Although fireplace mantels were originally used for cooking and heating,contemporary mantels have become the key focal point for setting thedecorative style and atmosphere of a room. You can utilize simpleaccessories to enhance the room, or go all out with themed holidaydecorations to transform the entire space for any special occasion.

Paying attention to basic design elements such as color, texture, balance,and size will help pull your decorations together into a beautiful display.

Getting Started

Professional designers often start decorating projects by jotting down ideasfor the mood they’d like to create, and then collect an assortment of itemsto emphasize that style. They might not use everything they’ve found, buthaving things on hand means they can play with different combinations untilhitting on the best design.

Spend some time considering how you’d like the type of event you’ll behosting. Are you having a flashy black tie cocktail party, or a relaxingspringtime brunch? Maybe you’d just like to find new ways to freshen up theeveryday look of a room? Either way, remember that different combinations ofcolors as well as the style (Victorian, modern, retro, country) of items youuse will affect the overall mood of your room.

Choosing a Backdrop

To begin, you’ll want to select an item to be the focal point of thedisplay. Often this will be a painting or wall hanging that is placed on thewall just above the mantel, or even resting on the mantel. You can evenchange the focal point to match the occasion or season.

If you’d rather group several paintings together you’ll want to only use afew items on the mantel itself to keep things from being overwhelming. Thelarger the item or grouping the more attention it will draw. A mirror isalways a good choice to use as a large backdrop. It not only helps make theroom feel larger, but reflects and draws attention to the other piecesyou’ve placed on your mantel.

Don’t forget to light your backdrop. Whether you use candles or install spotlighting, you’ll want to make sure that the focal point isn’t lost in theshadows.

Placement & Shape

The next step is to create a ‘path’ for the eye to follow, moving from themain focal point down and across the mantel. By using a variety of heightsand sizes, and even texture, you can develop an interesting landscape thatcommands attention.

You can create a symmetrical design by centering one item on or above themantel, and surround it with a series of identical items on either side.Each half of the mantel is a mirror image of the other. You can also layeritems by height, with shorter items overlapping larger pieces. This style isoften used to create a sense of formality.

Asymmetrical designs are usually the most popular, as they create a sense ofmotion by having different items on each side of the mantle. The key to thisform is to keep the weight of items balanced visually. For instance youmight have two larger objects on one end of the mantel, with a grouping offive small objects on the other end.

A radial design is created by placing objects around a central. The centeritem, regardless of shape, acts as an anchor. This kind of arrangement isbest done similar to a symmetrical format; otherwise it can become too busy.

A layered look with lots of pieces and filler (such as greenery or garlands)works well for fall and winter, but is often too heavy for other seasons.One exception might be if your mantel is located in a large banquet or greatroom with high ceilings, otherwise keep things minimal by leaving breathingspace between items.

Wrapping It Up

Whatever design style you select always be sure to follow safety precautionswhen using the fireplace. Do not place any items too close to the hearthitself, and use a protective screen to prevent ignition from sparks.

If you don’t actually use your fireplace that often try placing decorationsbelow in addition to on the mantel. You certainly wouldn’t want a black voidto detract from your display. A layered arrangement of white candles andgreenery can be stunning for any occasion, but you could also do somethingas simple as a stack birch logs. Another alternative is to cover the hearthwith a painted fireplace screen.

There are hundreds of options to choose from when decorating your mantel,but the same basic principles always apply. Using these designer techniquescan help turn a ho-hum room into a memorable space that can easily bechanged for any type of occasion.

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