Elegant Antique Fireplace Mantles: Your Decorative Options

A fireplace, regardless if it's a classic wood-burning type of hearth or an electric "faux" fireplace, is always a great addition to any home. Aside from providing warmth, it is a feature that has the power to transform a mundane and trite looking wall into the focal point of the room wherein it's installed. Even though the fireplace in and of itself is an intrinsically enjoyable interior accent, on account of its comfort-inducing properties, it further offers a wide range of styling opportunities that you can take advantage of to get that "perfect look." Go ahead, try it. Significantly improve your living room interior design. You can start by revitalizing the look of your fireplace mantel.

As with all home design projects, decorating your faux fireplace mantel can be truly exciting. There are really very few restrictions in terms of items and decorative themes that you might incorporate into your fireplace design, which is great, because it gives you some room to work with. You can be creative and playful when making your design choices, with the ultimate goal of adding your own uniquely personal style to your fireplace mantel rehabilitation project.

Before you begin working on your project, however, try to keep in mind the concept that decorating a fireplace mantle follows two essential artistic principles: keep it balanced and proportional. It might also be necessary to try different arrangements over the course of the remodel, so you can see which would best suit your mantle before jumping to permanent inclusions such as the integration of portraits or paintings. In other words, while lots of planning in advance can be helpful, sometimes, especially with creative pursuits, a little trial and error can go a very long way!

One of the most effective and popular tricks used by interior decorators to accentuate an electric fireplace mantle is the "three plus one" scheme. You could apply this to your mantle by choosing three related objects that are not too varied in size and height such as candles, picture frames or potted plants. Position them on one side of your mantle, but rather than putting them on a linear track (side by side), try using the strategy of layering the items so each one is visually overlapping another or tuck one behind the other object, and so on. For the remaining 'one' of this design trick, make use of a large object that is at least twice as tall or heavy as the three items and then place it on the other end of your fireplace mantle to achieve balance. The large piece that you use should exude some parallel characteristics with the three smaller items you used or it should take the color, shape or texture of one or two of the three smaller objects on the other end of your mantle. Confused? Don't worry, just play around with it until you find a design that really speaks to you.

For an antique fireplace mantel, why not try using your collection of polished or sterling silver picture frames to heighten the old-fashion appearance of your hearth. Don't have silver picture frames? Try something more rustic, or perhaps throw some fine china porcelain into the mix. Group some of these items together on one side of your mantle and balance them with different sizes of candles on the other end. Some more good substitutes for framed pictures are bowls or vases with interesting shapes, or those that pick the hue of your mantle or the artwork above the mantle. Don't clump all of these items together on one side or the other, and don't overdo it. This would make your mantle overcrowded and cluttered, and it could ruin the elegant effect the mantel has on your room.

Another design option that you could integrate on your antique fireplace mantle is to create a so-called "mono mantle." Basically, this is simply a mantel with decorations that utilize a monochrome color scheme, so all the accessories that you intend to place on your mantle should be varying shades of the same essential hue. The actual mantel, however, should be a heavily contrasting color for dramatic effect. For example, all-cream bowls or vases will prominently stand-out against a dark-toned fireplace wall such as chocolate brown or red, or if your fireplace wall is white, try integrating all-black bowls and vases for a more sophisticated finish. Another modification for this design theme is to use crystal accessories on the mantle and add overhead lights for a brilliant finish. Also consider using a mirror on the wall behind the fireplace to achieve a cool effect that makes your room feel more spacious.

If you have a wood fireplace mantle, one of the best ways to make it stand out against the other furnishings inside your living area is to decorate it with ornamental indoor plants. As far as cost-efficiency goes, there may not be a better way to bring a real natural vibe into your home. Plus, plants make rooms feel more welcoming and charming! If your particular fireplace mantel doesn't get a whole lot of natural light, try using succulent or bromeliad plants. These plants require next to no maintenance, needing only the barest minimum amounts of light and water to survive. You could also use some ornamental grasses or lush tropical ferns to add some height and visual depth to your mantle. Be sure to choose plants that have attractive stems and leaves!

Decorating your fireplace mantle requires creativity and personal style on your part. For a faux fireplace mantle, you could do the 'three plus one scheme' to highlight the embers of your fire feature. An antique fireplace mantle will pop out against the wall if you place your collections of silver picture frames. A wood fireplace mantle would definitely look more appealing if you would place plants like succulents and bromeliad.