Decorating Ideas For Fireplace Mantels
Don’t let yours be a waste of a wonderful decorating opportunity
You could always go with the standard decorating ideas for fireplace mantels. There’s the usual selection of dried flower arrangements, mirrors, picture frames, fireplace tools and sweet dishes. But a mantel is often the focal point of the room so you don’t necessarily have to dress it up in a big way. Sometimes, as the old adage goes, less is more. Some people even have fireplace mantels that haven’t seen a fire lit beneath them for decades and they are purely for ornamental purposes. Think outside the box a little and dress yours up with its very own personality, that doesn’t have to revolve around flickering flames and sooty brickwork.
If you are the proud owner of a traditional or antique fireplace, especially one that’s already lived its finest days, give it a spruce up with a good scrub and clean and you’ll be surprised at how you’ll liven its appearance to start with. Its classic beauty may be hidden by layers of soot which you may be kidding yourself is just a lovely ‘patina’. Sure, if that works for you, that’s fine. But restoring it to its former glory will do it, and your decorating, a big favor. Too many fireplace mantels with great style have been ripped out of homes because their presumed expiry date has passed. What’s wrong with a makeover, a face-lift? You can re-varnish, re-stain or paint a wood mantel and the finish will come up like new. Even brickwork can be brought into the modern age with the right color scheme.
Fireplace mantels crafted out of marble or stone can be cleaned with the appropriate products and revitalized too. A tiled hearth can be replaced with new tiles and any surrounding cabinet doors and shelves can be sanded back and given a new custom finish to match your updated furniture, drapes and other treatments.
Contemporary fireplace mantels, although built and installed to modern specifications, can also do with some added accents of the less permanent kind. Here’s where your ornaments and family treasures come in. Naturally, you want to surround yourself with all your special items and in particular, a fireplace seems more logical than any other spot in a living room or bedroom to position them. Instead of the standard vases of flowers, try glass bowls full of fruit to match the season. A collection of interesting objects such as crystal glassware, Mexican goblets or Murano glass can be more eye-catching than small photos that you have to squint to see properly. Settle for one large portrait instead of tiny snapshots for greater effect. Design your decorating ideas around a theme and stick to it where possible. You can keep everything one color like white, or black, or you can make the whole room very masculine, or very feminine. If you’re a little quirky, make your fireplace quirky too and use it to show off your left-of-centre nature.
Fireplace mantels old and new can be redecorated at every change of season. That way, you don’t become bored with the same old items sitting there year round, and you can breathe a breath of fresh air four times a year instead of once in a blue moon.
