Styling a mantel can be tricky, it’s often a focal point of a living room, and sometimes it’s awkwardly thin, and it can even be tough to know what to put around a mantel—so when Target challenged me to share some jungalow-style mantel tips, I was all about it.
Now I have to preface this post by saying that it is literally 100 degrees right now in L.A. so if these pictures feel a bit like a tropical heat transitioning into fall situation, well, that’s why. I don’t plan on lighting a fire in there anytime soon — I’m hot just thinking about it, but, just because it’s hot doesn’t mean I can’t already begin to add decorative nods towards the fall season and the festivities that are just around the corner, and start to think about the coziness that I will want to usher into the jungalow once the cooler months arrive.
So with that, here are my jungalicious mantel tips:
THINK ABOUT SCALE
The fist thing that I think about when styling a mantel is scale. There needs to be at least one something that feels large and acts as a focal point of the focal point. It can be a large painting on the wall, a tall mirror, or in this case I’ve used a large, sculptural vase holding two arching areca leaf palm fronds. By using something large in the center that adds color and texture to the vignette, I’m left to only fill in the blanks and decorate the surrounding areas.
THINK ABOUT A COLOR PALETTE
I like to pick two or three colors to work with for a mantel vignette (not including the neutral ‘base’ color you’re working with!). In this case, I’m using green and pops of yellow to make the area feel full, bright and festive.
ADD A LITTLE SPARKLE
I love to add a bit of bling to any vignette, but especially this time of year. Here, I decided to mix metallics–combining the gold wire table with copper vessels, these golden fall fruits and some vintage brass birds on the wall to add a little sparkle. Gold tones in the carpet and the pops of yellow all help to weave the color story together.
CREATE COZINESS
I believe fireplaces should invite relaxation and a ‘come hang out by the fire’ kinda vibe–even when there is no fire! So I like to invite a soft rug and a few fluffy throw- pillows to the party.
And then when you put it all together you get the golden hues of autumn, with a rich variety of textures and foliage which feel festive but not necessarily too holiday-y and you create inviting vignette that, with just a few tweaks can be ready for Halloween (just pile on the orange pumpkins!) and Thanksgiving (just add family photos!) … what do you like to keep on your mantel? Do you switch it up often or keep it the same all year round? I’m constantly changing it up in the jungalow.
This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Home Décor for modern luxury made easy. Photos By J. Blakeney.
Old Brand New says
Love this plantel! And that gold side table is so sexy.
Natalie says
The way the palm fronds frame the whole thing is gorgeous! Loving this.
Shannon says
Ooooo so pretty. Love all the tips and tricks. Always nice to get a visual for how nice a mantel can look if you put a little love into it. And P.S. I love getting home decor goodies at Target. They have the best stuff!
design elements says
They are wonderful, Justina. So good to visit you. I saw the book cover of your new book on amazon yesterday. It’s
F A N T A S T I C!!!!
Can’t wait till April… Go, Justina, go!
Hugs
Maria
Justina Blakeney says
eeee! I know! I haven’t ‘announced’ it yet– but I’m so super excited too!!
zdrowie.trade says
Idealny post, ogólnie masz racje, chociaż w kilku aspektach bym
się kłóciła. Z pewnością ten blog zasługuje na uznanie.
Myślę, że tu jeszcze wpadnę.