Mind Your Mantels!
Whether you’ve chosen a traditional mantel for your fireplace, or something more modern, even rustic, mantels are the perfect surface to decorate for the holidays. And depending on the depth of your mantel and the holiday trimmings you favor – you can create a stunning display with a little inspiration and ingenuity. Check out these ideas from the experts to add to your vintage, modern or classic décor!
Mantel Ideas from HGTV and Joanna Gaines
In the master bedroom of the Gaines home is a traditional mantel with a giant clock that hangs year-round. But on the mantel are five tall candlesticks of varying heights – two on one side, three on the other, pine garland, colorful ornaments and two glass vases filled with smaller ornaments. That’s an easy one to, ahem, “borrow” for your own mantel.
Another white mantel, sans the fireplace, is graced with pine boughs and red flowers, vintage brass bells, and glass vases (two and one) with the same red blossoms and eucalyptus leaves. Here’s a quick visual tutorial about how to style your mantel from Joanna suggesting an anchor over the mantel, the importance of layering and the beauty of asymmetry.
HGTV offers another 28 designs for adorning the mantel around your fireplace. Pick one and get busy!
Glossy Magazine Ideas
From Better Homes and Gardens we found a festive display of trees, presents, and reindeer that could have been overwhelming if the designer hadn’t followed a simple color palette. Try a décor that includes frosty hues of white, silver, and gold for beautiful wintry elegance with only a few colors.
Christmas mantel decorating ideas can be as simple as repurposing things you already own. Lanterns are always great décor – indoors and out – and as we learn again from Mid-West Living, varying heights are the way to go. You can find festive red lanterns at Walmart (on Sam Walton Lane in Castle Rock), Pier 1 or Plow and Hearth.
A pine wreath with a few frosted and colorful embellishments can be the anchor above your mantel, and if you don’t see what you want while shopping around in stores or online – make your own with this DIY tutorial from BHG.
Traditional Home offers 30 days of holiday designs – many of them mantels – in a slide show that offers close ups – so you can REALLY imitate the looks, right down to the sparkly ribbons, creative ornaments, magnolia garlands and queues of candles.
If your tastes trend more toward country chic, check out Country Living’s 50 mantel décor ideas, from simple rustic (think stockings made from feed sacks and oversized gingham prints) to woodsy pieces like Etsy’s reclaimed and driftwood trees, antique vases and more forest-inspired finds.
From Holiday Retailers
We love this simple display of pine garland, LED lights, pine cones and gold berries that Plough and Hearth put together. You can “borrow” this inspiration and shop it yourself at the local dollar store (the Dollar Tree at 5650 Allen Way in Castle Rock)!
Pottery Barn at Park Meadows in Lone Tree, about 15 minutes from Crystal Valley, offers up four styles for four mantel designs. Buy theirs or just let the PB inspiration be your guide, from Classic Velvet, Cozy Luxe, New Nostalgia and Artisanal Vintage. We found something to like about them all.
The Budget Decorator rounded up dozens of ideas and inspiration from holiday bloggers and glossy magazines that use dollar and thrift store treasures, to create original mantel decorations with lace snowflakes, greenery, ribbons, and Christmas stockings.
The Many Mantels of Colliers Hill
We could create our own idea book from the many embellished mantels designed by home decorators in the beautiful master-planned community of Colliers Hill. Come and visit our amazing neighborhoods by touring the models and move-in ready homes of Meritage Homes, Shea Homes and Richmond American Homes. Available in ranch or two-story designs and priced from the upper $300s to the $600s.
