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"We didn't use many decorative objects
here because the art is the focal point. As a result, there is a clean,
fresh, and approachable elegance to the room," says Washington, D.C.,
designer Todd Davis.
(Photo: Tria Giovan) |
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"I knew I wanted to use this
mirror," says homeowner Stephen Black. "The urns came next. At
first I put them on either side and stood back and yawned. I loved the
painting so I leaned it on the mirror and moved the urns to one side,
creating a not-so-expected design."
(Photo: Thibault Jeanson) |
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Mantel decoration can include the surrounding wall, as seen in this collection of black-and-white photographs.
(Photo: Art+Commerce Anthology) |
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Even if a fireplace is rarely used, it is inevitably
the most prominent feature in a room. Of course, because it's such a
visible spot, the inclination is to stuff the mantel with all our most
prized possessions. But talented designers take a step back and ask
important questions first: Symmetry or asymmetry? Spare or layered?
Approaches differ, but a vignette that says something about the
homeowner's style is an arrangement that works.
Find a Focal Point
Designers often choose to play up the fireplace
with a central mirror, painting, or sculpture flanked by accessories.
Dallas designer Paul Garzotto likes a mirror over the mantel because of the
sparkle and light it provides. To avoid a common pitfall -- a mirror
reflecting nothing that becomes a blank space with a frame around it --
Garzotto places a picture opposite the fireplace so that the mirror above
the mantel will reflect the art.
Designers whose tastes tend toward the
traditional often hang trumeaux over the mantel because the frames
typically incorporate both mirrors and paintings and work with the
architectural elements of a mantel. Paintings, such as antique portraits, landscapes, and
modern art are always an option. They are substantive and counteract the
visual weight of the dark hearth.
Group Collections
Sometimes a group of objects can be a more fitting
centerpiece than one single object. Montgomery designer Jane Smith lined a
mantel in a rustic cabin with fishing baskets, while Atlanta designer
Suzanne Kasler displayed a collection of architectural tools.
In Palm
Beach, designer Brooke Huttig layers mounds of shells along the shelf.
"Pieces maintain their collective impact when grouped in a dedicated
space rather than spread over several rooms or tucked behind closed cabinet
doors," says Smith.
Ceramic platters, bowls, and vases, be they in
blue-and-white or creamware, make striking arrangements, particularly when
hung on a wall of a contrasting color. The trick is to weight the
arrangement so that it looks and feels balanced.
A symmetrical approach
organizes a mantel easily and is pleasing to the eye. Palm Beach and
Memphis designer Bill Eubanks often chooses a five-piece garniture (two
pairs flanking a single object in the center) as a classic balancing act.
"We try to pair elements that are important and compatible with the
mantel and the room," he says. An asymmetrical arrangement can
achieve balance as well. Homeowner Stephen Black placed a pair of urns on
one side of a mirror and a painting on the other.
