Mantel Decor Refresh

This month is something else!  The weather is up and down here in Texas.  One day it’s cold, the next almost 80 degrees, and then the next it’s raining.  I mean, I’m used to it since I’ve lived her all my life, but come on!  I have things to do!  Get your stuff together weather!

That being said, it has left time for some of the smaller projects indoors to be done, like redecorating the mantel after pulling down all of our Christmas decor.  I think that it might be one of my favorite times to decorate, because of the sense of calm that comes over the house when it’s all said and done.

We had ideas to make some changes to the space around the fireplace, such as switching out the mirror for a smaller mirror to make styling around it easier.  Our mantel is shallow, and the mirror is deep, so we don’t have much option but to stick with thin and short items to decorate with.  I thought adding the smaller mirror would be a good idea, but once we got it up we realized that we preferred the previous mirror to the new one.  Up the old one went, and luckily an idea came to me for where the new mirror would go.  I’d tell you where now, but I want it to be a surprise for later when I reveal the design for the space!

So were back to styling around the obstacles that the mantel and mirror present together.  What I ended up doing was adding plants to the mantel to add height, since they can be placed in such a way as to avoid the mirror.  I mixed them with a few decorative objects in varying heights to keep the eye moving, and centered a wooden box in the middle to fill in the negative space and add symmetry to the look.  Y’all know how much of a fan I am of symmetrical design!

I really like it, and I love walking into the room and getting a flash of calm from this area.  I haven’t completely tackled the rest of the living room just yet, so this little spot is my safe-haven for now.

I’ll be sharing some Valentine’s Day decorating ideas soon with y’all, and this mantel is going to get an even fresher look to it!  I can’t wait to share!

Until next time, friends!

-Iris