s design for Elsa Peretti’s Tuscan tower and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's flame-licked fireplace in her New York studio,’ explains Colette. ‘The original mantel in this space really let the room down; what we installed is certainly more uplifting.’
8. Add a Pop of Color
Against a white background, a collection of colorful artworks injects a sense of joy into a room. In this Westchester residence, James Huniford, founder of Huniford Design Studio, hung a selection of works from Matisse’s Jazz cutout series, dating from 1947, across the overmantel in the sitting room. ‘Henri Matisse once made art depicting circus culture,’ notes James (although the decorator is known as Ford to friends and clients). ‘We’re bringing some of that playfulness to this country house.’ The custom sofas are in fabrics designed by Highland Court (available through Fabrics and Home) and the English fabric house Bennison.
9. Make Artwork a Focal Point
Art or a mirror above a fireplace instantly defines the mood of a room. It becomes the focal point and sets the palette, proportion, and energy for everything around it, says interior designer Lauren Carlucci, founder of Lauren Carlucci Studio. In this East Hampton family room, the rustic brick and bluestone mantel grounded the space, while the client’s own Jean-Michel Basquiat introduced bold color and movement that informed the rest of the scheme. ‘I love the balance it creates between traditional texture and contemporary expression. The scale was also essential, and this piece is just the right size to anchor the asymmetrical fireplace. Proportion is key when art and architecture are in such close conversation.’
10. Leave an Overmantel Bare
In a very pared-back or refined scheme, sometimes leaving the space above a fireplace bare allows the room to breathe. It draws the eye to the architecture and the quieter craftsmanship within the space. ‘For this fireplace, we took a deliberately restrained approach, allowing the architecture and the stone itself to take center stage,’ explains Madelynn Hudson of New York-based M.H. Interiors.
‘The dramatic veining of the marble became the focal point, so we chose to leave the space above the mantel largely untouched – using negative space as a design tool rather than relying on layers of décor. This quiet composition allows the natural movement, depth, and character of the stone to truly speak for itself, reading as both sculptural and grounded, an anchoring moment in the room that feels calm, elevated, and timeless.’
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Should You Hang a Mirror or a Print Above a Fireplace?
The design trend of hanging a mirror over a fireplace mantel dates back to the early 17th century, when the French developed the means of producing larger plate-glass mirrors – and they became de rigueur for important rooms – both to see everyone present and to bounce the light around.
Today, with electric light, there is less of a need, but if going down this route, think about what the mirror reflects – such as a favorite artwork or a view of the garden or greenery outside. If hanging a painting or print, a good rule of thumb is to keep the picture narrower than the jambs of the fireplace surround. Alternatively, rather than hanging a single picture above the fireplace, consider a triptych if the overmantel is wide enough.
What Are the Rules for Hanging Things Above a Fireplace?
Scale is vital, whether it’s a mirror or a piece of art, and most experts recommend going oversized rather than risking something that feels small and inadequate. Be sure to choose a frame that complements or contrasts with the fireplace surround – depending on the energy of the room. Either way, aim to center it above the fireplace. While most overmantels will suit a landscape, take a cue from the fireplace surround: if it’s tall and narrow, a portrait format might look more balanced.
Be sure to match the fixings to the type of wall and the weight of the mirror or artwork. For hanging heavy items, such as antique mirrors on solid walls, use heavy-duty mechanical fixings designed for masonry. With plasterboard, use fixings designed to spread the weight across a wider area for a safer hang.
Can I Mix Materials and Textures?
Rather than overloading the wallspace, create a conversation between the overmantel and the mantelpiece by mixing materials and textures across the two surfaces. This is a fantastic way to add depth, interest, and personality, creating a dynamic focal point by combining smooth with rough, natural with modern – such as wood, metal, stone, and glass – and, finally, matte with reflective finishes.
The overmantel is a design opportunity that shouldn’t be overlooked, but remember that leaving it bare can also be a design statement within the right scheme. Be sure to personalize the space while considering balance, scale, and safety. In the end, there are no hard-and-fast rules. Whether it’s a mirror, a print, a collection of ceramics picked up during vacations, or even nothing at all, what matters is that it feels right in the space and reflects your interests and personality. When the balance is right, the overmantel is not an overlooked area but a continuation of the room’s decorative narrative.
