Ideas for Decorating Your Mantel and Bookshelf

Often times, the most ignored parts of a room are your mantel and bookshelves. Yes, you’ll put things on them, and use them as a place to display certain special items, however, their potential is often underrated, and therefore isn’t utilized to their full potential. In this article, we’ll talk about different ideas of how you can decorate your bookshelf or mantel, and give it the pizazz it’s always deserved.

Sum Up The Room’s Style

One of the best and easiest ways to use your mantel is utilizing it to help complete the look of your room. Whether it’s adding a couple small stone statues to each end, or lining it with vases or candles. Let your mantel help finish telling your room’s story.

Add Functionality

This could be as simple as adding a flat screen TV to the top of your mantel. Let it be the “star” of the room, and used as the place that holds the room’s entertainment value. Not only does it look great, but it also serves an efficient purpose.

Create A Gallery Wall

Use the wall space above your mantel to create a fun and edgy gallery of some of your favorite pictures or pieces of artwork. This is an excellent way of personalizing your room, while helping to take up some of that white space that’s just floating in the room.

Make A Bookcase Pop With A Textured Background

One of easiest and cheapest ways to give your boring bookcase a little flare, is by adding a textured background. Besides the obvious background of wallpaper, you should consider faux wall panels. These panels can mimic stone, wood, and brick, but are a fraction of the cost. Faux stone panels for instance, add amazing texture, while giving a natural and bold look to any bookcase. Plus faux stone panels are great to use up against books, because they are mold, mildew, and moisture resistant. And as you know, those three things are a books worst enemy, next to fire of course.

Celebrate The Seasons

This is a fantastic way to utilize either a bookshelf or a mantel. By decorating it for the season, you can add an element of whimsy and fun. Plus, you’ll never get board of your decorations because they’re constantly changing!

 Be Slightly Off Center

Don’t be afraid to explore your wild side a little, and decorate your mantel by hanging frames asymmetrical with your mantel. And then fill in the rest of the space with tall branches in vases, with some candlesticks and one or two other smaller items that capture your fancy.

Create A Layered Effect

Layers can always add a unique and fun twist to any bookshelf or mantel. Layer frames, vaces with long sticks, standing clocks, glass lanterns, a large iron gate, and candles for a look that will leave your guests impressed.

Add A Mirror

Adding a mirror is simple, but can create an elegant look that is sure to brighten up any mantel. Plus, mirrors help your space look bigger, and well as capture more light. Two wins for any living room or bedroom.

Honor Your Home’s Location

A mantel or bookshelf is the perfect way to display different aspects of what make your home and community so great. Weather this is using items you’ve bought from local mom and pop stores, to making a gallery of the different places in your community. This can be a place where you bring to life the unique features of where you call home. And by adding in pieces of the place that makes you who you are, is a sure way to instantly make your mantel or bookshelf your home’s crowning glory.