How to Decorate Your Fireplace With Pictures

Display pictures over a fireplace to create interest and style.

Fireplaces are often the focal point of a room, so their decoration and style is very important in the overall feeling of a space. There are many different ways to decorate a fireplace, ranging from adding decorative accents, such as pottery, dishes and other mementos, to highlighting large dried-flower wreaths and candlesticks. One simple way to enhance the appearance of a fireplace is to create a beautiful picture arrangement that hangs over the mantel. With a few easy decorating tips, this type of mantel decoration is fairly simple and the results are visually pleasing for any style of room.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Large, medium and small pictures
• Large, medium and small frames
• Picture matting
• Hammer
• Nails
• Pencil
• Picture hanging hardware
• Track lighting

1. Choose a large picture. Select a large picture, approximately the size of the fireplace opening, and hang it between three to seven inches above the top of the fireplace mantel. When choosing an appropriate frame, select one that reflects the style of the picture, such as an ornately carved frame for a Victorian choice or a sleek, silver frame for a contemporary picture.

2. Select two medium-sized pictures. Use matching picture frames and select pictures that relate to each other in terms of theme, size and color for an interesting display that enhances the style of the room.

3. Hang one large picture flanked by two smaller ones. Choose a large, framed picture for the middle of the display and flank it on the right and left sides by two smaller, related pictures. Select pictures that have matching frames and colors and a theme that is similar. Hang the pictures, leaving three inches between each, for a pleasing visual display.

4. Create a collage of pictures. Using three to five pictures, think of an imaginary rectangle drawn on the wall and stagger the pictures throughout this "box," leaving at least three inches of blank wall in between each picture. Relate the pictures in terms of matching picture frames, matting colors and overall themes for a fireplace picture display that has maximum visual appeal.

5. Make a symmetrical design. Take a medium-sized picture and hang it in the middle of the arrangement. Hang two smaller pictures on the left-hand and right-hand side of the large picture so they are a few inches above the top of the medium-sized picture. To finish the display, add one additional picture on the left-hand side and right-hand side below the other two smaller pictures for an arrangement that enhances any space.

6. Incorporate track lighting over the pictures to showcase the entire arrangement.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an electronic stud finder to locate wall studs. Hanging pictures on wall studs gives them more stability than ones hung directly on the wall board.

References

• Dish on Design: Tips for Hanging Artwork
• Random Interior Ideas: Displaying Pictures
• All Things Frugal: Tips for Hanging Pictures