Holiday Mantel 2013

My mantel is my first holiday project this year.  Whenever I do change ups, I try to use what I already have.  Once you adopt this policy you'll find that so many of your decor works in different settings in different rooms. 

I have to confess that I did make one new purchase.  I seem to have formed a fascination for faux taxidermy.  I couldn't pass up this plaster ram.  I knew he would be perfect above the mantel wrapped in garland and a string of glass beads.

My Faux Ram's  Head Wrapped in Garland and Glass Beads

Here's how I pulled it all together.

  I've had this damask mantel scarf for a while.  It was a little small for this mantel but I made it work.

 It's red and gold and it directed the colors I pulled from the other rooms.

My Scalloped-Edge Mantel Scarf with Tassels.

You've seen this patent leather chair before.  I dressed it up with a pillow I borrowed from a dining room chair.  The pillow is made from an antique rug with some soft velvet in the center.

Vintage Patent Leather Chair and Persian Rug Pillow

The spheres rolled in from the foyer.  I tried to dress them up for the holiday, first with ribbon and then with some berries, but decided that they were perfect unadorned.

My Wonderful Wooden Spheres

I love this Mid Century Modern brass and nail head cube.  I had it for sale at The Design House, but it didn't sell.  I sometimes put a high price on items I really like.   If they sell, I'm happy parting with them, and if they don't, they're mine.  Yea.

MCM Brass Cube with Nail Head

I topped the cube with some books and stole the faux coral from the sun room mantel.

Zgallerie Faux Coral

These coral-inspired candle holders usually reside next to my clam shell
on my mirrored Chinoiserie table.  They were very happy with the change of scenery.

Coral Inspired Candle Holders

I always try to have an architectural fragment in my vignettes.  The plaster fragment is a bookend on one of my bookcases.  This one was very happy to be part of the holiday decor and anchor one end of the mantel.   I specifically shopped my house for something white in addition to the red and gold to tie in with the white ram.  White and plaster.  Perfect.

Scrolly Architectural Fragment

This matching fragment had to be satisfied to still be a bookend,
 but I did give it some different books to support and oriented it in a different direction.
The crown is an ornament that I use here and there throughout the house throughout the year.

Red Leather Books, Architectural Fragment, and Crown Ornament

You've seen my tangle of antlers in a jar before.  I just dropped some red ornaments into the jar
 and left them where they tumbled.

My Tangle of Antlers and Ornaments

Here's how it all came together.

My Holiday Mantel

My Family Room Mantel

What holiday decor job do you do first?

Kathy

2012 in Review

As the new year begins I like to go back and take another look at my projects from the previous year.  If you missed the posts or would just like a second peek, you can click on the image or on the highlighted words and it will take you there. 

I purchased a new sofa for my family room and the x base coffee tables were perfect with the new sofa and flokati rug.

Mid Century Modern Coffee Tables

I loved how my plain pine dresser was updated with some stripes.

Dresser Transformation

My mantel went coastal.

Coastal Inspired Mantel

In that same room I filled a huge clam shell and placed it on my mirrored table.

Zgallerie Clam Shell

I love anything chevron.  It was a no brainer to cover this chair with some chevron fabric.

Chevron covered side chair.

I love Dorothy Draper and was so excited to find this draper-style dresser.

Draper Espana Dresser

I painted my chinoiserie chandelier orange.

Hollywood Regency Bamboo Chandelier

I styled my very shabby ladies writing desk.

Shabby Ladies Writing Desk

I have several posts about my garden in bloom  This was a favorite.

Spring  Garden

I have a second desk.

Spinet Desk

I've also been working on my daughter's apartment.  Her bohemian bedroom has a peacock theme.

Bohemian Bedroom

I love using spheres in my designs.  I did two posts about them.

Spheres

More Spheres in My Designs

I had so much fun pulling my Fall mantel together.

Fall Mantel

My Christmas tree was inspired by some leopard ribbon.

Christmas 2012

I hope you had a super 2012.  I think I did.  It was hard to choose the posts.  Here's to a fabulous 2013.  I invite you to go back and see what else I came up with in 2012.

Kathy