Creative Ideas for Your Mantel

Turn your fireplace mantel into a wow-worthy focal point with a decorating makeover.

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Warmly White

Traditional Tableau

Lean on Me

Video: Mantel Makeover

Double Reflection

Media Mantel

Carry the Color Scheme

Molding Magic

The Whole Picture

Color Block

Vertical Contrast

Contrasting Color

Make Layering Work

Contemporary Country

Crisp with Contrast

Go Eclectic

A Twist on Symmetry

Asymmetrical Approach

Repetition Works

Layer It Up

Show Off Collections

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Safavieh 2-Pack Bird Decorative Pillows - Multicolor $99.99 Target

EFF Classique Wine Printed Cotton 96-inch Curtain Panel $59.39 Overstock.com

Better Homes and Gardens Glass Candleholder, Large - Set of 4 $18.97 Walmart

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Surya Surya Burst Decorative Pillow - Yellow $78.00 Hayneedle

Crate & Barrel 3-Piece Prescott Candleholder Set $54.95 Crate & Barrel

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Warmly White

Create a mantel made with a few supplies from a home improvement store. Start with a shelf and thick wood shelf brackets and decorative gingerbread (flat pieces of carved wood). Paint all the elements the same color, and mount the shelf and brackets above the fireplace and the gingerbread beneath the shelf.

What's your ideal decorating style? Find out!

Traditional Tableau

Symmetrical arrangements project a classic order. Dress up your fireplace wall with a pair of wall sconces, one mounted on each side of the fireplace, with a round mirror in the middle. Use similar shaped objects on the mantel to maintain the orderly look. Here, tapered footed vases mimic the shape of the candle sconces on the wall.

Lean on Me

Skip hanging artwork on a stone fireplace in favor of leaning frames. The arrangement is easy to change and doesn't require screwing hardware into a brick or stone facade. Layer large and small frames for visual interest. Be sure to fill the vertical space between the mantel and ceiling with a taller frame.

Video: Mantel Makeover

Watch this mantel be transformed from blah to wow.

Double Reflection

For a new take on the mirror-above-the-mantel look, try layering a small mirror over a larger one. Hang a large, plain mirror above your mantel and then place a smaller, decorative mirror in front.

What's your ideal decorating style? Find out!

Media Mantel

Flat-panel TVs often find a place above a fireplace. But the look can disrupt the fireplace's decorative facade. Reclaim your fireplace's appearance by recessing the unit into the wall behind the fireplace and enclosing it with bifold doors. Here, the doors are clad in beaded-board to match the coffered ceiling

Carry the Color Scheme

Use the space above a fireplace to continue your room's color scheme. Here, a green-and-yellow watercolor painting matches the chair's upholstery. Decorate the mantel with white or glass objects to reflect light around the room.

Molding Magic

Add character to your fireplace wall with molding. Paint molding pieces the same color as the wall and install in rectangular shapes that fill the space around your fireplace. In this living room, one large rectangle "frames" the space above the mantel, while a narrow rectangle on each side of the fireplace fills the space and draws the eye upward.

The Whole Picture

Consider your entire fireplace wall when designing your mantel. If your fireplace is flanked by built-ins, consider how the look of the built-ins relates to the mantel. In this living room, the objects on display in the built-ins coordinate with the colors of the abstract painting above the fireplace.

Color Block

Color is the great decorating reviver. One simple addition of color can completely change a room's look. Try this trick on the wall above your fireplace. Choose a paint color based on an object that is already in your room: the background of an area rug or the print on a throw pillow. Apply the color to your fireplace wall for a quick and affordable update.

What's your ideal decorating style? Find out!

Vertical Contrast

Emphasize a room's height by displaying a tall frame, mirror, or art piece on your mantel. Choose an object that contrasts with the mantel for even more impact. Here, a salvaged architectural panel was outfitted with a mirror. The hewn finish of the piece stands out against the crisp white fireplace wall and relates to the natural textures found elsewhere in the room.

Contrasting Color

To turn an ordinary fireplace into a focal point, paint the mantel and the wall above it a color that contrasts the room�s main wall color. Base the color on another element within the room for a cohesive look. Here, the mantel's blue hue was matched to the stone on the fireplace surround.

Make Layering Work

For an affordable mantel artwork update, try a decal to add visual interest without the cost of a gallery piece. Consider the size of the wall above your mantel and the width of the fireplace when picking out a decal to choose a design that isn't too small or too large.

Contemporary Country

Country style leans casual but can be given a sophisticated vibe with a few contemporary elements. This stone fireplace is decidedly country, but the abstract artwork above the mantel lends a modern edge. Although stylistically different, the artwork blends with the room, thanks to its color palette. The blues, greens, and yellows in the painting pick up on the hues on the sofa, throw pillows, and accessories.

Crisp with Contrast

In a room filled with contrasting colors and supple textures, this crisp white fireplace earns the designation of focal point, thanks to its handsome details and beautiful styling. A neutral fireplace contributes balance to a room filled with sculptural furniture and detailed accessories. Decorate the mantel according to the fireplace?s style for additional eye appeal. Here, black-and-white artwork in white frames melds beautifully with the carved white mantel and gray-veined marble surround.

What's your ideal decorating style? Find out!

Go Eclectic

Be confident in an eclectic style by incorporating a few repeating elements, which will create a chic, not disorganized, look. In this living room, the fireplace is the pinnacle of crisp eclecticism. Photos above the fireplace, although arranged asymmetrically, come off as unified because their frames are similar. They also match other pieces of artwork within the space, tying the mantel to the rest of the room. The blue, gray, and white pottery pieces fall in line with the rest of the space?s accessories. The intricate mirror keeps the charming collected look going and stands in contrast to the mantel?s other modern elements.

A Twist on Symmetry

The dictionary defines symmetry as "beauty of form arising from harmonious proportions." We call it a can't-miss mantel strategy. Start with a large object in the center (here, driftwood), then place pairs of objects on either side. They don't have to be identical, just related. For example, two different terra-cotta pots still look like they belong together. Symmetry doesn't have to mean stiff -- the organic shapes of branches and seedpods keep this arrangement casual.

Asymmetrical Approach

An asymmetrical arrangement harmonizes objects of different shapes and sizes. Balance a tall, large object with several smaller ones but not too small -- mantels swallow up dinky accessories. Nestle the assemblage tightly together to increase its visual weight, and overlap shapes to create layers. A concise color palette gives seemingly unrelated objects a unified theme. Shop your house or discount stores for items in the same color family. You can't miss with pitchers, plates, books, and pottery.

Repetition Works

Multiples always have more impact than a single item. Fill three or four frames with a series of similar images, and lean (don't hang) them on the mantel. Because they won't overpower the art or each other, simple white frames with white mats are a good choice. The only potential pitfall is using too-small frames, so make sure yours are at least one-third the height of the chimney breast (ours are 18x24 inches).

Layer It Up

Layering is more than displaying everything you own. The technique allows you to show off a variety of objects without straying into a cluttered look. Begin by considering how to create a sense of continuity in what you collect. Here, a grouping of the family's monogram, N, works as the foundation element. The variety of shapes and sizes in the rest of the objects allows for an interesting pattern within a consistent overall look. Incorporate other striking objects that add height and contrast to your core collection.

What's your ideal decorating style? Find out!

Show Off Collections

Collections are made to be displayed, and even relatively small objects, such as books, can work on a mantel if you mass enough of them. Treat groups of four or five same-size books as building blocks and fill the mantel end to end, alternating a horizontal stack with a vertical column. Use the stacks as pedestals to show off framed photos and other objects you like. For the books, hardbacks work best. Remove the dust jackets to downplay the typography of the titles, and pay attention to balancing the colors of the spines.

Creative Ideas for Your Mantel

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