I think many times when we are trying to decorate our homes we try to over complicate things. You are not alone in this. I do it all the time. I was sitting back today wanting to change up our fireplace mantel area & at the moment we have some architectural salvage that is adding a background above our mantel, but I wanted to share four simple ways to style a mantel that are not complicated & you can do it with things you already have around your home to draw visual interest. The best part? You can switch the simple items out seasonally like the greens & colors to make it work for every season. Here we go…
Simple Topiaries
We of course have the simple architectural background that helps draw the eye to the focal point of the space, but you can substitute a statement mirror, a framed photo, or something that fits your mantel space in the center. This simple idea is to flank each side of the mantel with a topiary. You can find topiaries we love [HERE] & [HERE]. You can also find white chippy corbels we love [HERE]. I think this first way proves that it doesn’t have to be complicated to look good!
A Basket With Greens.
By now I think you guys know my love for baskets with greens… it’s just something I love doing around our home so I tried it on the mantel. This is a hanging fruit basket I’ve had for a long time that I hung with a nail from the architectural piece, but many other baskets could work for this or if your mantel is deep enough you can just set the basket on the mantel with the greens inside. You can find greens [HERE]. It doesn’t get more simple than a basket of greens… try it!
All The Candles.
The cliche mantel decor, candles. It’s that simple. I took a bunch of my wooden candle holders from World Market & placed them across the mantel. The best part? lighting all the candles to enjoy the ambience of it all. You could use less or more candle holders and mix and match for something more exciting. Also an antique mirror behind all these candles could be gorgeous as well!!
Greens & Candlesticks
A mix of greens & candlesticks is a tale as old as time. This one is a classic & I love the pop of matte black with these candlesticks from Pottery Barn. You can play around with what looks good with your decor, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple candle sticks & topiaries make this fireplace come to life in this space.
I hope this post really showed you how simple it can all be & that sometimes it doesn’t have to be the complicated DIY or the expensive items that make a space beautiful. We had most of this stuff for years & it was fun to try a few different looks for you guys. I hope this post inspired you in some way & makes decorating your mantels a little easier!! Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by the blog today & every day to see what we are up to!xx
You can shop some sources in this post with my affiliate links:
Just saw your “ad” in Garden and Gun, for Barnlight Electric. Perfection!
When you use architectural salvage wood items, do you clean them and seal them first? I love your style. Every post is an inspiration. I also visited your store and it is fabulous.
Ooh! The last was my fave! Liz, I love all you do…
Love this! Thanks for always being so inspiring!
All examples are beautiful,l love the architectural pieces as a backdrop. I also LOVE the trunks on the hearth for summer. ☀️
Inspired!
Thank you!
I soo wish you would do a blog on how to find all the cool architectural pieces that you have. I have been on the hunt for something to put over my dining room window. Love every pic. for your mantel.