In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some basics on designing a fantastic fireplace mantel during the warmer part of the year, typically spring or summer. These are often transitional seasons when it comes to home design and aesthetics, times of the year when many homeowners look to change up their design in several areas of the home – and the mantel is a great place to start.

At Comfort Solutions Fireplace, we’re here to not only provide a wide selection of contemporary fireplaces, including gas, electric and several other models, but also to offer fireplace mantels in a variety of design formats. Our mantels are designed to combine both beauty and safety themes, ensuring your fireplace area is protected while also bringing life to the space. In today’s part two of our series, we’ll go over some other themes we commonly see taken for spring and summer mantel designs.

Flower Containers

There are a few spots around the home where showcasing flowers in various containers is a great design concept, and the mantel is one of the single best. Whether flower containers are the only items atop a given mantel or simply used as accents in between other items, such as picture frames or other memorabilia, they offer a perfect blend of color and nature.

For many homes, regular household items like jars, bottles or pitchers can be used as flower containers for the mantel area – and then cab be decorated with numerous embellishments, from paint to lace and many others. If you’re going for a solid contrast, use containers of varying heights; if you prefer standardization, make them all the same size.

Lighting and Warmth

Another vital concept for any mantel will be lighting, which sets an ambient tone and warms the entire space. Candles are often a top choice here – they can be placed individually or, more commonly, will be grouped together, often in stackable combinations.

There are also several forms of ambient lighting you might consider, depending on the space and other décor you have in place.

Accents

Finally, no mantel is complete without the proper visual accents, allowing for the prominent parts of the design to be highlighted and promoted. A common color used for mantel accents is gold, which blends well with many of the themes we’ve gone over to this point – you might consider gold frames for pictures, for instance, or a gold vase or candleholder.

In other cases, your accents will depend on the other design themes present in your home. If you have a rustic concept going in the room where the mantel sits, for instance, consider things like tin, distressed wood and various wreaths.

For more on how to design a fireplace mantel during the warm part of the year, or to learn about any of our fireplace mantels or contemporary fireplaces, speak to the staff at Comfort Solutions Fireplace today.