SFGate

TanCalGal I like simple. Thick greens in a delightful drape.

Dar olldj22, love that idea. I guess using some white lights in the garland would make it festive. Then add a large poinsettia plant on the hearth. Don't add more than one item to the hearth or it will look cluttered.

olldbobbi Simple and stunning votive candles:

Emily Hurley When I think of modern, I think very clean and spare and metallic. Maybe something like this?
I really like the votives above as well.

olldbobbi Emily! A jingle bell garland! Great idea. I've been thinking of adding a jingle bell to my dog's collar, I think it will be very festive and make him nuts. What do you think?....olldbob

TanCalGal olldbob: U gave me a good idea for myself. At first I thought the votives were silver in the photo. Someone gave me silver stemmed wine glasses that I hate. I think I'll try votives in them this year and maybe some silver balls here and there, all tucked in greens. Thanks.

olldbobbi olldj22, cool!

M. Barton While I love greenery, I don't think it will create the modern look you are after. Instead, cover the mantel with ornaments, the simple ball type, laid directly on the mantel. Then use the same ornaments to fill clear glass hurricanes or large vases placed on or around the hearth. For a really modern look, use ornaments in different shades of just one or two colors, like these lime green ones from Crate and Barrel.

Christine I would go WHITE with silver and one other color a very modern purple or pink or blue or brown.

White candles, mercury glass votives (as shown above but I would go for modern shapes), silver reindeers, white wreaths, silver minature xmas trees. You have the natural part down with your stone wall so I would ask sparkle and sheen and texture.

A white feather boa as my mantle garland and then twine some green xmas wired flower ribbon throughout. Then add fake light candles in white. Then I would put various sizes of silver minature xmas trees on the hearth and then put mercury votives, mercury tree ornaments and then add a few ornaments in my signature color of choice. Then I would get miniature evergreen in simple clean lines vases and add those and then make 2 matching white ball wreaths (really easy and fun) and hand them on either side of the fireplace.

Becky Harris Hi Everyone! We'll be putting out a call for Houzzers to share their Holiday Mantels in December, I hope everyone will be contributing their pictures and I'll be bookmarking this thread so I can check out your suggestions over here as well.

movethisnotthat very pretty fireplace, it is not screaming modern to me, consider what else is in your room, and use those colors in bulbs, from the top you could hang bulbs with ribbon,rope, or metal at different heights, a tray,basket or trunk on the hearth filled with oversized bulbs in it. No fireplace is complete without stockings, look for those that are really different shapes and sizes. Candle sticks with bulbs on top in place of candles is a fun modern look too. Tell us what colors are in your room...houzzers are full of ideas, just wait and see.

olldbobbi Becky, after Thanksgiving, I hope?

groveraxle

kennedytarheel how about using candlesticks with colorful glass tree toppers instead of candles?

kennedytarheel how about using candlesticks with colorful glass tree toppers instead of candles?

patty526 I worry about the tv, I'd go with a thick green garland across the top of the brick, and drape down the sides. If you swag it a bit at the top, a nice lit wreath would fit above the tv, then get tall, skinny hurricanes for the mantle itself. Hang stockings in between. Come on, you know you're gonna be watching games! Don't want to burn the tube OR have to move stuff on game day! Put small votives on mantle with pine cones, and smaller ornaments scattered on shelf....

aimee311 All great ideas! Thank you so much! Movethisnotthat, my colors in the room are currently gray, yellow, and white. We just moved here, so right now the wall color is white, but it will be a light gray soon. I love the jingle bell garland and ideas of ornaments. I will do some shopping and post finished product.

cleemercedes Instead of looking for something for the mantel ...why not try something festive on both sides of the Hearth ......birch branches with LED lights on them would be beautiful and pick up the earth tones of the stone . Are those LED spots in the can lights ? If not you need to try them ......

olldbobbi aimee311, sorry to interupt, but if you do go with the pretty votives I suggested above, please use the battery operated flickering lights so you don't melt the tv, ok?

pcmom1 I just started a Christmas Idea book!

One thing, next to fireplace place a sturdy, large container. One that can handle the weight of branches. Add some tall ones (see idea on Houzz), from these hang a few simple silver balls or Swedish straw ornaments, plywood snowflakes, etc.

GARY FINLEY, ASID keep it lose........not to 'perfect' drape it to hang low with a dip as shown above .......us colorful onaments and short candles ....even the fake ones on timers are great for this type of installation

pcmom1 Hard to do festive with those large flat screens. Are there any DVDs out there that would play snow falling?

Also I like to have fake wrapped boxes sitting around on the hearth and floor.

msslynne I personally would find two fake tall thin trees spray them silver, which would look great with the wall color is or with the grey if you get it done soon, use white lights on them nd place them on the floor each side of the mantel to stretch the space wider, a plain simple dark green swag over your mantle with silver objects that strike you as modern maybe a cranberry beaded swag thru it, a rug in front of the hearth and throw in a dvd with winter scenes, there are several out there I got one from Target.

pcmom1 Great to know about the DVD of winter scenes! All Houzzers are now making a mad dash to Target!

movethisnotthat those DVD s make great art too.......just like inside a picture frame, pick an artist you love, change it when are ready ! Better than a black hole on your wall anyday !

aimee311 Thanks for all your great ideas!!!! Here is what I have so far....

dcer Looks great so far!

maryomara My kids love it when I decorate my (white) mantle with blue lights. I then place silvery objects, tiny branch leaves in white , glass bowls filled with silver and shiny and matte blue balls, a silver sleigh filled with candy..etc. underneath the mantle, I attach different blue and silver balls that hang at different lengths.

pcmom1 Love it. Run with that modern tree theme. I see a few larger ones on the floor to the left of the FP. I do think the wreath on the wall doesn't really do much. Think it would be great on top of the coffee table with a candle in the middle!

GARY FINLEY, ASID a little evergreen never hurts.....................................would love to see some RED thrown at it

Dar If you are going all white be sure to add in some sparkle with silver & gold & a lot of sparkly white lights.

TanCalGal How about some white organza?