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Decorating a mid-century fireplace – help!

pam kueber - Updated: November 11, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Here is a tricky design question. Susan writes:
Hi Pam,
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After two years, I still cannot figure out what to put on these shelves that are built into my fireplace!  They are 10.5″ wide and 5.75″ deep, and they are spaced about 11.5″ apart (vertically, from the top of one shelf to the top of the next, if that makes sense).  I thought I’d pose the question to you (and possibly your readers), since I can’t be the only one struggling with this…
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Thanks,
Susan, aka Kitty Mommy
Readers — what do you think? How can Susan decorate this space?

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69 comments

Comments

  1. Cathleen says

    I love this fireplace and I envy you! Okay – I am somewhat of a purist and MCM design snob. I live not far from Cranbrook – the design college so many MCM icons hail from. Unfortunately – I’m a poor snob – no cool fireplace – but I can dream! 😉 I am actually planning to frame some fabric pieces that are designed by some of the greats and hang them in a triptych in my MCM townhouse stairwell. http://www.jandofabrics.com/categories.asp?id=20 Your fireplace would be exactly the perfect place to do such a cool set. Again…I really envy your classic MCM fireplace! ~C.

  2. Jen8 says

    Mid-mod colored decorative glass items. Blenko, Pilgrim glass, Westmoreland, Fenton, Kanahwa jsut some of the companies who had made decorative pieces. My Mom had a fireplace very similar to that in our born in 1963 ranch and that is what she decorated her mantle shelves and bay window with. Here is an example of a Blenko piece on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350370687354&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=WVF%3F&GUID=ea5688e61270a0b58b27f087ffe7101c&itemid=350370687354&ff4=263602_263622

  3. Patty says

    I agree with the art glass! Bright blue, avacado, or orange depending on your color scheme; or something along the lines of California Pottery vases all the same color and simiiar in style..and in the space above the left shelf~a starburst clock!

  4. Elaine says

    PS, my 1964 era fireplace is built into a huge fieldstone wall, and is just beautiful, but has no shelves or mantel. I currently have some flying geese hanging from the rocks to look like they are landing, but I recently acquired two lovely art pieces that I want to show off on the fireplace somehow. Those shelves have given me an idea!

  5. Elaine says

    Another vote for the art glass items, vases, pots, figures. It was so collectible around then, and came in all different shapes. I think I would go tall and slender on the bottom shelf, gradually going shorter and wider on the upper shelves. Turquoise, green, orange, clear… Or you could go with the corresponding ceramic pieces in the same color schemes. Blenko on the bottom, clear next and then ceramic on top, or any mix.

    I have a green Blenko wine carafe with a frosted clear glass stopper that would look stunning on that bottom shelf if you could find some little demi-glasses to go with it. My mother collected the green art glass in the late 50s. We also have a turquoise glass Guadeloupe decanter. If I had those shelves, that’s what I would put on them.

  6. Maria Stahl says

    I confess, I was thinking I would just cut them off and hope nobody remembered they were there, but I thought I’d get shot if I posted that. And then Gavin came along and said the same thing. Heh.

  8. Atomic Bowler - Dave says

    I’m thinking of some vintage carved ebony statues from Ethiopia or Africa…might look very cool and are often found at real bargain-basement prices in the thrifts.
    The black would be a nice contrast with the stone and subtly offset the firescreen.
    Dave

  9. Gavin Hastings says

    Duh!!!
    If your into kitsch- Why not those “3 Ducks in Filght” wood and brass sculptures mounted on the face of those shelves?
    You could use those removble adhesive hangers.

  10. Jen says

    I agree with Mike Goble @ 5:31pm — I think related items (either by theme, color, or shape) seems key. Some ideas off the top of my head…. (and I do not claim that any of these ideas are classy/chic ……… remember, this blog celebrates middle-and-sometimes-tacky Americans through the years!! 😉 )
    1) African wooden animals
    2) Toy letter or printers blocks that spell words
    3) Word boards, i.e., “love/faith/hope” (not my style, but others seem to like)
    4) Favorite books, face-forward (maybe old books with crumbling covers?)
    5) Vintage dollhouse/miniature fireplaces
    6) Tiny, tall vases with dried reeds/silk flowers
    7) A mug full of pencils/paintbrushes/colored pencils/hobby-items

    good luck!

    • Gavin Hastings says

      Sometime I think it gets celebated a bit too much…in place of design purity and good taste. Beautiful interiors from previous decades will always beautiful. Bad is bad forever.
      And before anyone chimes in with “who decides?” the answer is TIME..
      Read this quickly-it won’t appear too long.