When the holidays end, I’m usually ready to pack away anything Christmas-related and transition to some peaceful winter decor. But when it came to my fireplace mantel, I was not quite so motivated this time around.
The reason is that I really loved my Christmas mantel this year. It’s been my favorite in this house so far, and taking it down felt like a bummer. So, instead of feeling down about it, I set out to design a winter mantel I would love just as much.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pinspiration
As is my custom, I consulted the bevy of ideas on Pinterest for inspiration. And while I did find some, nothing really spoke to me the way it usually does. Lots of the pins were still a bit on the holiday side for me.
Left to my own devices, I started playing with ideas till I came up with a look that made me smile.
The Layout
First, I decided on the composition for the mantel. Experts agree on the basic tenets for properly styling fireplace mantels. Outside of that, it’s free reign!
I like something tall in the middle, with items of varying, but lower heights on either side, as in the example above, which is very clean.
And I also love a rustic, textured design, like this one with terra cotta pots, an old window frame, and mirror.
My goal was to land somewhere between these two looks. I started with my existing mantel mirror which is flanked by black iron and glass sconces.
To keep the mirror the focal point, I decided I would emphasize it further by hanging something on it. Then I would fill in the blank spaces on either side of the mirror with similar, but not matching, elements. This would provide balance without perfect symmetry (which can get kind of boring).
Organic Materials
With the basic layout decided, I turned attention to the actual decorating elements.
Bringing nature indoors, especially during winter, injects the house with a renewed spirit, so I knew I wanted to use organic materials.
For the mirror, I would replace my Christmas wreath with a lush eucalyptus wreath accented with cream colored berries and olive leaves.
To do this, I chose to repurpose two seagrass baskets from my fall mantel – one for each side of the mirror.
Then I grabbed from my stash of pinecones. These would act as fillers for the basket and as additional decoration.
Next, I selected some moss covered balls and realistic eucalyptus sprigs – both of which I already had.
Additional Elements
In addition to the organic elements, I dusted off a handful of other items to add heft and texture to the grouping.
These included a white ceramic teapot, vintage books, a small watercolor painting, and a couple of black metal candle lanterns.
Design
With all of my materials in place, it was time to design the mantel. This is the fun part!
I hung the eucalyptus wreath on the mirror. The colors and texture are beautiful – not a holiday look and not spring.
On either side of the mirror, I placed a small black lantern on top of vintage books. Behind the lantern I added a mini tobacco basket I picked up at the dollar store.
Then I added the tea pot with some additional winter greenery on one side…
…and my sweet chickadee watercolor painting on the other side. It provides symmetry and balance without being matchy-matchy.
Then I finished things off by adding the baskets with pinecones and moss balls to either end of the mantel.
I love how it turned out, and I’m not missing my Christmas mantel as much!
It’s got everything I was hoping for: organic touches, texture, warmth, and a little green that’s not too holiday and not too springtime.