We have a beautiful picture, which is perfect viewing from our sofa. I do love a mirror though; especially if the room is small and/or dark.

I have a Regency-style girandole mirror with gilt entertwined dolphins above the mantel in my main parlor. I have an engraving of one of my ancestors above the mantel in the dining room. In the lower parlor, I have a great old albumen composite of the officers of the CSS Alabama, which was built in England. One of my ancestors was an officer on board for her entire cruise.

I have a large oak mirror .It makes the room look larger .

Ours is freestanding so no mantel ;)

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I have yet to decide what to put over my fireplace as it is an open granite affair with a large granite lintel that takes up the gable end wall of the cottage. However, there is about 8inches of wall (sorry to use old money) between the top of the lintel and the ceiling. I've toyed with several small objects/paintings one long thin object/painting etc, etc and so the endless permutations go on- hence the blank space!!

Mine is spookily very similar to 'Southernpointofview'. Would be interesting to compare our other rooms. It's not clear in the pic but there is a wood burning stove in the fireplace and that 'Perky' of Pinky and Perky puppets fame hangs off the side of the fireplace. In my Regency home I always like to add a touch of humour to the decor. It makes people smile.

To take advantage of the views, I turned an unused bedroom into an upstairs sitting room, but It needed a focal point so I chose a contemporary fire and surround and placed the TV above. I think it has worked well.

The 3 most common wall objects over a mantel are:

• Mirror- reflects light, but people have burned themselves by standing too close to the fire to see their reflection
• Artwork- check to make sure that rising heat won't adversely affect the artwork, e.g. crazing of oil paints.
• TV- again, check that rising heat won't affect the TV. LCD TV's particularly susceptible.

These are pretty cool.

We have one that gets lots of comments. So much so we have named him!

http://shop.bendgoods.com/products/long-horn

i have a large painting which is off centre plus a large glass jar with some dried honesty it it. it's got a kind of retro feel.

I think mirrors always look well and of course help brighten a room. I personally hate tvs over a fire as I think the angle for viewing is weird and they aren't the most attractive feature usually..

Large mirror but (not that I put them there) there are often a couple of cats up there too.

A mirror adds depth to the room

I voted for art to add another element to look at above the fire.

No one's mentioned it yet but we've got an oversized clock above ours...

Art adds unique class to a room

I put a big picture of myself above the fire place. I find it keeps small children and animals away from the fire.....

Originally the most popular item to put above the fireplace was a mirror, typically a wooden gilt frame and fairly tall to compliment the high ceilings of Georgian and Victorian homes.

Judging by the what our customers opt for I would say the mirror is still a popular choice, although perhaps not so ostentatious now. Take this simple mirror in the picture below further enhancing the symmetry of the arranged ornaments.

Victorian marble fire surround with arched cast iron grate · More Info

A mirror screen TV can work really well in the right location.

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As an interior designer I feel a beautiful piece of art can really bring a room together, whilst expressing yourself with a unique piece.

Finish your feature fireplace off with a statement piece of art

Mine is a 1930s fire surround which has a built in oval overmantel mirror,

Everyone should have a carbon monoxide detector some where above there fireplace.

Mirrors are dangerous over fires as people stand too close and clothes can catch fire, just a note of warning. I would put art over the fireplace.

We love the way one of our customers complimented this classic style fireplace with a bold, stand-out piece of artwork. It really draws the eye as an attractive centerpiece to their living space.

We love seeing a mirror or a painting above a fireplace. A mirror is such a simple and versatile way to reflect the room, making it feel more open and spacious, A luxurious mirror can become a stunning focal point. However a piece of art will create a focal point that draws more attention and can add a point of interest and colour. Ultimately depends on what you're trying to achieve. We love how our customer added a pop of colour to this white room, creating a subtle and contemporary harmony between the fireplace and the art above it.

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it makes the room look larger

Kartell Ming Reed Diffusers of course! The add elegance, colour and aromas!

I am lucky enough to live in a flatshare that has a fireplace, even if it doesn't work! I just love the way it brings the room together and encourages snuggling up on the sofas with a nice cup of hot tea and a good book to read! There is something very homely about a fireplace and although our one is bare of any mantlepiece decorations, one of my favorite artworks claimed its spot above it almost as soon as I stepped foot in the house! The color of the marble and the undertones in the paintings couldn't have worked any better if I wanted them to and I feel like the dimensions are pretty well balanced! My flatmates certainly didn't oppose!

A DESIGNER MIRROR TO GIVE THE FEELING OF MORE SPACE

nothing above fireplace