We’re still a week out from fall, but I couldn’t wait any longer and decided it was time to change up our mantel! Since our apartment is so small, there’s not much space to store seasonal items, so instead of decorating each room, I’ve decided to just focus on the living room and specifically the fireplace. My goal was to find pieces that could easily move from one month to the next so that storage wouldn’t be a problem. I also wanted to find a few statement items, but then also some hacks for keeping décor cost down.
So our fireplace is actually non-functional, it’s pre-war so it’s pretty dang old lol but it’s beautiful and has the most gorgeous color and details. I like that it brings so much charm and character to our little space. We’ve only been in this apartment for a few months, but I’ve loved decorating it and finding pieces and colors that work together. This mantel has seen a lot of change since we moved in, but I have to say, this is my favorite look so far!
Tips for a fall mantel
1. A Central Piece: Have a central piece on your mantel that you can work around! For us, it’s the Samsung Art TV, but it could be a mirror or a large piece of art. Having a statement piece in the middle gives you a color pallet to work off of and helps you with intentional purchases for the sides. If you’re looking for something new, I would look into a green, gold, black or white color mix. These colors are great for this time of year, but also translate into other seasons as well.
2. Flowers: I personally love large vases and flowers – you can have fun with the vase and really lean into your style. Flowers or stems are so easy and affordable to change out and give your mantel some depth and a little dramatic flare.
CB2 and Crate and Barrel have some really cool vases and greenery to choose from. Ours are both from Crate and Barrel – I actually went into the store, sat on the ground, and played around with the arrangement until I found something I liked!
3. Candles: Candles are another classic fall piece – they quickly add a cozy element and some dimension to your design. I found the two above from Target, but there are a lot of great options out there in different colors/textures and at a variety of price points!
I’ve used these candles for summer and fall so far and just swapped out the item in front of them! You can also do black candles if you want a quick and easy change.
4. Inside the Fireplace: Is your fireplace non-functional and covered? Our was, but we pulled the door off and found the inside wasn’t in terrible shape! We sealed up some spots and added some fresh paint and now it looks camera ready 🙂
If you have a fireplace with space inside, interior candles are a very popular trend. I really wanted to do a candelabra, but space wasn’t allowing it so we went with individual candles instead. If you have the same issue, these Amazon candle holders and flameless candles are great.
5. The Samsung Art TV: If you’re looking to purchase this, let me just say, it’s by far one of my favorite things we own. I really wanted art on the mantel, but we had no other option for a TV spot so we knew something had to give. Thankfully we found this piece and now we have the best of both words!
One of my favorite Art TV tricks is to download seasonal prints from Etsy instead of paying for the monthly art membership. They typically only cost $1 and you can upload them to your TV using the SmartThings app.
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