If you have a fireplace mantel, you probably know how much fun it can be to decorate it! Scanning through lots of ideas on Pinterest, I came across a beautifully decorated Easter mantel. You can see the pin ◄here.
Believe it or not, that is the inspiration for this fireplace mantel decor! I know! It doesn’t look anything like it! Lol!
Fireplace Mantel Foundation Piece
Aren’t the arched foundation pieces in the inspiration piece beautiful? Yes, and I definitely think some of my favorite stores have pieces that would be perfect to recreate this but they aren’t open right now. 😢 So, walking around the house and brainstorming, this old gold frame caught my eye and ended up being the replacement. Unfortunately, I don’t have multiples…
It is set on the mantel, slightly off-center and lengthwise to create height.
Anchor Pieces For The Fireplace Mantel
Next, choose an anchor piece or pieces. At this point, considering an anchor piece, I spot this large clear green glass bottle. We have a matching one in amber and I consider using it, too. No, that speaks more of autumn, not summer.
Then, I spotted the jade horse head on the half-table on the right side of the fireplace. The green color helps create balance with the glass jar. It just seemed to be a little too short. A book with a black spine set underneath gives it a little more prominence. Choosing a book with a black spine is intentional. A lighter color would not give the same effect.
Choose A Color Palette for The Fireplace Mantel
I wanted to add some silk flowers like the inspiration piece. Unfortunately, the silk flower stash doesn’t contain a mass of small to medium flowers. Looking through the flowers, the deep warm red mums and hydrangea said, “Pick me!”
The color palette is determined! The green, the gold, and red look beautiful together. The black base and book add weight.
Creating a Balanced Fireplace Mantel
You can create a symmetrical or a balanced composition. Symmetrical compositions are achieved when objects are equally distanced from the central point or a centrally placed object. Everything is evenly spaced and balanced on both sides. What you place on one side, you mirror on the other.
This composition is going to be balanced. Visually, the weight of the objects on the left will balance the objects on the right even though they may be of different weights, colors, and sizes. One side doesn’t take on more prominence than the other.
Looking at the objects on the mantel, the empty frame screams for something. The classic black and gold candle holder along with a neutral tan candle is not overpowering and follows our color palette.
Create Triangles For An Eye-Pleasing Fireplace Mantel
You can already see that triangles are beginning to form in this composition. A triangle keeps your eye moving inside the composition instead of leading the eye outside. Multiple triangles in a composition can add a sense of visual unity. It ensures that you will have a successful composition.
Note that a red decorative plate on a black stand helps balance the red silk flowers on the left side. You can see another triangle taking shape, too.
Fill In With Decorative Items
Another green element seems to be needed, not too tall, and not too small. Note the decorative cone finial in the picture below. It seems perfect, the right size, the right shape, and it introduces another coordinating green shade.
Also, note that I added another black book. The horse’s mouth is less visible and prominent in front of the plate. So, I added another book to raise the height of the jade horse. The contrast against the tan wall color sets it off nicely.
So, a little red glass bottle seems the perfect addition to the right corner and helps finish the triangle. Looking at the overall composition, you can see the strong triangular shape.
I stepped back to look at the finished fireplace mantel and realized how perfectly this display fits in with our decor. Of course, it does! When you shop from your home, there are common threads. You can see the classic, antique, and Asian influences that I love. What will your mantel display look like? Check out these ►mantels from the past for more ideas.
Six Easy Steps For A Beautiful Fireplace Mantel
So, you see there is a method to my madness. It can be summed up in six easy steps. #1 Choose a foundation piece. #2 Choose one or two anchor pieces. #3 Choose a color palette. #4 Decide on symmetry or balance. #5 Create triangles. #6 Fill in with decorative items.
If you create your own mantel display, please post a picture of it on social media and tag us #myhumblehomeandgarden.
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