Do you have a mantelpiece that you decorate? My last house didn’t have a fireplace, and I always wanted one so I could decorate the mantel.  Now I have a faux mantelpiece (only a mantel, no actual fire place) I have to decide what to display on it.  A mantel is vey narrow, so you don’t have a lot of space to work with.

decorating your fireplace

Feature image: Songbird |   Above Image: Achicha

I’m working with the anchor + balancing weight + filler concept.  Basically you need a feature item to act as an anchor to the fireplace.  This is often a mirror or artwork.

mantel decor anchor piece

Image: Rue Magazine

Then you need something either side of the fireplace to provide a balancing weight to the anchor.  Some sort of vase, candlestick of object that is half to three-quarters of the height of the anchor, so that they help to balance the anchor.

Mantel decorating add balance weight

Image: My Domaine

Then you need filler.  These are the little objects that help fill in the low level space along the mantel.

mantel decorating filler

Image via: Laurel Bern Interiors

I’m a big fan of blogger Kate from  Censational Girl.  Over the years she has styled her mantel in different ways but roughly sticking to the anchor + balance + filler formula.

Mantel Decorating Formaula

Images: Censational Girl

refresh mantel decorating

Image: Refresh Restyle

It’s important to vary the heights of the objects you choose to display, to make the arrangement more visually appealing, and probably stick to just two or three colours so the arrangement is harmonious and not too busy.

At the end of the day, just play around with your arrangement until it works, but that anchor + balance + filler formula may help you get started.  For more information on decorating your fireplace, see our story The Secret to Decorating your Fireplace.