Mantel decorating ideas that compliment the fireplace might very well be the focal point of your room.
If you have a fireplace, the mantel will be a distinctive feature of it decorating it provides additional interest and sets the tone or can change the mood of the room.
It is a flexible way to emphasis this architectural feature with an enormous amount of creative options open to you, and change this small area with big results depending on what mood you want to create.
It may be with one dramatic piece or a combination of art and accessories and will likely be determined by the overall style of the room and the mantle itself.
Mirrors brighten and open the space and can be used singularly spanning the entire width of the mantle or grouping several different sizes and in frames of materials to reflect your style of choice.
The mantel is a perfect place to make personal, by displaying collections, anything from pottery, antique clocks, or decorative boxes and one of the easiest areas of the home to decorate for the holidays and can be used to an advantage in your home decorating by changing it with the different seasons.
Tall vases with forsythia or other blooming branches are mantel decorating ideas for in the spring,
Carry the floral theme into the warmer months of summer with a single flower in a bud vase,
In the fall, the display of interesting gourds, pinecones and mini pumpkins,
And a winter setting could include a garland of pine with silver accents.
The mantel is also becoming a home to flat screen televisions. You will need to be careful with the accents you use in this case. Display tall vases or candlesticks off to the sides in symmetry so as not to interfere with the TV.
Whatever you decide and whether the mantle on your fireplace is fancy or plain, you’ll want to keep a balance with the decorative elements you choose to display and mix various sizes of those items and in proportion to the mantle itself.
Little tiny items will get lost on a large mantle of rough-hewn wood and larger items will be off-balance on small mantles.
Mantel decorating ideas keep the overall style of the room and details of the fireplace in mind and resist the urge to display everything at once.
Overcrowding the mantle just makes it appear cluttered adding confusion to it and the rest of the room.
And remember too, the fireplace is functional so don’t use anything that is easily flammable.
As a general guideline for mantel decorating ideas but certainly not mandatory is to first place a favorite framed piece of art in the center, it could hang on the wall or simply be propped up against it in the center.
One piece of art could be in the center or you could layer one on top of the other.
Then when placing objects on the mantel keep these few simple arranging tips in mind. Place three items on one side and one item on the other.
The three items want to be similar to each other either in theme or color but of different sizes and heights, but not so drastically different. Some examples might include candles, picture frames, or pottery.
Place them to the side but not all the way to the edge and try not to just line them up. Position them so that one of your items might be slightly in front of one or tilted at an angle or one could possibly be turned on its side.
Balance this on the other side with one item that is in proportion the total mass of the three, and about twice as tall but not as tall as the painting in the center. This item should echo the three items in theme, color, texture or shape such as a topiary, an urn or sculpture.
