Essentially, a well-designed mantelscape is made up of three elements: a backdrop, some side pieces, and a few other smaller items for variety.
It’s traditional to have a painting or something similar over the mantel — an art print, a clock. A backdrop is part of the quintessential image of a mantel, and you don't want to go around messing with perfection. That said, there are a few ways you can get creative. Use an unexpected piece of artwork, or present your painting in an interesting frame. For a relaxed, modern look, forgo hanging the painting and instead set it on the mantel itself, leaned up against the wall. If you don’t want to spend on one huge painting, you can also buy a couple of smaller, complementary pieces, like a triptych. A decorative clock is always a solid choice, and if your living area is small, a mirror can really help to open it up. But the sky’s really the limit — as long as it’ll hang flat on your wall (and contribute to your triangle of movement), anything goes!
Putting a couple of pieces on either side of your mantel adds symmetry, as well as weighing down the endpoints of the triangle. It’s traditional to use something like a candlestick or thin vase for this purpose — anything with a vertical silhouette. You might also use things like plants or lanterns. The possibilities here are a bit more limited than those you might use for your mantelscape’s backdrop, but there’s still room to play with it! Try using odd or brightly colored pieces to spark conversation, or play with symmetry and asymmetry!
Placing a few items along the front of the mantel itself completes the triangle, giving it a proper base and underscoring that weight. The options here are really limitless, so long as whatever items you choose don't cover up your backdrop! Keep it small — but there are plenty of small decorative pieces out there. A couple of little plants might go well here, or you could lay a seasonal garland across the mantelpiece. This option isn’t limited to wintertime, either — think fabric flowers and autumn leaves! And these decorations don’t have to be expensive to be interesting and stylish. Try visiting an antique shop — they’re full of fascinating little knickknacks that are sure to complement your decorating scheme and serve as little conversation pieces along the way.
Because a mantel has pride of place as the center of a home, figuring out how to decorate it can be a little intimidating. After all, it is the star of the show! Still, by following a few simple principles of design-the backdrop, the side pieces, and the base-you can create a mantelscape that shines enough to rival any magazine home.
