Decoration

The right way to hang art over a fireplace

Using the space above a chimneypiece to showcase artwork is not new, but a creative combination will stand out. Ruth Sleightholme highlights interiors in which pieces have been mounted above mantels with particular aplomb
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At the headquarters of Studio Ashby, Mia Chaplin's large-scale Foundation hangs above the chimneypiece, which accentuates the height of the room by drawing the eye up to the ceiling. The verdant palette of the oil painting also chimes with the plants in the room, enhancing the subtle scheme featuring shades of green, cream and pink.

Alternative approach

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  1. This Paris flat was designed by Claves Architecture in collaboration with its owner, Christian Louboutin creative director Hugo Marchand. The practice commissioned Staff Espaces Volumes to create a plaster relief of flames that appear to spread from the mantelpiece onto the walls. Inspiration for this came from the decorative artists of the 1930s and 1940s, who incorporated this kind of elaborate, figurative installation into their work. claves.fr | staffev.com
  2. In this dining room, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler's Roger Banks-Pye offset the grand fireplace with a pair of framed line drawings by Henri Matisse, Marine and L'Éveil, placed off-centre and overlapping. This effect both contrasts with and complements the Rococo-style details of the chimney-piece, while the wooden frames harmonise with the colour of the gingham-covered dining chairs. sibylcolefaxxc.com
  3. When a chimneypiece has presence - in this case with a decorated pediment - there may be no need to add art. In Cath Kidston's Cotswold house, a beautiful arrangement of twigs on the wall, combined with a pair of black candle-sticks, has sufficient impact. The style of the large open fireplace gives the interior a slightly gothic feel, which is emphasised by the large oil painting of a tree that hangs above an occasional table to one side. joyofprint.co.uk

Personal Identity

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Simon Upton
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Simon Brown
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ChrisTubbs
  1. Nicky Haslam has displayed his knack for fakery with the embellishment of this brown marble chimneypiece in his west London flat. He added a faux-marble panel behind it, cut an architectural print into a Jean Cocteau-inspired shape and put it in a gold-painted resin frame of his design. This is charmingly paired with a plastic hawk bird scarer, sprayed white to look like porcelain. nickyhaslamstudio.com
  2. In the lavishly detailed London flat of interior designer Alidad, a painting by the couturier Victor Edelstein takes pride of place above the fireplace in the library. Notably, this depicts the room itself, showing the chimneypiece devoid of artwork - with Alidad sitting in an armchair beside it. Hanging the painting in this position alludes to the conventional placement of an overmantel mirror in a subtly surreal way. alidad.com | victoredelstein.com
  3. Interior designer Sarah Chambers had a Full Moon Story image, from a shoot by Kim Kyung Soo for Vogue Korea, blown up to match the proportions of the chimneypiece in her sitting room. The background of the print picks up on the soft grey of the walls, while the chunky picture frame and mount balance the substantial marble design. Sarah has also arranged clusters of ornaments right to the edges, making the most of space. sarahchambersinteriors.co.uk

The influence of colour

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Paul Massey
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Stephen Kent Johnson
  1. For a chimneypiece with no projecting mantelpiece, a gallery-wrapped artwork (an unframed canvas) can be an effective choice. Interior designer Rachel Chudley covered the chaise longue in a silk that tones with the pinks in Every Single Time by Tomo Campbell, while the blues inspired the bespoke paint colour on the walls. 'Greek Key Border' from Adelphi Paper Hangings has been used as a trim for the fire surround and the walls. rachelchudley.com | cobgallery.com
  2. Bridie Hall's London flat is characterised by her casual decorative approach. This is a simple chimneypiece, albeit elevated by the faux-marble paintwork, and so the print of Chalk Paths by Eric Ravilious feels just right. Its mossy green palette works well with her own intaglio cases on the wall, which also tie in with the surprising red of the floor, painted in Dulux's ‘Hot Paprika’. bridiehall.com | dulux.co.uk
  3. Inspired by design and architecture and often featuring interesting colour combinations, Nathalie du Pasquier's works are especially suited to domestic settings. In this room - which was decorated by Studio Giancarlo Valle - her untitled oil painting with its shades of grey echoes the colour and scale of the chimneypiece. To achieve a similar look, you could buy and cut up a book of artist's prints for framing. nathaliedupasquier.com | giancarlovalle.com