topic Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS in Home

WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Oznell — Fri, 15 May 2026 17:10:51 GMT

Love to see a nicely dressed mantel year-round. Or 'faux mantel ', which is what I call the top of my living room cabinet-- lacking a fireplace, it'll have to do!

I stumbled on this "dearlillie" one below, which sent me on a search for other "summer" mantels. The rich wood of the antique mirror is complemented by wispy lavender in a silver loving cup, a bowl of limes, moss, and rattan-wrapped bottle. Love the reliance on natural elements and the romantic simplicity! Looks like something you'd see in France.

This one by craftberry bush might be dark, but note how they've surrounded it with white decor in the built-ins and the mantel itself. I think that's the key to its freshness-- the chalky white vases and busts, and the jubilant burst of flowering branches.

This one from southern hospitality playfully mixes flowers, Staffordshire dogs, and glass insulators in that dreamy blue-green. The mixing in of something industrial or utilitarian like insulators, makes it unexpected and fun.

and the painting repeats the colors....

The Antiqued Journey takes a massive mantel and things that could look heavy, like books, and mixes in one of my favorites, milk glass. Milk glass is great in all seasons, but has a real freshening effect in the warmer months...

You don't even need real flowers, when you position delicate flower prints above the mantel. And once again, milk glass stands out against those neutral walls.

And they use another fave, a sweet little bird to suggest springtime--

This is cheating a bit, since this is meant to be a Valentine mantel, but the idea of tulips in individual, randomly sized bud vases, come on, a no-brainer!

For patriotic summer mantels, Le Cultivateur always has great ideas-- here, her 'snowballs' from the garden, with flags, bunting, books and classical busts!

On another mantel, she did a quiet variation. This time, she put her flowers in vintage clear jars, lovely.

Pender and Peony took an unpretentious midcentury fireplace and brought a summer explosion of hydrangeas and color. The fern in the fire box is a classic.

There are other collections besides milk glass that can bring that breezy feeling to even a fancy mantel, like blue and white china. That's an intriguing room, by the way.

10)

Another collection that looks sunshine-y on a mantel, is "finding silver pennies" idea of plain white china combined with florals and choice sea shells--

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More feeling of the windswept coast from Liz Marie--

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You don't have to give up candles just because it's warm out. The presence of pristine clear glass, greenery and lemons, keeps the mood light--

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Sometimes when things heat up, all you want to do is a clean sweep, leaving just one soulful portrait. He needs nothing near him to have maximum impact...

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In a totally different mood, this astonishing Art Deco mirror with flanking white deco sconces, white flowers and black and white obelisks, makes me think of "summer in the city", esp. if the city is Paris....

It's also proof that you can produce major drama without a mantel at all, since it's all arranged on a slim console table...

If you have a mantel, or, like me, a shelf or anything that you treat as a "mantel", could you describe what you like to put on it? Does that change with the seasons?

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

LavernLuvsShoes — Fri, 15 May 2026 17:17:51 GMT

Loving the Art Deco "mantel"

...Not too fussy, Not too much (for my minimalist taste)

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

happilyretiredgirl — Fri, 15 May 2026 17:34:54 GMT

I like the milk glass mantel. So soft and elegant looking.

AwwRe: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

magicmoodz — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:25:30 GMT

@Oznell

I don't know if I would ever be brave enough to paint my walls so dark, but this is my favorite:

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

DREAMON — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:29:29 GMT

I like 12 best ...13 for a Kitchen Mantle. I am also liking the dark paint in 2 with the white and green against it. It is striking and beautiful to me.

Re: AwwRe: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Kachina624 — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:34:30 GMT

So often mantel decor looks like items lined up for sale on a shelf in a retail store. I think effective mantel decor is one of the most difficult challenges.

Re: AwwRe: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

LIndaMJ — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:52:46 GMT

@Oznell we have a 6'mantle painted white above our gas fireplace, similar to picture #1. I alternate decorating it every 2-3 months. Right now in the center is a wooden clock which belonged to my grandparents with 2 framed family photos on each side.

The last arrangement was a large Capidimonte flower arrangement in the center with a few smaller pieces on each side. Another time I had placed 5 matted and framed photographs of my mother as a little girl.

Christmas is the only time I decorate the mantle for a holiday.

Re: AwwRe: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

DSD2 — Fri, 15 May 2026 20:06:03 GMT

@magicmoodz wrote:
@Oznell

I don't know if I would ever be brave enough to paint my walls so dark, but this is my favorite:

I completely agree @magicmoodz

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

CarolinaGirl88 — Fri, 15 May 2026 20:11:53 GMT

These are so fun to look at! I love the patriotic ones. In the center of my mantle, I have a framed print of the official toast of the state of North Carolina, ("Here's to the land of the long leaf pine, the summer land where the sun doth shine...") with all of our state symbols pictured around it. Surrounding that I have various battery operated candles that are all set on timers, a couple of pieces of pottery and a couple of old black and white family photos. There is also a large mirror above my mantle that extends to its full lengh. I pretty much only change the mantle at Christmas, but this inspires me to maybe change it more often.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Marsha2003 — Fri, 15 May 2026 23:32:29 GMT

It has been years since I've had a mantel to decorate, but I do have a few long, flat surfaces to use. Some stay pretty much the same year-round; others gets small seasonal tweaks or complete changes.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Sakuya — Fri, 15 May 2026 23:50:33 GMT

The second one is quite lovely. I like the striking difference from the black fireplace and the bright green and white.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Oznell — Sat, 16 May 2026 03:24:20 GMT

@LIndaMJ , I like the way you change things up with an heirloom clock, meaningful photos, and your porcelain blooms. Those Capidimonte flowers are so lovely and delicate, perfect for a mantel...

@CarolinaGirl88 , what an original idea to have your state's rousing toast and other symbols displayed there! I'm also a big fan of framed, black and white photos; they bring such a 'mood'.

@Marsha2003 , knowing your love for great decor, I'm sure your 'tweaks' are very pleasing.

I get bored and revise things a little TOO often, ha. This spring I've had various things up there. So far I've had my Depression and old pattern glass, one of which held my p u s s y willows, then later, a fresh bouquet of mixed roses and other flowers; then I mixed that clear glass with some of my milk glass, then milk glass alone. Now I have a few pieces of my sage-and-cream Wedgwood jasperware up there, on either side of a vintage bronze clock.

But I don't have that many pieces of the Wedgwood, so have supplemented with a couple of vintage vases in a complementary sage-y green. The largest one is brimming with faux daisies, that echo the colors in the Wedgwood.

Hoping this arrangement will last a while longer-- haven't tired of looking at it so far...

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Imaoldhippie — Sat, 16 May 2026 10:10:59 GMT

@Oznell ...........The first picture of the mirror looks as if it has cardboard or just plain brown paper, or did they cover the mirror part because of reflection? I do like that mirror. All the mantels are very lovely in their own way.

Re: AwwRe: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

ID2 — Sat, 16 May 2026 10:18:07 GMT

The only ones that look summery are the American ones. Looks like what I do.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Oznell — Sun, 17 May 2026 19:34:12 GMT

Now that you mention it, @Imaoldhippie , and I look at that mirror you mention, I can see what you mean! But, I think it might be just a trick of the way it's reflecting the walls of the room; I don't think they've covered the reflective surface. But I could be wrong.

Of course, I've kept looking at other pretty summery mantels, and found one that might be my favorite. It's from Molly in Maine. I've shown her living room mantel here before, but here's her bedroom one--

It perfectly captures what I like most about people's mantels-- it is an illustration of the owner's own personal, individual interests and passions. The carefree children running near a beach are a constant reminder of her children; the mantel always has the Gonder pottery she collects. The books are there because this is her reading nook. The vintage, re-purposed faux mantel is painted in B. Moore's Yorktowne Green.

Meaningful and happy.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Regal Bee — Sun, 17 May 2026 19:54:35 GMT

@Oznell The mantels are lovely...so many wonderful ideas.

We have four mantels in our home...one real wood burning fireplace (massive) and three electric fireplaces. I love decorating all of them but rarely change out the designs. I am more content with my designs as I get older and need less changes. (Can't believe I admitted this....wow.) haha.

Our family room mantel is filled with the blue and white pieces I love to collect. The dining room has cabbage ware displayed and the bedroom mantel is filled with Valerie crystal candlesticks...very romantic. The living room mantel is over a floor to ceiling natural field rock fireplace and is a bear to decorate....but fun.

Thanks for the great pictures.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Imaoldhippie — Mon, 18 May 2026 09:36:52 GMT

@Oznell ............Yes I like it a lot. Very inviting reading nook especially with her furry friend.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Oznell — Mon, 18 May 2026 16:00:47 GMT

Oh, boy, @Regal Bee -- four mantels to play with! Your arrangements sound great. I can just imagine the lovely things you do, with your creative, professional touch. Your occasional posted photos in the past of your vignettes were such a visual treat for all. They are very much missed.

Re: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

Regal Bee — Mon, 18 May 2026 18:43:19 GMT

@Oznell Thank you! You are so kind.......

R: WARM WEATHER MANTELS

spiderw — Mon, 18 May 2026 22:03:58 GMT

All the mantels are lovely and eye catching. I do not have a mantel in my home but I do decorate my side tables I have lamps on and areas where I enjoy decorating. I do seasonal decor. Right now I have antique vases with spring faux flowers in them, family photos on old books and figurines which are children from the Frances Hook collection depicting summer. I have flameless candles in certain places also. I do not overdue it. Bottom line it makes me happy and I enjoy decorating!