Top 3 Tricks for Making Your Fireplace Mantel Monumental

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There are rules for everything in design, and when it comes
to decorating your fireplace mantle, this remains the same. By nature, your
mantle will always be the center of attention as it is designed to be the
showpiece of your hearth. This makes for a wonderful display aesthetic; a true
center stage for your design sense to shine. However, here are some hints as to
how to make your mantle the pitch perfect place to display mementos, art, and
your personal affects.

Mantle Hint #1 –
Neutral Knockout: Introduce Color to a One-Note Room

The wonderful thing about mantels is that they can have a
life of their own. Feel free to use that one corner of the room as a reason to
color outside the lines. Adding funky vases, vintage books, a collection of
candleholders, or an elegant tapestry from your trip overseas, is the perfect
way to boldly step outside the boundaries of your room’s palette.

Whatever the elements, treat the entire mantle area as an
artsy focal piece instead of a fireplace. This will give you freedom to bring
in some bright color and patterns that you would have otherwise skipped. Don’t
be afraid to experiment with bright pinks, chartreuse, brilliant blues, and
golden yellows in a room that is primarily beige, gray or cream. By mixing and
matching several different colors you can create an over-the-top mantle space
that sparkles with innovation.

Mantle Hint #2 –
Highs and Lows: Create a “Bookend Effect”

As far as logistics go, your mantle’s shape lends itself to
a definitive way of decorating. What can be called the “bookend effect” is
simply defined as creating an inviting collection of items that enhance the
natural arch of the eye line. Putting things of height- candleholders,
oversized books, cylinders, tall frames, or hurricane lamps at each end of the
mantle, draws attention and creates a frame for what is ultimately hanging over
the fireplace.

Installing interesting sconces on either side of the
fireplace can also create this effect if you don’t like too many items on the
mantle. However, lighting doesn’t replace the need for some unique decor, so
don’t rely on it to solely create an interesting eye line. Instead choose
simple vases, stout candles, shrubs, or ornate figurines to add texture and
allure.

Mantle Hint #3 Ease
Into It: Artwork Ambiance

If you truly love the look of a clean mantle, then perhaps
choosing one piece is the best option for your design personality. Using the
mantle as an easel is an age-old way of displaying oversized artwork that
radiates class. The bigger the better with this technique, so be sure to take
measurements of the space above the mantel before scouring the market for the
perfect piece of art.

Another trick is to paint the wall behind the art a
contrasting color to the adjacent walls. This creates a backdrop that is
perfect for display as well as offers the illusion of a thick frame to the art
you choose to use.

No matter which technique you decide fits you best, make
sure to take advantage of the prime space your mantle offers for décor display.
In doing so, the mantle can easily become one of the most talked about and
admired spaces in your entire home!