Today, I’m sharing my vintage modern mantel decor that uses a soothing limited color palette plus I’ll explain my reasoning for using the things I did, why they work well together, plus my tips for creating your own one of a kind look using your favorite things. I also need your opinion on a thrift store find I have and whether I should try and reunite it with its original owner!
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Having a nice clean slate means it’s time to get creative with winter decorating and I like to start with one major focal point. For me, that’s my mantel. When my Christmas decor came down, I was left with a blank space which is the perfect way to start.
It’s all about visual balance when it comes to decorating. That doesn’t mean both sides of the mantel have to mirror each other, they just need to be pleasing to the eye. Play around with different displays and try using things like books to add height and weight.
Remember the bingo signs from my October Thrifting Diaries I scored a couple of months ago? Well, I’m happy to finally be able to display one. I obviously have a thing for things with words, numbers or faces on them so I couldn’t resist these cute little face pots. A stack of books elevates them to give them more visual weight to match the plant on the other side.
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Plants make everything better and brighter especially in the dead of winter and I love the way the leaves of this super easy care pothos plant trail down. I was going to put it in a colorful pot but I like the way the plastic black pot fades into the background. I love layering things and the little silhouette adds more interest.
Adding a few green succulents to the face pots carries the green across the mantel plus I added more succulents to the coffee table below.
Now let’s talk about the embarrassing true story of how for years, I have thought a little girl was my husband! I truly believed that the silhouette art was my hubby when he was a kid. We were all sitting in front of the fire the other night and I mentioned it being my hubby and he said it isn’t him! I swore up and down, left and right, that it was him and even remember his mom giving it to me. To end our bickering, my daughter got up, turned the frame around and saw that what I thought was my husband is actually a little girl who had her silhouette done at Disney in 1968!
Now I can understand why a number of witnesses to the same crime can have so many different recollections of what really happened!
I always like to add a few things to the hearth and just took the candle filled lanterns that were on my Christmas mantel and moved them down to the floor.
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I played around for awhile to get a result that I was happy with so don’t think this comes easy for me. It’s all about trying different things until you come up with something that makes you happy!
P.S. My daughter searched for the silhouette girl on Facebook and thinks I should message her so we can return the silhouette to her! What do you think?
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No fireplace here but I do like what you have done to yours.
Those cute little face planters are adorable.
I couldn’t resist them Colleen! If you don’t have a mantel, find a shelf or table to work your decorating magic on!
I think that would be awesome if you reached out and got in touch with the silhouette girl! 🙂
Thinking about it!
Great post about fun design. Thank you….and….Yes on the silhouette. That would make for a great story. A friend of mine bought his 1984 mermaid turquoise Chevy Camaro off of a lady who, as a young driving teenager, was the original owner. She loved it sooooo much until it became an impractical vehicle in her family life. She reluctantly had to sell it. My friend bought it as a teen driver. He fell in love with it, and was the best possible owner, being mechanically inclined to keep it in the best condition possible. Well, HE eventually had to sell it recently, as a dad of 2 little girls, and wanted to get something practical now that he’s a family man. He remembered the previous owner saying that if he ever sold it later on, to look her up, as she felt such heartbreak upon having to sell it herself years ago. Sooooo he looked her up on fb, found her, and the Camaro and previous owner were reunited. The story made us all cry because she had thought about the car for so long and to be able get it back again (now that she and hubby are empty nesters) was like a dream to her. Our friend kept that car immaculate too. He listed ALL the repairs and replacements he had done to it to keep it mint. Believe me, the car was like his needy, high-maintenance girlfriend all throughout our college years. The reunion was posted for all of us to see. It was such a great story. I had to share it. God bless and happy decorating!
What a great story Janet! I’m happy that camaro is reunited with her owner!
Thanks Kelly! Me too…so sweet!
I love your style that elephant side table is right up my alley,
Isn’t it the cutest Maria!
I would return the silhouette. But take a picture of it and put it in a similar frame. You’ll still have the memory.
Great idea!
Hi Kelly. I like the mantle but have to say the silouhette is too small against the huge game board. It doesn’t fit in with the other items. I believe something a tad bigger and somewhat line with the theme would be better.
I have to respectfully disagree with Judy! I think the little silhouette is a perfect match to the little face pots across from it, and something bigger would take away from the Presence of the Bingo Card. This just goes to show that Design can really be in the eye of the beholder and we should all just do what makes us happy!
Agree Beth! There are so many ways this can be styled and that’s the fun part!
Use what you love and if you like it, then it’s perfect is my motto!
I love your mantel and girlie pots, they are so cute. I don’t know, sometimes when we are young there are things we don’t care about but, as we grow older we think of those memories and wonder what happened to certain things that we wish we still had. Hope that helped one way or another.
I reached out to her on Facebook but who knows if she will see my message since we aren’t friends!
Absolutely return the silhouette! It will be fun to do that.
I contacted her! If I hear back and she wants it, I plan to!
I have my sons silhouette and mine and my brothers are at my moms house. I would reach out. I recently mailed a vintage hand crocheted table cloth to my cousin in Chicago. Her grandmother made it ( my moms great aunt!) and she loved it, especially with 3 daughters, and used it at ones wedding Happy ending!
How nice Ronnell! I messaged her on Facebook so if she replies, I’ll definitely send it back to her!
love your mix and those little planters!
I have a thing for things that stare back at me!
I agree with your daughter that you should try and return the picture to it’s owner. Can you imagine how you would feel if someone did that for you?
I FB messaged her but haven’t heard back. If I do, I would love to send it to her!