We are living in an awesome old house (built in 1915!) right now, and it just happens to have four fireplaces. So, what that means is that at Christmastime, I have four mantels to decorate! I am NOT complaining about having four mantels, because that would just be annoying, but I am stating for the record that it is a bit of a decorating challenge. My husband will probably be dragging me, kicking and screaming, from this house over the summer, when it will be time to move again, so since this is my last Christmas here, I am trying to make our decorations extra-special.
The first mantel that I did was in our library/family room/den/whatever-you-want-to-call it. It’s where the TV is, and my husband’s recliner (I took one for the team on that decorating horror!), so that’s where we put our tree and our stockings. I already posted pictures {here} and I do like the way that it turned out. I put it on Rate My Space, because I’m slightly masochistic, and it seems like the tough crowd there has liked it, too.
OK, so a few days ago I did the mantel in the formal living room. This is where the piano is, and it’s painted a yellow-gold color. The chandelier is gold, as are the frames around most of the artwork in the room, and so I had to go with gold decorations. Plus, the focal point of the room is the old stained glass window from the church in which my parents got married. My mom and dad had it on display for years in their house, and then I asked if it could be passed down to me. If my house caught on fire, I’d make sure my family was safe (yes, including the cat, even though he wouldn’t return the favor!), and then I’d wrestle this window down and rescue it. So, it has pride of place in my house, and it’s smack dab over the mantel. I just don’t think there’s any way to decorate this spot except simply, otherwise it detracts from the window. So all I did was string a gold “Noel” banner across the mantel (yes, I know, the banner is a recurring theme in my decorations this year), put a crystal bowl of gold ornaments on top, and pop a white poinsettia on either side of the hearth. That’s it. The folks on Rate My Space were not overly enthusiastic (here), and maybe something gets lost in translation with my camera, but I’m not sure if a bunch of greenery and lights would work much better. I’ll post some pictures below–and I’d love to hear what you think!
Here’s the rest of the room–such a tranquil space!
I love the black and white striped window treatments in the master bedroom. Can you tell me where you found those, or if you made them yourself? THey are perfect for my bedroom as well….Your homes are so gorgeous..Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Sandy–
They’re actually brown and white striped, and they were already in the home when we moved in. The owner had purchased the fabric and had a local workroom make them. Sorry I can’t be more helpful–good luck with your decorating!