The fireplace often acts as the heart of the home. Historically, it served as the heating source for the home, so during the cold winter months, people would gather around it for warmth. In modern times it’s a bit less practical because of central heating, but a strong focal point nonetheless. The mantle is the accessory to the fireplace and can provide great interest to the living room.

Here are a collection of some mantles and the types of people who decorate them.

Images: (Left) Apartment Therapy, (Right) Apartment Therapy.

The Book Lover:

If you prefer to use your mantle space as storage, why not kill two birds with one stone and arrange them beautifully with the spines stacked horizontally. This beautiful arrangement of magazines and books is a great way to show off a collection.

The Masculine:

Paired with the right accessories and darker color palette, this mantle screams man thought it’s totally liveable for all.

Images: (Left) Design Milk, (Right) Photobucket.

The Modernist:

This simple mantle possesses a bit of humor and whimsy with a simple backdrop to the deer head. They kept it clean and simple with geometric lines and a clean color palette.

The Classic:

The architectural details of the mantle keep the classics in mind. Here, symmetry is your friend. Light fixtures and urns on either side and complemented with a pop of color in the back to freshen the space up.

Image: Elle Decor.

The Art Lover:

If you have a lovely collection of art work, in addition to hanging them on walls, why not lean them against the wall stacked in front of each other on the mantle? It creates a less formal mood to what could be a pretentious setting.

What’s your dream mantlescape? Lots of decoration? None? Do any of these strike your fancy? Which ones? Do tell!

Main Image: Pinterest