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by Jennifer Mangum & Suzan Meredith
The holiday season is a great time to make wonderful decorating changes in our homes. It is time to take out the dusty decorations, fluff the table clothes and think about the themes and projects we plan to take on for our Holiday decorating. From the home entrance to the deck, decorating possibilities are endless.
Family mantle becomes a centerpiece of attention and focus, and while you can hire a professional to decorate and dress your mantle, you can create a beautiful mantel for the holidays on your own by following a few basic design principles.
e first step is to look at your mantel in relation to the entire section where it is located in your room, from floor to ceiling. To give your mantel the “wow” effect, make sure you’re looking at, and decorating, the entire area above, on and below your mantel.
Now that you have stepped back and are looking at the entire “mantel area,” decide how you would like the space to look in relation to the rest of the room. What is your theme? Do you want the mantel to portray drama, simplicity or an old fashioned Holiday look? Once you decide the overall look you are trying to convey, stick with it. All of your decorating choices should support the overall look you want. This approach will keep the entire space unified and will be an important first step in creating a beautiful composition around your mantel.
You then need to pick a color scheme; red and green, silver and gold, silver and blue, etc. The options are almost limitless, even for the holidays. Pick something that will compliment or otherwise work with the colors you already have in your room. This will help tie the mantel area into the rest of the room and create a unified look to the entire room.
After you have decided on your style, you have kept in mind balance and cohesion and you have chosen your color scheme, now the real fun begins. It is time to pick the elements you are going to use in your design. You can take things from around your home, from your traditional holiday decorations or from a trip to the store. Use your creativity. You may be surprised at how many things you already have that could be part of a great holiday vignette.
Once you have gathered elements that you want to use decide which is the largest, place that first. Maybe it is a wreath or a lighted garland. Then, mix in some soft and hard elements of varying heights. Try some symmetry. Symmetrical patterns are pleasing to the eye, and using pairs is a fundamental element of good design.
Do not forget, less is more. If you start to wonder if your space is too cluttered, it probably is. In that case, move some of your elements to another part of the room or the home.
Once you think you are done, step back again and look at the entire mantel. Do not be afraid to continue to move your elements around until you feel like the entire mantel space works as a cohesive whole.
By following these simple design principles, we are confident that you can have a beautiful mantel that you will be excited to show to your family and friends as you entertain them throughout the holiday season.
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