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Fall in love with your Mantle
Decorating a mantle is relatively stress free and so rewarding. Though they are usually a small shelf sized space, they impact a room in a huge way. If you don't have a mantle, then consider these ideas and principles for decorating any shelf space in your home. Often times the mantle or mounted shelf becomes the focal point of the room, so putting a little effort into the design will be well worth it!
If you are unsure where to start, pick the middle and work your design from the center outward. This is one of the easiest ways to insure balance. I chose two significantly sized pieces in order to balance the scale of the mantle space. A picture frame, large vase, or canvas print are a few other options that would look fabulous! If you feel adventurous, chose something unpredictable....maybe a piece meant for outside.
When picking items to display, consider the background color and texture then select pieces that will be showcased and appreciated.
If your backdrop is rustic, pick shiny objects with some glam and vise versa. I chose light colored pieces that were sure to pop against a darker background.
The current Fall decorating practice in the Hallman household is using scarves. Displaying a scarf is an inexpensive way to add texture and color. Scarves don't just feel cozy, they look cozy too! Warm up your space with one or layer two. Make sure there is a screen on your fireplace and the scarf is far away from the fire for safety!
Decorating the base of the fire place will insure that your design looks complete. This space shouldn't compete with the loveliness on the mantle, so keep it simple and chose items that tie into the mantle décor.
Vary the height of your treasures on either side of your center piece. This keeps the eye moving over the entire design. Sometimes less is more, in this case....the more the merrier. I piled on the pumpkins for a bountiful appearance and abundance of subtle muted color.