How to Style a Mantel Like A Pro
“What should I put on my mantel?”
This is one of the many questions our Homzie Express clients ask us to help them solve. The fireplace automatically becomes the focal point in any room where there is one. The mantel is the ideal place to style with a variety of home decor, art, and accessories to make a big design statement in the room. The best part - it really is quite easy!
I’m sharing some of our designer tips on how to decorate and style a mantel using a variety of different decor items. By keeping these guidelines in mind you can confidently style your mantel for maximum design impact and style it seasonally to keep the space looking and feeling fresh.
Should You Style Your Mantel?
Ever since Jo Anna Gains’ signature modern farmhouse style took the scene people have felt obligated to style their mantels. But I’ve got news for you…. most people don’t need to style their mantel at all! Yup! If your mantel ledge is under 8” you shouldn’t add anything to your mantel. Similarly, if you don’t have at least 12” on either side of your anchor piece (tv, art, mirror) then you shouldn’t style your mantel.
Why? Because there simply isn’t enough room. Adding decor and styling your mantel when you have less than optimal space will crowd your anchor piece and create disproportionate visual “weight” in your space. Trust us when we say, sometimes, less is more! But for those of you with enough space to handle some styling, we’re breaking down our formula for how to style a mantel like a pro.
Step 1. Start with an Anchor Piece
The first step to styling your mantel is to begin with an anchor piece. This could be a mirror, a large piece of art, or even a TV. You’ll want to make sure that the anchor piece you select is large enough for the space. At least 50% of the width of the mantel needs to be filled with your anchor piece. This includes TVs which need to fill no more than 75% of the width of the mantel.
Step 2. Think of a Triangle
Styling in triangles is one of the foundations of decorating that you can use in a variety of ways around your home. By mastering this skill, you open the possibilities to what you can creatively to do style your space.
Simply put, you want to flank either side of your anchor piece with smaller pieces of decor to balance out your larger centered anchor piece. Now, this is certainly is not the only way to style a mantel, however, it is the easiest. The triangle shape makes the space look and feel balanced and complete.
You don’t have to match the two pieces of decor, you can, but you don’t have to. Your mantel will really start to take shape when you learn to balance different shapes and sizes of decor on either side of your anchor piece, which I’ll talk more about below.
Step 3. Play with Varying Heights
When it comes to balancing out your anchor piece, it’s always a good idea to work in 3’s. Select three items of varying heights; small, medium, and large. Use two pieces of varying height on one side and the medium size piece on the other.
At first glance, this may look off-balance, but what you’ll see is that it actually balances out the anchor piece while adding additional visual interest and complexity.
Step 4. Fill It In
This is the fun part. Here is where you can let your imagination run wild — but not too wild. It is very easy to choose too small of decor items and feel the need to keep adding to fill up the space. This is a common mistake we see. Make sure to choose filler items that are of a comparable size and shape to fill the space.
Now, if you prefer a more minimal look you can skip this step altogether.
How to Style a Mantel - With a Mirror
When styling with a mirror over your mantel we’ve found it’s best to go with either a portrait-shaped mirror or a circular one. Tall portrait mirrors can help accentuate tall ceilings while decorative round mirrors can soften the harsh edges of a rectangular fireplace. In either case, it’s important to balance out your anchor mirror with another styling item. While you don’t have to anchor your mirror on both sides, you’ll want to make sure the mirror appears grounded and balanced. We’ve found mirrors pair best with a pop of greenery!
How to Style a Mantel - With Art
When styling your mantel with art the style of art you chose will help determine the other decor items needed. If your art has particularly bold colors you will want to use your other styling accessories to create cohesion with that art piece, grounding it with the surroundings. Similarly, if your art has a bold print or striking pattern, you’ll want your styling accessories to be minimal and understated letting the art take center stage.
How to Style a Mantel - With a TV
Undoubtedly the most common instance people will style their mantels is with a TV on top. While any designer will tell you this isn’t the optimal choice, it is the most functional for most people and how they live. The most important thing to remember is that you MUST have enough room on either side of your TV to warrant styling. I’ll argue in most instances, it’s unnecessary to style your mantle at all, instead opt for a minimalist look. This is because far too many people overcrowd their TV with decor making styling look like too much.
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