A fireplace, whether a wood-burning hearth or faux fireplace, always plays a significant role in making the home appear cozier and comfortable. Aside from lending warmth, it is also a feature that could instantly energize the appearance of a plain wall. Although the fireplace in itself is already an interior decoration to behold, it still offers a whole lot of styling possibilities that you could take advantage of anytime of the year. You could actually begin with this styling project by refurbishing the mantle of your fire feature.
Just like any other designing projects, decorating your faux fireplace mantle is a pretty exciting past time. Since there are no boundaries as to what you could do to your mantle, you have to be creative and playful enough with your design choices in order to integrate your personal style to your project. Before you start with this endeavor however, there are two basic principles that you have to keep in mind: balance and proportion. It would also be wise to try several arrangements to make comparisons as to which looks best with your mantle before you actually do something permanent like placing paintings or portraits.
One of the most widely used tricks that interior decorators often employ to highlight a faux fireplace mantle is the so-called ‘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 pots. On one side of your mantle, group these three items together, but rather than lining them like soldiers, try to use a layering technique wherein one object is overlapping the other or one item is tucked behind the other item. 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 object that you choose must have something in common with the three other objects you used or mimics the color, texture or shape of one or two of the objects found on the other end of your mantle.
For an antique fireplace mantle, try using your collection of silver picture frames to maintain the old-fashion appearance of your fire feature. Group some of these objects together on one end of your mantle and then balance it with differing sizes of candles or pots on the other side. Good alternatives 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. With this option, remember not to over-put items on your mantle because it will look cluttered.
Another design option that you could integrate on your antique fireplace mantle is to create a so-called mono mantle. This design scheme would permit you to use a monochrome color for the objects that you would place on your mantle. For instance, all-cream bowls or vases will pop out against a dark-colored fireplace wall or if you have a clear white wall, try using all-black bowls and vases for a classier edge. Another modification for this design theme is to use crystal accessories on the mantle and add overhead lights for a dramatic finish, or in place of lights you could use a mirror on the wall behind to achieve a contemporary looking fireplace.
If you have a wood fireplace mantle, one of the best means to make it the focal point of your room is by decorating it with indoor plants. A wood mantle ornamented with plants is a decorative and cost-efficient means to bring the beauty of nature inside your home. If outdoor light does not pass through your mantle to sustain the growth of plants, it is suggested to use succulent or bromeliad plants. You could also go for ornamental grasses to add height and visual interest to your fireplace mantle. If you would be using this design option, it is important to choose plants that have attractive stems and leaves because they would be the ones to shape the overall appearance of your mantle.
Revamping the appearance of your fireplace mantle is very easy. It only requires creativity on your part. If you have a faux fireplace, place pots of varying sizes on one end of your mantle and balance this with a big object on the other end. For an antique fireplace mantle, use your collections but try not to over-do this to avoid a cluttered look. If you have a wood fireplace mantle, the best thing to do is to ‘go green.’