Ideas for Decorating a Fireplace Mantel for Summer

Easy Ways to Add Style to the Hearth

A roaring fireplace on a cold winter night is a comfort, and it is also a decorative part of the home, but when the warmer months arrive the fireplace hearth sometimes becomes an empty dark shell and the mantel simply becomes a place for storing displaced knickknacks. However, the mantel can be decorated in honor of any season, and the following ideas will help you get started on decorating your fireplace mantel to help usher in summer while bringing the best of the season into the home. These ideas for decorating the fireplace mantel for summer are relatively inexpensive, and they will help you add decorating style and appeal during warmer summer months when fires are put on hold.

Decorating with Bamboo

Plants are ideal for display on the fireplace mantel during the summer months when hot crackling fires are nothing but a memory. Consider growing bamboo in a decorative container of your choice. Bamboo requires plenty of moisture to thrive, and it requires occasional feeding, but many varieties do not require a lot of light. The fireplace mantel is the ideal location when decorating with live low-light foliage.

Along with attractive containers of live bamboo, begin decorating the mantel with items of interest that offset the backdrop. For example, if the wall behind the mantel is white, consider selecting beautiful jade sculptures to go along with the bamboo theme. If the wall behind the fireplace mantel is dark and designed using brick or stone, select items of interest that are light in color such as smaller three-dimensional sculptures or tabletop works of art that are mainly white or another light hue. 

Summer Candle Displays for Decorating

Many people burn candles exclusively during the cooler months of winter. The flames cast a warm and inviting glow. However, candle displays are also ideal when decorating for summer, especially when decorating a fireplace mantel. Select unique candle holders and fragrant long-burning candles. Create a row of graduating heights, and light the candles on a dark night for romantic candlelight or the ambience of a fireplace. Even when the mantel is the only area illuminated by dancing flames, the fireplace will look grand, warm, and exceptionally inviting, especially when the candles are placed in front of a framed mirror that will double the amount of light. 

Decorating with Sunny Outdoor Photos

When decorating the fireplace mantel for summer, put away winter or spring holiday decor, and display a few well-arranged framed photos in between favorite candle displays, foliage, or eye-catching knickknacks. Select vacation photos, outdoor summer scenes that include friends or family members, or display scenic summer beach photos. What better way to bring a touch of summer into the home and onto the fireplace mantel than by decorating with memories of summers past? Sunny summer photos will instantly bring the fireplace mantel to life while bringing a touch of summer indoors and into an area commonly thought of as a place for winter decor.

Think of your favorite colors and designs of summer, and look for ways to add style to your fireplace mantel during the warmer months of the year. With plants, tabletop summer decor, creatively displayed candles, and framed memories of past summers you can begin decorating your fireplace mantel for the summer while making your fireplace mantel a place for expression.

Article Source: Associated Content by Yahoo 
Article Author: Crystal Ray

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Summer Decorating - Cool Decor Ideas For Hot Days

Summer is a great time to add some pizazz to your decorating. The key to summer decorating is to lighten and brighten. Try some of these tips to transform your rooms and get your home ready for summer:

Remove Layers: Just as we pack away our heavy sweaters once the snow is gone, we can do the same for our rooms. Warm, fuzzy throws draped over the sofa bring warmth to a room in the winter, but can add too much visual heat once the hot weather arrives. Replace heavy throws with lighter, airier fabrics for a more summery feel.

Do the same for large area rugs and the smaller runners in the entryway and kitchen -- replace them with lighter rugs (look for any of the following: jute, cotton, bamboo or sisal), or even remove them completely for the season.

Tablecloths and table runners can also be replaced with lightweight versions. A white runner really lightens up a dark wood table. This is a great time to go sheer with window treatments as well. It can really make your space feel more open.

Cover Up: If you have a dark, heavy sofa or chairs, a slipcover in a lighter color and fabric can dramatically change the appearance of your room. This trick also works in the bedroom -- slipcover your headboard for a whole new look. Look for lighter, cooler fabrics in a summery pattern like a light stripe or floral print. For a more casual feel, try white canvas.

Throw cushions can also benefit from the slipcover treatment. Use sheer fabric (for added detail, try an embroidered sheer) to make covers for your dark throw pillows. Even easier -- take a sheer scarf and tie it around the pillow for an instant no-sew cover.

For pillows that really say summer, try this easy DIY project: Sew two standard-size towels together along three sides to make super soft, comfortable pillowcases. Smaller towels can be used to cover throw cushions.

Add Some Artwork: Replace your heavier artwork with lighter pieces -- go for summer landscapes, florals and botanicals, shells and water scenes. White picture frames can help to lighten things up as well.

Gather up outdoor photos of family and friends (beach shots are great for this). Put them in coordinating frames and hang them in a grouping to create a photo wall that's sure to be a focal point.
You can also fashion your own summer artwork in a few simple steps -- pick a few flowers and leaves from the garden, press them in a book for a week or two, then place them in a picture frame (for those that share my fear of bugs, check flowers before pressing to avoid any unpleasant surprises!). Any of these tips will brighten up your home for summer and give you a fresh new look.

Visit OceanStyles.com for more great summer and beach decorating ideas.