5 Steps to Fluff Up Your Mantel

We have lived in our home for over a year & I have NEVER loved our mantel decor in our sitting room. Our main floor has an extremely open layout & the entire far wall in that room is an original fireplace, refaced with marble tile flanked by 2 sets of 4 floating shelves.

When we first moved in I hardcore limited myself on new decor purchases (you can imagine how hard this is because we live only 1 min from a Michaels!).

Once I finally accepted that I needed help, I turned to Pinterest. I am loving this diagram. I have already used it to transform our fireplace & my friend's mantel, as well. It totally works!

1. Find your anchor. This could be a large mirror, painting, framed portrait, clock, mounted tv, etc. This piece is the "center" of your mantel so it should set the tone for the whole room!

2. Add height to one side of your anchor. Tall candle sticks or a vase with decorative filler can be the perfect fit for this piece.

3. Layering! This part is fun. I had a bunch of random frames that I spray painted sparkly gold from my sorority's Centennial Celebration my senior year of college that I have for some reason been holding onto, moving from place to place. I have now found a purpose for them! (I swear I'm not a hoarder...I just knew I would find something to use them for someday...) I have hand painted black construction paper & turned these random frames into a work of art. These are now becoming my "filler/layering" pieces underneath my clock, or anchor. I have 3 of them up there of all different sizes. They are perfect!

4. Place organic shapes as filler pieces in front of or under your anchor. I had a set of 3 faux cacti laying around so I used these to add some dimension & greenery.

5. Asymmetry will complete your look. If you didn't use tall candle sticks as your height on the other side of your anchor, those would be great options here. Another fitting piece could be a slim piece of art or slender vase(s).

You should be able to almost draw an imaginary triangle around everything from the top of the anchor down each side to the height & asymmetric pieces. This is the key to balancing your mantel & is guaranteed to bring it a fresh, new look.

Voila! You now have a completed look that tells a story in an aesthetic way. If you don't have any pieces at home already that fit the bill, don't overspend on home decor. You'd be amazed what you can find on sale at Target, Homegoods or the At Home store! Finding unique items to complete your mantel can add some conversation pieces to the room, so think outside the box.

A bonus "finishing touch" I have found is placing 2 pouf ottomans in front of the fireplace & a couple of lanterns offset to the side. This adds a warm, cozy touch & brings more seating options to the room. At last, I am happy with our fireplace & mantel!