I have been taking my time trying to decide what to put over the fireplace in the living room. It’s has a very prominent place in our home and I didn’t want to rush into throwing anything up there. So it has been bare for the better part of the year, and to be honest, I don’t mind the rest that the bareness brings. But now that the chaos is dying down a little on our interior (knock on wood!), I’m itching to put something above our fireplace.
Like, it’s time. Here are the 3 things I’m considering with pros and cons to each and a round up of some options below.
1. A Mirror
I just love a mirror above a fireplace. It can make the whole room feel larger and add a ton of interest without really taking anything away from the structure. Plus, it’s perfect for layering additional art, plants, holiday decor–whatever. I really love the super vintage-y ones above a fireplace that look more like mercury glass.
A mirror is like a window, but does this room need another window? I don’t think it would necessarily reflect anything interesting as it’s a little high, so that’s a con. But maybe it would keep the peace the room has with nothing, but add a little interest.
2. Art
Art was my initial go-to, of course. But being an art lover, it’s super difficult for me to commit to one piece for…ever? And I guess that’s where I need to draw the line and remind myself–whatever we put up there doesn’t have to be forever. But just for now. For a few years. A room can and should continue growing and evolving.
Right now, I’m really into abstracts and I think something neutral or dark would add a lot to the living room while still keeping the peace.
3. Frame TV
When we built the fireplace, we ran wires to hang a TV just in case we decided we’d want to. There’s even a hidden compartment on the side to hide electronics so this option is definitely in the running. The great thing about the Frame TV is that I can change the art whenever my mood changes.
The downside? There’s a TV in our living room and we wouldn’t want all of our family time centered around a screen or leave the TV on in the background. We also have a family room downstairs with a TV.
We’ve been weighing them out for a little while now and all three have pros and cons. I don’t think I’m going to go with the mirror, because I think I’ll put a mirror on the dining room side of this fireplace (oh yeah–this has been decision paralysis times 2! Haha, but art vs a frame TV. Let’s discuss!
Love your fireplace! We are putting a similar fire place in our new build. I am wondering if you would share the compartments you mentioned for electronics if your decided to add a tv where did you hide the wiring you added behind the artwork? Thank you.
The charcole colored, second piece of art looks awesome.
I actually just struggled with this very issue. I decided upon art. I gravitated towards nature, but wanted something non seasonal. I liked pictures that ‘took me somewhere’ (a winding road, an infinity dock over water) yet wanted something a little more modern and also liked abstract but not too harshly geometric. I ended up with Golden Tracks by Margie Hurwich. I liked that I could choose the size of the print, the mats and the frame. Good luck!
TV. You solve the problem of wanting to switch out artwork and have a tv there for when the time is right.
That black art just does it for me. Suddenly the whole room feels more calm and grounded. Love how it visually ties to the dining room tile.