5 Decorating Solutions for a Traditional Mantle

5 decorating solutions for a traditional coat

5 decorating solutions for a traditional coat – Coats can bring out your inner decorator or frustrate you. I hope by the end of this post your inner decorator will be hopping. If you don’t have a mantel but have a buffet, console table, or even a wide windowsill, all the principles/design tips still apply. For more information on decorating above a fireplace, click here.

Step into a traditional home that has received a facelift in the foyer.

Fireplaces and chimneys are usually a focal point in a room. Often it is other architectural details that ensure it is a dominant feature. In this case there are two archways on either side of the fireplace, one into the living room and the other into the dining room. While the decor in the home is traditional, the homeowners have mixed in contemporary furniture while still honoring the original feel of the home.

5 decorating solutions for a traditional coat

Original photo from the homeowner

First observations:

The mirror:

  • reflects the chandelier and adds interest
  • has a simple traditional styling that goes well with the other architectural features
  • reflects what is put in front of it and adds visual depth
  • Frame has the same tones as the bottom, only darker
  • matches the coat’s width but seems to overpower it (less so when you’re in the room)
  • is heavy and mounted on original plaster walls, it remains

Thanks to the Olioboard program, I can import the homeowner’s original photo and layer options over it. That’s a designer’s dream when presenting ideas to a client.

With the central position of the fireplace between two archways, a symmetrical design would be an appropriate design line. l

solution 1

Emphasize a vertical layout with art to draw the eye.

5 decorating solutions for a traditional coat

Enclosing artwork with a white matte blends with the coat color (try matching the white matte with the coat, yes this one is a bit too light). You can play with the style of the artwork. Sometimes adding a modern piece is a way to combine styles.

traditional cloak, cloak vignette, art, adorning a cloak

traditional cloak, cloak vignette, art, adorning a cloak

traditional cloak, cloak vignette, art, adorning a cloak

5 decorating solutions for a traditional coat

Throughts:

I like the simple Calla better because the lines are vertical and the simplicity of the composition and color scheme is calming and works better with whatever objects you place next to it. I like rounded shapes next to verticals, or if they’re not rounded, something with soft, jagged edges. My choice would be the vases rather than the topiary because I like a lighter, softer look.

traditional cloak, cloak vignette, art, adorning a cloak

Here’s the same idea with a more traditional non-white paint job. The look is dark and a little overpowering and without an overlap it looks a little too boring. All of this can of course be customized. Which paint job works best?

solution 2

Bring your eye in from the sides of the mirror by creating two strong verticals.

traditional cloak, cloak vignette, flowers, ornament of a cloak, sculpture

This is the opposite of the first solution, but you still use verticals to draw the eye up. Having the flowers in a dark/clear frame connects with the darks in the fireplace and also with the whites in the mantle. The vases are as contemporary as the sculptural piece, but they “all play well together”.