I have a love hate relationship with the fireplace in my living room. Maybe you do too.
My mantel is particularly long, just over 70 inches, so styling it has been a challenge over the years. However, as I have played with my own fireplace I discovered a no-fail formula that always looks great!
Let me share my 4 steps for an easy and perfect fireplace mantel!
Start with a Clean Slate
This may sound really straightforward, but you need to always style with a blank slate.
Not to mention, might be ideal to clean it if you haven’t done that recently… like me.
Place Your Largest Layer
Use a large mirror or a large piece of art to lean or mount to the wall. This needs to be large in scale. You will end up covering a portion of it so look for something with height and width to fill the space.
If you aren’t sure how big to go, I would suggest no more than 3/4 the width of your mantle. Height will really just depend on your ceilings, but avoid a stubby mirror or art. If you have an 8 foot ceiling for example, consider a mirror that leaves a foot of space between the ceiling and the frame.
The goal is to draw the eye up, but you don’t want it too close to your ceiling. That will make everything look out of proportion to your room.
Add a Smaller Piece in Front of Your Largest Layer
Now that you have your “main” piece, place a secondary item off to one side of it, but covering a portion of the mirror or art you started with. I like a smaller piece that is anywhere between a quarter to a third of the size of your larger item.
Can the size be smaller or larger?
Absolutely.
This is just a no-fail method I have found that ALWAYS looks good. No guesswork required.
If you had a large mirror as your first layer, place a piece of art you love or a photo leaning against it.
The other key here is to pay attention to shapes.
Don’t place a rectangular photo up against a rectangular mirror. Try to get a different shape incorporated for interest.
Now if my mirror is rectangular, but has curved edges for instance, I would say those are unique enough to pair together.
Just be sure there is something unique about the two shapes.
Pro Tip: For additional interest, don’t forget about the finishes. A nickel mirror with a photo in a black matted frame will look great. A wood framed piece of large art can have a photo nestled in a more opulent styled frame leaning against it.
Add Volume
This step is where I suggest bringing in some greenery. A beautiful vase and some stems will add height, texture, and fill the mantel.
If you have a large mantle using greenery is especially helpful.
However, what if you have a narrow ledge or your mantle isn’t very wide?
You can add volume by grabbing two candlesticks of varying heights and placing them off to the side opposite your smaller framed piece.
Really, any accessory that will offer height is a good option, but consider the overall scale in proportion to your mantel.
I would personally look for something that isn’t as tall as my largest piece, but nothing shorter than my secondary piece.
So the Goldilocks of height here.
Conclusion
This very simple styling will always look great on your fireplace. You can use this as your foundation for adding more items if you would like.
Regardless of your mantel style or size, just remember, to keep the proportion of everything in mind to the room and one another.
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From the time I was a young child, I have loved interior design and beautiful things. Ten-year-old me would create “floor plans” on notebook paper and design the dream homes of my siblings. We would have an initial meeting and after jotting down their wish list, I got to work creating the home of their dreams.
After designing the layout, I would take the Sunday newspaper ads (are those still a thing?) and cut out pictures of furniture, lamps, and accessories to create mood boards for each room in the home. When I was all done, weeks and weeks later, I would showcase my work and pitch my design ideas to a sibling.
If you too enjoy beautiful things and the process of turning a vision into a reality, welcome! If you love watching homes transform, but just don’t know how to start or have the resources to buy everything you like, stick around. I love finding affordable and practical design solutions to give YOU a gorgeous home you can be proud of.
Together, let’s reveal what’s possible.
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