Corner Wall Above Fireplace?

by Priya
(Ontario, Canada)

What can you suggest for my corner wall above a corner fireplace with a mantel? The walls are white and so is the mantel. There is dark hardwood in this room, and it is a small room.

Giorgina's Answer: Decorating a corner wall above a fireplace can be challenging, but not impossible.

If you want to soften up the room a bit, consider painting the walls in a beige color. You may also wish to do a faux finish on the fireplace too. Since you have dark hardwood floors (I am assuming you were referring to the dark hardwood being the floors), the beige paint color will give the room a cozy feel and unified look.

I have outlined various ideas below to help you spruce up your fireplace mantel and walls:

Idea #1:

A wall behind a fireplace mantel, especially in the corner will look very bare if there aren’t accessories on the fireplace mantel to help detract from the walls.

For the fireplace mantel:

*Place candle holders of varying sizes on the right hand side of the mantel.

*Place a wire basket or woven basket containing decorative accent balls in the center of the mantel.

*Place a decorative accent box on the far left.

Idea #2:

For the fireplace mantel:

*Place a few faux books stacked on top of one another (the largest size sits on the bottom) and place a figurine on top of the books (such as, a bird sculpture).

*In the center, place a faux plant (such as, a boxwood topiary) that is inside of an urn.
Position another sculpture (preferably one that matches the first sculpture) on the far left.

Idea #3:

For the fireplace mantel:

*Place a faux plant in the center set inside a decorative vase or urn.

*Place candle holders on opposite ends of the plant.

Idea #4:

For the fireplace mantel and walls above the fireplace: 

*Place a topiary plant in the center as the centerpiece.

*Hang wall art on each side of the wall behind the fireplace. The art will essentially be facing each other.