In today’s Retro Design Dilemma, Peter asks for our ideas and advice on how to decorate the beautiful fireplace in his 1957 ranch house. He loves the variegated stone work. How should he show it off best? No mood boards or google hangouts from Kate and me today — but tomorrow, we’ll activate the uploader, so you can share your fireplace decor. We might even make some mood boards — based on your ideas. Meanwhile — what are your ideas for Peter? Read on for his question — and more photos. Oh, and P. to the S..: Another pink bathroom saved, cha-ching!
Peter writes:
Hi,
We have a 1957 ranch with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace with a wood mantel running the length of it above the hearth. We’ve considered things like a Jeré starburst or a mirror to go above the mantel, but we love the rust, salmon and brick red stone that makes up the fireplace so much we can’t bear to cover it up. I would love to see what some of your other readers have done with their mantels (it is after all the focal point of the living room). Wall art, vases, lamps, pictures? There must be things we can put up there other than our phone chargers…?
Thanks,
Peter
Beautiful room, Peter. Those windows are just like the ones in my house — Anderson Windowalls. I need to do a story on them sometime.
In follow up emails, Peter sent me some more photos of his house, which had just one owner before he and his wife moved in. He wrote:
… Here is a shot of the kitchen and pink bathroom with its banjoesque built in, which you can take full credit for saving. My wife wanted white subway tile until she saw your website.
Golly, I’m sure glad that this pink bathroom was saved — it’s a really beauty. That pink and black liner tile is delicious!
Constance says
Placing three to four candles on the mantle in earth style holders would be simple and the flicker of the candle light will give a very nice glow and spot light the stone…
If you put anything on the stone, it would have to be a sculpture of copper would not take away from the stone.
Janice says
I have a stone fireplace similar to this and I have a starburst goldtone clock hung on it and it definitely does not detract from the stonework. I think putting a large mirror would do that, but not an airy metal sculpute or clock. I don’t have a mantal that goes all the way across, but rather two stone shelves that are randomly placed on either side of the clock and I have contemporary vases on them. However, I like the idea someone mentioned about putting Blenko pieces on the mantel. I have several pieces of Blenko and I might try that. Now, let’s talk about that kitchen and bathroom! I love, love, love the windows that are ht above your countertop in the kitchen! I’ve seen houses from the outside that have these small windows and always wondered what they would look like from the inside. I was not disappointed. And that pink bathroom and is sweet! Thank you for saving it!
Linda says
I’m thinking bolder – you need a strong focal point – something that draws your eye to the fireplace – I’d go with 3 (strong designs are odd numbers) maybe 11×14 black frames all in a row (pick up the black elements in the brick and balance the big black hole) and use sepia tone prints – I think landscape/ floral/ trees – but it could as easily be graphic designs…. Photoshop will let you change existing photos into sepia – or print larger images……..just don’t do personal people photos – that dilutes the strong design…
Jil Casey says
What about a trio of tall mid century cylinder pottery vases in staggered heights in cream or black? I would also add a plant that has a sculptural look to it, it would look great against the stone of the fireplace and it looks like you have a lot of light in this room. Perhaps it could be planted in a large ball vase if it will fit on the mantle – round shapes are nice for softening the angles in a room. Add a much smaller ball vase next to it to balance things out.
Lynne says
Okay, why is that no one’s Andersen Window Walls look like mine??? Yes, Pam do a story on them, because I’m beginning to think mine are mutants.
Dale says
Oh, and that’s a really unfortunate placement of the kitchen stove. Makes cooking a pain if someone is coming and going through that door.
Dale says
Some type of starburst sculpture would be nice. Or a pair of large plaster figurines, ballet or Chinese/Indian figures. Or a couple of Margaret Keane type paintings (the ragamuffins with the big droopy eyes) or paint by numbers. If scale is an issue you could probably scan one and have it blown up to poster size. I’d also put some period patterned drapes across that bank of windows that can be pulled open.
Lynne says
Since the fireplace stones are large in scale, your decor needs to be a large statement as well. A bunch of little knick knacks just won’t work. A couple of BIG, interesting and simple pieces would be enough.
I agree with the others that the mantle could go, and then hang a fabulous abstract. But, if you want a mantle for decorating, replace it with something much more substantial. The existing one is too dainty. Perhaps you could faux beef it up with moldings?
Mark says
My suggestion would be something tall & narrow at one end of the mantle, and a black metal “collage”-type wall art piece on the opposite side. That way the variegated stone shows though. Keep it assymentrical, in any case… 🙂
Mark says
That should be “assymetrical”. Stupid fingers… 😛
Marta says
I would not remove the mantel. It’s an extension of the shelves to its right. I, too, have a floor to ceiling fireplace, ours being stacked granite and currently without a mantel (the original was a piece of beam that fell off on my head), and desperately want one.
What Peter’s mantel seems to need is something with height. It needn’t be wide, just tall. If you look at the windows on the right side of the room, there are obvious vertical lines. I’d love to see a very tall and reasonably narrow wrought iron element placed in the center of the mantel. Not narrow I know, but one of those sculptures that look like an espalier tree might work if it’s branches are thin enough to really show the brick.
Another idea would be to hang a black wrought iron type of pendant light from the ceiling at the middle of the fireplace containing at least three hanging elements. I keep saying wrought iron, but anything painted black would do in order to balance with what looks to me to be grills in the sides of the fireplace. Is this a Heat-a-lator fireplace, by any chance?
Even something like this, if it’s not too huge, could give you a vertical focus. http://www.origincrafts.com/climbing-sunflowers-wall-sculpture-ocrec411.html
Marta says
I meant the windows on the LEFT side of the room. My right/left disfunction is very evident this morning.