I took some advice from the comments on my post about mantle angst and changed up my mantle decor. I actually did this way back when Tiana was here to help me, but then I broke my leg and basically forgot to take pictures.
Sarah suggested that I treat the long outside parts of the mantle like a bookshelf. She gets major points for even understanding what I was describing, since I didn't bother to provide you with before pictures.
I pretty much used every "pretty" book in my house, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy included. It's not perfect, but it's way, way better than it was before.
Any more good ideas to help my mantle out, ladies?
Aw, yay! I'm glad my suggestion was a little helpful!! I love decorating other people's mantles because our mantle is in man-town and therefore off limits for decorating (darn it).
ReplyDeleteYour mantle is TO DIE FOR. That super thick beam? Gorgeous. Those corbels? I'm litterly drooling over here. And the brickwork around your fireplace??? HOW LUCKY ARE YOU????
I like the books, but I think they need to be stacked higher (maybe like this-ish but slightly less crazy: http://dreaming-n-color.blogspot.com/2013/02/valentines-day-mantle.html or this http://media-cache-ec7.pinterest.com/originals/4b/14/84/4b14849180d5026f7585db06338d5e46.jpg). Since you ran out of "pretty" books, you could always just turn your "ugly" books around backwards.
You need more tall vertical stuff to lead the eye up to the mirror in the middle... which is the PERFECT size, btw, it looks great! Big vase or some tall reeds or a globe or a plant on top of a book stack?
I'm always a huge fan of beautiful paintings above mantles, but until you find that perfect painting, and have, you know, 1 million dollars to spend on said perfect painting, a mirror is perfect. ;)