Decorating & Design
October 10, 2019
15+ Ways To Adorn Your Fireplace Mantel For Fall
With the temperatures slowly dropping, there’s a renewed interest in that hearth that has sat idle and empty all summer. Those who love a roaring fire on a fall day, rejoice because your time has come. From decorative pumpkins to dried fall foliage, here are 18 ideas to kickstart the real estate above the firebox.
Then, vote for your favorite fireplace!
Add Texture
A collection of baskets in autumnal shades creates a cozy effect atop this fireplace mantel designed by Emily Griffin, and the fiery shades reference the changing leaves outdoors.
See more of this colorful casa on H&H TV.
Highlight A Collection
A row of emerald green goblets are a pop of color on this white mantel, which is the perfect stage for showing off a grouping of well-loved items in an autumnal hue.
Stockpile The Wood
Though this chic Parisian apartment is undoubtedly urban, we love how owner Jackie Kai Ellis added some insouciant charm with a tumble of logs stacked up next to the mantel. Adding a basket of kindling and newspapers proves this fireplace isn’t just for show, it’s a real heart warmer.
Use Wallpaper As A Backdrop
Papering the breast of this fireplace (in this case, Circus wallpaper by Cole & Son) draws the eye, so the mantel only needs a couple of simple additions to make it sing. Here, designer Nam Dang-Mitchell added some graphic black and white photography and a curvy vase to break up the wallpaper’s graphic lines.
Elevate Found Objects
Turn a fall walk into a treasure hunt. Fall leaves in vintage frames with linen mats makes you appreciate what’s underfoot, and the casual leaning display makes it easy to switch around when you find a prettier specimen.
Think Top To Bottom
This maximalist fireplace — inspired by the Bloomsbury Set — acts as a gallery wall for senior market editor Kai Ethier’s eclectic collection. Not everything has to be displayed on top of the mantel: a framed photo and quirky hand are affixed to the front, while more art is placed below, around the hearth. For even more impact, consider painting the mantel a bold hue, like this saturated salmon shade.
Nothing says fall like pumpkins, but you don’t have to limit the mantel to the real thing. A mix of white pumpkins and decorative ceramic versions are a seasonal way to celebrate the harvest.
Mix Materials
This mantel in former interiors director Meg Crossley’s home is a medley of fall classics, from the pewter tankards to the twiggy wreath. Mixing in personal items and collectibles in different scales and shapes creates major interest.
Mix High & Low
A clutch of branches is a hit of natural beauty in this display, and it counteracts the formal nature of an ornate gilt framed piece of art. A trio of white candlesticks (uneven numbers are more pleasing to the eye when grouping items together in a vignette) have a simple, Scandi flair.
Go Tonal
The accents on this mantel take their cue from the hues in the hand-embroidered paisley fabric, such as the blue vase, crimson flowers and chinoiserie vase and box.
Display Books
A beautiful book invites engagement when out on display: put out favorite volumes front and center for a graphic touch.
Light Candles
Old fashioned hurricane lamps (framed by shed antlers) and a row of votives create instant warmth on this rustic fieldstone fireplace mantel. Try breaking things up with a circular shape — in this case, an enamel tray flipped on its side is an intriguing counterpoint.
Nod To The Macabre
Fall means Halloween is just around the corner. A playful — but elevated — silver skull is tucked amid frosted vases, crystal gazing orbs, a Chippendale mirror and classical sculpture. Haunting has never been so haute couture.
Layer Artwork
Designer Colette van den Thillart uses a large mirror as a backdrop and then displays a rotating gallery of artwork in a casual way by propping smaller pieces in the front. A symmetrical arrangement of shells and vases balances the look and helps frame the art.
Think Outside The Box
Many mantels are topped by mirrors or art, but in this rustic farmhouse, an abandoned wasp nest is the focal point. Further mimic the outdoors with a scattering of leaves. Coppery magnolia leaves placed atop the mantel resemble a forest floor, creating a woodland mise-en-scène.
Go Local
In designer Deb Nelson’s charming Maritime abode, seashells have pride of place all year long. Flowers picked from the garden, finds from jaunts to local flea markets and vernacular folk art celebrate a home’s geographical beauty.
Add Orange
A gathering of maple leaves in the most vibrant colors of the season picks up the brick tones of this rustic country home’s hearth. Candle sticks aren’t just functional pieces — use them as sculptural elements in their own right as an easy way to create symmetry.
Place Branches In Fresh Florals
A potted orchid studded with skeletal bare branches gives a live plant a fall spin and adds even more height.