A sweet reader contacted us on instagram recently, and asked if we had any tips for creating a great mantel.
So it got us started thinking on all things mantels and breaking it down. We do love a good traditional, warm, and centralized area of any great/living/family room, and adore the character that they can bring in with just a few simple highlights. We realized that we do have a few basic formulas for all things mantels, as well as tips and tricks that we like to use when keeping it a centralized focal point in the home. So today, we thought we would break down a few of those things with a few of our fave before and afters of all things mantels.
1. Scale
Keep it simple. You always want to make sure that whatever you use over the mantel works with the rest of the space. A common mistake we see, is things of a smaller nature that don’t really do much for the space. Traditionally, a fireplace/mantel area is the focal point of the room, so you’ll want to treat it as such. We say use one big piece, or layer some pieces overhead to showcase your space. Make it a place to showcase your favorites when it comes to art, photography and more. Own it, and make it less of an afterthought and more intentional. You’ll love the way it feels.
{See more of this mantel with 10 foolproof decorating tips}
2. Hide it
Yes, the TV is always a contention when it comes to spaces, and where it should go. So we thought we’d go ahead and broach the topic. We had limited floor space in our own home, and knew that we needed room for the TV over the actual mantel. But, the problem is, we’re actually lovers of art. You’ll see the same situation in the next photo example {two below – that TV is hidden, too} but in both of these spaces, you’d never know there was a place for all things TV behind the space for art. So whether you cut it out specifically, or have a nice chunky canvas to hide it all {below} you really can have your cake and eat it too.
And we highly recommend it.
{see more of our great room + how we hid the tv}
3. Collected
Make the mantel itself a little showcase piece on it’s own. The wood piece you see above was a salvaged piece of barn wood, and we turned it into a real centerpiece by making it a part of the mantel, itself.
We have plans for our next mantel on the new addition we’re currently building, and can’t wait to show you how we plan to make it a statement piece with tile. Here’s another example from our last house: where we took out the builder’s beige nonsense, and added to it all with our own handmade mantel and some fresh marble tile. The possibilities are endless when you make the mantel itself a statement piece, and no longer have to fight it.
4. Anchor the space
When in doubt, center the focal point, and bring in symmetry. You can see the previous owners of this home were a little {understandably} confused about what to do, and we were able to anchor the space by bringing in a large and in charge piece of art to hide the TV. In doing that, we could simplify the living space. The candlesticks were a simple addition, but helped unify all that’s going on here in the room. Winning!
{See more of this space here – we were able to bring their mantel to life with some great accents – and you’d never know there was a TV up there!}
5. Make it meaningful
Whatever you do, make it meaningful. We love bringing in art that means something. In the great example below, we took a song from the client’s wedding, and surprised them by blowing it up over their mantel as art. It meant so much to have something sweet over their space.
with this space, we did the opposite, since the room alignment allowed for it, and their TV was getting too hot over the fireplace. We added some great, personal art, and welded a piece of handmade furniture that was oh so pretty for their space.
6. Something on the side
This one is a lame example of that, but if you look at the others above, you’ll see it holds true. We’ve talked a lot about the mantel itself, but don’t forget about the hearth. It always helps to add something to the bottom layer, whether it’s a collected piece or something to add interest. We love bringing in fun elements with the hearth itself.
You can see how we took a plain jane mantel, and used Scale, brought in interest with a collected look in a handmade mantel and shiplap to anchor the space, and symmetry to help pull it all together.
{we loved bringing this mantel to life – check out the ronald mcdonald house reveal here}
7. Go minimal
We loved the transformation of this mantel area, and with a double sided fireplace {their TV was placed on the other side} these sweet clients had more space to do whatever they wanted on the other side. So after changing out the mantel {and ripping out some water damage} we loved seeing a hand crafted mantel and herringbone brick bring it all to life. The air plants were a great addition, and add so much fun to it all. So if in doubt, you can always go minimal, to give the eye a space to rest. We think this is always a really fun option.
{see more of this transformation here}
We hope these examples get those wheels turning, and give you some really fun ideas for all things mantels – along with the possibilities behind them!
As always, let us know some of your go-tos for creating a great mantel. We’d love to hear!
Have an inspired day!
*****
thank you