There are the people that decorate their mantel for holidays, and then there are the people that DECORATE their mantel for the holidays. I fear that I’m falling into that latter category (did you see my house for the holidays last year??). But a fall mantel just means warm and inviting with some nods to the season. Now, let’s get into it:
Casual Coastal:
For this one we were inspired by the soft neutral colors of the coast. Our color palate consisted of shades of blues, light woods, whites, and few hits of gold. We brought in those adorable little soapstone pumpkins from Target to add in a sense of fall, but kept it at that as far as “fall” accessories go. Remember, fall doesn’t have to mean dried leaves, spider webs, and cornucopias.
Seascapes: Vintage, soon to be on the flea | Blue Vase On Left: Target (available in stores) | Large Marble Pumpkin | Small Marble Pumpkin | Candlesticks: Vintage | Marble Book End
1. Sage Living | 2. Marble Book End | 3. Oceanscape by Mary McKenna | 4. Moro The Cookbook | 5. Pinched Glass Vase | 6. Large Marble Pumpkin | 7. Small Marble Pumpkin | 8. Candle Holder
Eclectic Artist:
This lady appreciates a good weird abstract, and a creepy white bust. We pulled our color palate from the abstract there in the middle. If you have a piece that you love already in your home then use it to dictate the rest of the mantle. For this one we incorporated some fresh cut branches, a few dried and graphic flowers, and a small collection of mini pumpkins to bring out some of the orange and rust colored hues in the abstract. When fall is over it’s easy to remove a few elements, and still have a beautiful and pulled together mantle.
Vintage Vase (on mantel) | White Bust | Grey Vase On Hearth: Target (available in stores) | Everything Else: Vintage
1. STYLED | 2. Jerusalem | 3. Will You Please Print by Matt Adrian | 4. Vintage Bust | 5. Green Vase | 6. Vintage Vase | 7. The New Bohemians | 8. Nude Line Drawing
Contemporary Glam:
This one is for the inner clean and contemporary glam person in all of us and it’s our personal favorite. Golds, blacks, metallics, and clean lines are the stars of this one. To keep it from feeling too stark and minimal we pulled in the black and white ceramic piece, the hand drawn portrait as well as the organic lines of the orange berries. They also do double duty to bring a bit of fall into the mantel. When you are mixing metallics in make sure the keep them peppered along the mantel, and at different heights, to help the eye keep moving from piece to piece. This will keep your mantel both interesting and fresh looking for fall.
Short Taper Holder | Tall Taper Holder | Art: Vintage | Brass Bowl: Vintage | Mirror: Target (available in stores) | Black & White Stripe Vessel: Target (available in stores) | Gold Jack | Brass & Glass Vase: Target (available in stores) | Basket | Striped Throw | Knit Blanket
1. Gold Jack | 2. Nude Line Drawing | 3. Geo Mirror | 4. Large Glass Vase | 5. Striped Throw | 6. Gold Bowl | 7. Black & White Vase | 8. Short Taper Holder | 9. Tall Taper Holder | 10. Basket | 11. Knit Blanket
Now get out there and have fun with your mantel. With just a few new affordable items you can instantly transform your mantel from bland to glam this holiday season. Which one is your favorite of the three mantels?
*Photos by Jessica Isaac for EHD. Styling by Ginny Macdonald & Brady Tolbert. Mostly written by Brady.
Which is your favorite?
For more styling check out 1 Bookshelf 4 Ways, 1 Bed 4 Ways, and 1 Credenza 4 Ways.
