Fireplace Designs: 4 Ways to Decorate Your Mantel

Boring, unadorned fireplace mantel or cluttered fireplace designs plaguing your living space? Add a little personality to your mantel without overdoing it with these helpful tips from top designers:

• Go big
  Adding a single piece of perfectly sized large-scale art can step-up your mantel design. Opt for a custom frame design that matches your mantelpiece size exactly, or choose a frame about 65-80% the width of the mantel to avoid an awkward fit. Height can vary, although a few inches of breathing room is best. Rest tall pieces directly on the mantel, or place shorter pieces 2-4 inches above.
  

• Don’t be adverse to asymmetry
  For small artwork (or a few small pieces) filling less than half the wall area above mantels, try setting the piece off to one side, about four-fifths across. This incorporates the wall as a piece of art, and works well with brick and natural stone, helping smaller pieces feel intentional rather than undersized. For larger asymmetrical pieces, fill-in the opposite side with a contrasting piece to avoid a lopsided feel, such as a large mirror and vase with flower combina.

• “Shape” things up…
  A pyramidal approach, placing the tallest objects in the center of your mantel, then the smallest items by size out from there, can offer the feel of symmetry – even with objects that are not symmetrical. You can also achieve a similar visual approach with a circular design: Anchoring a round piece, such as a starburst mirror, in the center of the wall above your mantelpiece, then radiating other pieces around it.  
• Mix & match
  An interesting way to add variety, tell your story, or create a conversation piece, one of the best ways to add flair to your mantel is with items consisting of different shapes, tones, and textures, such as
  framed art mixed with statuettes, vases, lamps, and other interesting paraphernalia.

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