Dress Up a Mantel with Antiques

Antiques and vintage elements bring charm to any space. Dress up a mantel with antiques.

Winter always makes me want to simplify whilst also bringing in one of a kind vintage treasures that tell a story. Learn to dress up your mantel with antiques.

This is our how are mantel currently looks:

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You all know how much I LOVE vintage treasures. I was surprised just how popular this post was – decorating with vintage finds! You guys also really enjoyed reading about our perfectly imperfect marble topped cabinet (as seen on the right).

I really love decorating with antique books. As you can see, in the top photo our built in book shelf is filled with antique teal books with the most beautiful gold writing. It’s the full library of Charles Lever. The books were printed in 1894 by Little, Brown, and Company in Boston.

I’ve also carried out charming vintage books on our mantel.

Decorating with Vintage and Antique Books

Books instantly give a warm look to any space. I love using them on a mantel and shelf styling to help the eye move along a space.

Reasons I love using books in decorating:

• Worn details add character
• Gold leaf titles and beautiful colors can capture the color of other aspects of the room – our orientals and antique lithographs
• Books can add height when piled and stacked on top of each other
• Books can be a conversation piece. I always try to choose classics or books with interesting titles are spines.
• Turning books to show the pages can add visual interest by adding patina.

These books are actually hiding an outlet which is in the center of our mantel on the wall. I was told it probably powered an electric mantel clock back in the day.

Mantel Styling Tips with Antiques

Over the years, I’ve been able to really figure out what will and won’t work on our mantel. Our mantel is extremely long but also very narrow. There are some things I always always do and thought they might work for you, too.

• When selecting antiques I try to bring in some things that are natural, some that have shine and some that are muted.
• Candles always add something special whether real or faux. The flicker is just so warm and inviting.
• Mixing modern and vintage elements give home decor a fresh look!
• Always use odd numbers – fore example, three books, three candles or one candle.
• When decorating step back and see if it works. You want your eye to move across the mantel and not get stuck in any area.
• Plants are comforting in all seasons. I always try to incorporate plants, flowers, or dried elements. If you use your fire a lot I recommend using faux as it’s just too much heat on real plants.

Above, the books are vintage and I love The Little Princess title. The brass candlestick is vintage and I got it at thrift store while the spool adds texture. It was a Brimfield find from years ago. The root vase is new but adds patina and nature. The maidenhair fern is faux. I wish I had better luck keeping those maidenhairs alive.

On the very edge of the mantel is this special trophy. It reads:

HARVARD

Scrub Hockey

1915-16

Won by the Hard Boiled Eggs

O.T. Wagner P.”

Antique Pewter Trophy

Small trophies look so pretty on mantels, shelves, or dressers. They also look really pretty with feathers, dried grasses, or flowers shoved inside. This has been sitting in my kids’ playroom for quite some time so thought I’d borrow it for the living room 😉

Does anyone know what scrub hockey is? Love the name of the team – the Hard Boiled Eggs!

We love spending time in here as a family but I also really love sitting here early in the morning with the fire going, sipping my coffee, and reading.

I actually dragged this modern chair in here for additional seating. It usually is in the she shed / pool house but we’re obviously not using that space currently.

I love the modern style it brings and it’s such a comfortable chair with loads of personality.

Favorite Places to Source Antiques

For local friends:

• Bent Nail Farm Antiques in Marshfield – they have barn sales every few months. (get in touch if you want to get on Colin’s mailing list)
• B.Home Fine Consignment in Duxbury
• Patina in Cohasset
• Waterhouse Decor in Hingham
• Furniture Consignment Gallery in Hanover, Natick and Plymouth
• Elite Repeat in Hanover

Chain thrift stores:

• Habitat for Humanity
• Savers
• Goodwill
• Salvation Army

Online Retailers:

• Elsie Green
• Ebay
• Etsy
• Rejuvenation
• Everything But The House
• 1st Dibs

Local Vintage and Antique Markets:

• Brimfield
• Todd Farm

I’d love to hear about your local or online favorites because one can never ever have enough treasures. Am I right?!?

A few years ago we completely redid our fireplace going from wood burning (which was broken and unusable because we didn’t have a lined chimney) to a gas fireplace. You can read that here. Let me know if you’d like a more detailed post now that we’ve had it for a few years. It really looks so real and is so easy to switch on with a remote!

I hope this post was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions! I’d love to hear about your favorite antique treasures and what you love to put on your mantel.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends!

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