It’s that time of year when everyone is pulling out their Holiday decor and decking their halls. One of my favorite things to decorate for Christmas besides my tree is my mantle. It’s my favorite cozy spot to gather with friends and exchange gifts by a warm fire.
The theme I chose for my mantle is Historic with a blend of modern touches. I was able to achieve this look using antique elements with just 5 easy steps.
Decking Out Your Mantle With Antique Elements
1. Layering Design Elements
First, I layered different types of faux greenery and gold wooden beads to add texture. You could also do real greenery and have that wonderful woodsy smell for the holidays throughout your home. I also place in extra pieces to fill in the bare spots.
A great tip to keep your greenery in place is to use a command hook on each side of the mantle. It works perfectly!
2. Give Symmetry
Then an Antique candlestick and a modern brushed bottle tree was placed on each side of the mantle to give it symmetry. I love to blend new items with antique or vintage; it adds so much character to a space.
3. Add Ribbon
I used a wide Williamsburg blue velvet ribbon and a black & white cotton striped ribbon. I decided to add one bow in the center in front of a pineapple. The pineapple is a traditional expression of “welcome” throughout the South and in areas along the Eastern Seaboard. It symbolizes warmth, welcome, friendship, and hospitality.
4. Include Dehydrated Oranges
I used Dehydrated oranges to make a traditional orange garland that I placed throughout the greenery. This orange garland adds a timeless & handmade look, which I love! Here is the perfect tutorial if you are wanting to dehydrate oranges to add to your holiday decor.
5. Finish With Art
Last and certainly not least, I placed an antique portrait of George Washington above the mantle. He completes the historic look I am going for and adds that antique element.I hope he feels right at home.
You also can deck out your mantle using antique elements found in auctions. One of my favorite places to search is Black Rock Galleries. I even spotted a cute metal pineapple as well as a set of two cut crystal and brass pineapples in a couple of the auctions coming up.
Remember, the key to a beautiful mantle is to keep layering your favorite items until you achieve the look you are going for with your holiday decor.
Happy Holidays,
Michelle
Michelle is a designer known for creating sophisticated and collected spaces with lots of texture. Every room’s design has a unique feel with a blend of old and new items, with traditional and modern aesthetics. You can find daily posts filled with design tips & home inspiration on both Michelle’s blog (MW Designs Blog) and Instagram (@mwhitenerdesigns). She was also recently featured in Washingtonian Magazine.
