The Secret Recipe To The Perfect Fall Mantel

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If you want to make your fall mantel the star of your home, this post is for you.

Mantel decorating can be intimidating. Because of its sheer size, it is a dominant feature in any room even without any decorations. This means all eyes will be on it and a misstep may make your whole room seem a bit off.

There are a lot of factors to consider when decorating a fall mantle.

In this post, I’ll break down each one and reveal the foolproof secret recipe to the perfect fall mantel.

Table of Contents

The Fall Mantel Centerpiece

Your mantel centerpiece needs to be centered on establishing an overall balance.

This doesn’t mean that your entire design must be symmetrical. It means that a baseline for balance must be present.

Then, design around that main focal point. A few ideas for mantle centerpieces include a clock, a painting, a mirror, a wreath, or a sign.

A Dominant Seasonal Element

Avoid having your fall mantel look like a free-for-all by selecting a single seasonal element to inform the theme.

Pumpkins, leaves, or acorns are a good choice. You can add all 3 elements if you’d like, but be sure you have a dominant seasonal element.

This should be either larger in scale or larger in quantity than the other items on your mantel.

Scale and Size

This part of the secret recipe holds true for mantle decorating of all seasons. The scale and number of items on your mantel are incredibly important.

Use the rule of thirds to determine how wide your decor needs to be. Your mantle centerpiece should be about two-thirds the width of your ledge.

Then, include at least two items that are one-third the width of your mantle on either end to anchor the design. Don’t forget to vary the heights of your items. The taller they are, the grander they’ll appear.

The scale of the decorations on your mantle in relation to the furniture in a room is important as well.

Consider the placement of your seating in relation to your ledge.

Can the items you’ve placed be seen easily? Or, does someone have to get up close to figure out what’s up there?

If you can’t clearly see everything on the mantle when you enter the room; you may need to size up on your decor.

Color Palette

Earth tones are the way to go when decorating a fall mantle. You can opt for the trendy neutral fall decor that is comprised of light earth tones like beige, pale blue, gray, and brown.

Or, you can go for the traditional rich orange and brown. Either way, try to stay in the earth-tone color family.

Also, make sure you consider the color palette that already exists in your home before decorating for any season.

For instance, if you have pops of red in your home, a light neutral fall mantle would be most appropriate. If you have blues or browns already in your home, an orange arrangement will work great.

If your home is mostly light neutrals, consider adding a transitional fall color for more impact.