A Picture Perfect Fireplace Mantel Styling Recipe: Part 1
Fireplaces have always been a design feature in spaces like living or sitting rooms, and these spaces are where we usually host, gather, and entertain, so why not decorate and style our fireplace mantels too? It is the perfect spot to dress up throughout the seasons and acts as a backdrop to your living and dining room.
If you do not have a fireplace mantel, that’s okay. You can apply the same styling recipe to your Christmas or Thanksgiving table or you can fake it and install a shelf above your fireplace.
Ingredients: The Essentials
This blog is organized like a recipe, the first part are the ingredients you will need which we call: the essentials.
Objects
The first ingredient you need for your fireplace mantel is objects. Objects can be anything from art, mirrors, vases, candles, books, figurines, and sculptures. You do not need to incorporate everything listed, rather switch your items out periodically to keep it looking fresh and clutter free.
Some fireplace mantels are not
that deep so use what makes sense for your setup.
Colour and Greenery
The next ingredients going into our styling recipe are colours and greenery. Add colour but keep it consistent and not thematic, so pick a scheme that works for your space and the season you are currently in. Do not go overboard by adding in all the colours of the rainbow—Try a monochromatic or analogous colour scheme, instead.
Fireplaces are made of hard surfaces like cement, stone, or wood so introduce greenery to soften and break up harsh lines and edges. Depending on the season, this could be garlands, branches, pampas, stems, vines, wreaths, plants, or flowers.
Use a mix of real and faux greenery.
Lighting
The last and most important ingredient is lighting. Practicing fire safety is important—watch out for candles or candle holders that can knock over easily. Be extra cautious around the fireplace opening when it is in use as something hanging too low could accidentally ignite. If you are still worried about fire safety, purchase flameless/LED candles instead or leave the candles unlit.
Candles, LEDs,
and twinkly lights provide warmth and are the perfect finishing touch.
Layer in the lighting with the greenery, you can wrap twinkly lights around your garland (during the holidays) for a classic look or use a combination of twinkly lights and candle holders for a more elevated and timeless look. Another approach is to hide lights behind the artwork/a mirror—this creates more of a subtle and minimal glow.
Adding in Lighting creates a more cozy atmosphere—especially at night.
Final Thoughts
Just like cooking, styling and decorating are personal. We often put our own spin on it and wing it when it comes to following recipes because we may not have all the ingredients or tools needed. Depending on your mantel you may do the same, so have fun and put your own personality in it.
Now that we have the essentials down, let’s move on to the next step, the directions.
