Friday, January 29, 2010

Firing up the Mantle

 

I am joining the Beth's Mantel Party over at The Stories of A to Z this Friday!
So here is our "mantle" for your viewing pleasure. (Click on any of the pics to enlarge)

You probably noticed that we don't exactly have a mantle on our fireplace, but I've made do with what we have. The shape of the area is rather odd. Rather than an area to accessorize directly over the fireplace, the area is off to the left.
 

I change up this area every so many months, especially during the holidays. After Christmas I only had the two pictures there and was stumped as to what to do from there. I didn't want anymore candles in the area, but needed some height. So I added the woven vase. I went back and forth as to what to put in the vase, and went with the faux green ferns.
 

I love the look of lanterns, and since we don't light the fireplace very often now (it costs about $20-$25 just to use it for one evening!). I liked the idea of having big chunky candles to light in the lanterns to have that pretty soft glow in the evening. You can't really tell from the pic, but the lanterns and the candles inside are really big. And I love the candles! They are flameless (a must with little ones around) but are made of beeswax so they look very real. And they are on a timer, so I never have to open the lanterns to turn them on/off! And last but not least, they are vanilla scented.
Then once I had the lanterns in place, I realized the fireplace was very dark, so I added the faux orchids to brighten up the area. And again, since we don't light the fire that often, it's no problem having them right there behind the screen.

Here you can see our window seat area next to the fireplace. The lightening was bright, so you can't see the white wooden blinds there behind the drape. (And if you are like my friend Elise, you'll notice the drapes are a bit short. I blame that one my husband, and will be taking care of that problem as soon as I can.)
Also, you'll notice that we actually painted the fireplace area a totally different color than the walls of the room. We wanted the fireplace to stand out, and I am so happy we chose to do that.

The Breakdown:
Mirror: Found at Sam's club way back when we first bought the house. I can't remember how much it was, but I remember that it was a good deal.

Bronze Leaf Candle Holder: We received this as a Christmas gift a few years ago. It's from Pier 1 and it looks like it is on clearance now!


Woven Vase: I scored it Kohls on sale! It was one of those times where I knew I wanted something for that spot, but had no idea what til I saw the vase.


Faux Ferns: I grabbed a bunch of these this past summer when they were on clearance for like $1 a stem at Peir 1. They are no longer online, but I am pretty sure I saw them in my Pier 1 recently.

Firescreen: We bought the firescreen at Target several years ago, and they no longer seem to have them. But they have one similar now.

Lanterns: These are from Ikea. I had seen one on display earlier in the winter but they were all out. I never got around to ordering them (hate to pay for shipping) so I was super happy when they had them back in stock last time we were there! And at only $15 each they are a definite score.

Candles: We found the amazing flameless candles at the The Old Candle Barn, a great place that I love to go to whenever we are in Amish Country. Unfortunately, I threw out all the packaging and now can't remember the name of the company that makes them. I'll let you know once I track it down.

Orchids: I found the orchids at the Pottery Barn Outlet for $5 a stem. I also got a back of natural river rocks while there for $8 a bag. I already had the pots, which are from Ikea and had originally help real plants which I promptly killed as always. I picked up some floral foam from Michaels and put it all together to get what you see in the pics.

Do you have a fireplace mantle? Is it traditional or an oddity like mine?





11 comments:

Beth@The Stories of A to Z said...

You have done a great job at decorating a challenging space! I too have one of those Ikea lanterns and love it. Great breakdown and lovely display. Thanks for linking up!

Sandra said...

An unusual corner fireplace is now a pretty focal point in your room...you did a great job of decorating and keeping it balanced. Come say hi.

Terri said...

Jessi, I always thought your fireplace was unique the way it's set up :)

We have a fireplace in our finished basement, a.k.a. "the man cave." As such, it is spruced up with Yankee collectible figurine sets (the 1998 and 1927 teams, if you must know!) and a large B&W signed and framed photo of Joe DiMaggio. Quite different than your mantle... But, it actually fits perfectly and I kind of love it.

Unknown said...

Very classy. I love the angled wall and how you handled it.

Sharlotte said...

Jessi,
You did a fabulous job with your mantel! I love the woven vase...did you make it yourself? It's great! I like the way you also decorated the hearth...you're such an inspiration! Thanks for sharing!
Sharlotte

Jessi said...

Thanks so much everyone!

Sharlotte--Nope, didn't make the vase. Wish I was that creative! It's from Kohls. I have the link to it in the post if you'd like to check it out.

Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on Top said...

I had to take a double take at the shape of your mantle. It's very different. I love how you have it set up. I love the vase and the lanterns. I wouldn't use the fireplace much either with that cost.

Simple Home said...

I'm so impressed with what you did with your mantel. It looks wonderful, and I don't know if I could be very creative with such a unique shape.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings,
Marcia

Kimmy said...

lovely colors and design elements... I really like this... it's easy on my eyes and so pretty! ~ kim

Anonymous said...

So pretty! My mantel is one of the hardest things for me to decorate. I'm not sure why but I struggle with it always...love yours~
xo Susie

Blondie's Journal said...

What a neat fireplace!!! You did an awesome job with an awkward space. I love the woven vase and ferns and the candles and lanterns inside the hearth. Fabulous job, Jessi!! :-)

xoxo
Janie