Get Your Fireplace Mantel Ready for the Holidays

‘Tis the season for many things, including performing quick fixes to our decor, including our fireplace mantels. With everyone gathering around the fireplace this holiday season, no doubt, you’ve give a lot of thought to how you could make your fireplace mantel really stand out this year.

Top Tips for Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel

1. Choose a theme. Right now, the obvious choice would be the holidays!  But perhaps it would be fun to try the holidays, with a twist of winter weather, use seasonal colors, maybe even draw from those gorgeous winter sunsets in the December sky.

2. Many designers recommend choosing the largest item you want to display, and placing it in the center of your mantel. Doing so will create a center “axis” in the middle of the mantel, that naturally draws the eye.  Think of placing a large floral display, a beautiful mirror, or a photograph or painting in the middle–if it is substantial enough in size to warrant this placement.

3. Go through your home and your colllectibles, and locate items that would make nice additions to the central display on your mantel, and arrange these along the mantel, next to the larger item. It’s best if you can place items that are similar in visual “weight” or size on either side of the central point. This is called “visual balance,” and a design the lends itself to visual balance is more pleasing to the eye.

Visual balance for your fireplace mantel can be reached in two ways–through balance, or symmetry. Symmetry requires that the items be more of a mirror image of one another.  Balance means they are very similar in size and visual “weight.”

Holiday fireplace mantel
Image source: 52mantels.com

Here at Brick-Anew, we are very lucky to have access to some of the greatest DIY, home decor, and lifestyle bloggers out there! A couple of our favorites wanted to weight in on this particular question.

“The fireplace is most often the focal point of a room. My advice would be to make your fireplace stand out in a way that represents you- your style, your interests, your favorite things. We are so often focused on making an impression for our guests or those who see it in the photographs, but it’s your space and you need to be happy with it. Is your style casual? Elegant? Modern? Do you prefer to proudly display your family photo’s or art pieces that speak to you? Don’t fill the space just to have something there. Take your time and fill it with pieces you love…it took me a year to get my fireplace makeover to where it is now. Whatever your style or preference may be, let it be who you are and draw your attention so that you can enjoy the look and feel of your living space.”-Karla Holley, Small Town Rambler

“If your mantel is painted, consider adding a wider top which will allow you to place larger items on it instead of only being able to line up small items that have no impact.

Search the lumber aisle at the home improvement store to find a board that is wider by a few inches from the current top as well as longer. Have the store cut it to size. Use nails, screws, or Liquid Nails to attach it right on top of the existing top. Once painted it will look like a part of the original mantel. If you have wood working skills, consider adding decorative molding trim between the new and previous top.”-Diane Henkler, In My Own Style

The truth is, there are as many ways to create the perfect mantel decor as there are homes and people!  While some basics do apply, there are so many ways to get your mantel looking just right for you.  Meanwhile, it is the holiday season, and a little tinsel and glitter never hurt anyone!

Happy Holidays!