GIVE YOUR MANTEL A SUMMER MAKE-OVER

Want to freshen up your décor for summer? Celebrate summer by giving your mantel a 15-minute summer makeover, it really takes just minutes to re-decorate your focal point in the room.

 

 

We have quite a lot going on here at FrenchGardenHouse, in between the usual summer buying trips, trips to market to source fall and holiday collections, working with our floral wholesalers to design and create our fall and holiday faux botanicals line, our youngest daughter is getting married late July!

 

You can only imagine how excited we are!  I’m saving up antique handkerchiefs as we speak, because, just between you and me, I cry at every wedding. So I can only imagine how much I’ll cry when my beauty marries her darling love!

Needless to say, this summer my decorating is all about easy. simple. and quick!

 

 

Redecorating your mantel for summer has huge payoffs. Every time you walk by your mantel, you’ll get a little summery spark in your heart!  Your mantel display is the eye-catching focal point of your room, so decorating it in a fresh, light and breezy way is the name of the game.

It doesn’t take too much time, as you can see in my super-easy mantel in the living room here at FrenchGardenHouse.  The weather is too beautiful to fuss with things inside, go outside and enjoy the sun! I hope my easy mantel will inspire you to create something alluring in your own home.

 

 

You don’t have to clear your mantel and start all over when decorating for summer.  I have these antique candlesticks on my mantel almost year round, so I just build a seasonal display around them.  Because they are  a little heavy visually for summer, I decided to only add just a few light, summery things along with them for this mantel.

 

 

Delightfully simple, I began by placing an antique transferware plate in a delicious color of soft lavender purple on a clear lucite stand in the center.  It’s the perfect choice, since it’s the same lovely color of our new Les Belles Fleurs lavender topiaries that I placed on each side.

 

 

The topiaries are perfect, a touch of outdoors but without the need to water!

 

 

Then I tucked a few seasonal elements into the display, that’s how I change areas in my own home. To further heighten the “summer” feel of the mantel, I added a few white shells we found at the beach a few weeks ago with our little people.

Do lavender and seashells go together? Not necessarily, but I like it! {and they hide the base of the lucite stand that holds the plate.} That’s the beauty of making your home reflect your own style, you can do whatever you love and ignore stuffy rules that others might take into account!

 

 

Soft and serene, this traditional symmetrical display is intriguing yet delightfully simple. Along with the candlesticks, the center plate, the lavender topiaries and a sprinkling of shells , they make the perfect summer statement.

You can easily make your own version of this, using a center decorative plate, and two topiaries or live plants. Done! How easy is that?

 

Because right across from the mantel, I have this grand bouquet of our Les Belles FrenchGardenHouse Fleurs faux Columbine! These are so gorgeous, wild, and looking just like they do when cut from a garden in the south of France. I love these, sadly, I think we are down to our last few sets….I can’t get them anymore as they are too costly to reproduce.

 

 


19th CENTURY MULBERRY TRANSFER GARDEN SCENE PLATE
FRENCH COUNTRY LAVANDE ABEILLE TOPIARIES

FRENCH SILK COLUMBINE STEMS

 

Happy summer mantel decorating to YOU!

 

 

DO YOU REDECORATE YOUR MANTEL FOR THE SUMMER SEASON? WE’D LOVE TO KNOW HOW!

 

à bientôt

 

Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com

10 thoughts on “GIVE YOUR MANTEL A SUMMER MAKE-OVER”

  1. Oh, a Summer wedding! Hopefully you will show us pictures as everything you do is so French. Just imagining how gorgeous it will be. I’m with you regarding crying at weddings and because it’s your beautiful daughter I would expect nothing else. My mother in law gave me all of her handkerchiefs. Some are hand made with embroidery she worked. And she also gave me all of the calling cards she had from former boyfriends. So sweet.

  2. Alice, how fortunate you are to have inherited all those beautiful handkerchiefs. AND the calling cards! It was such a romantic era, wasn’t it?

  3. Perfectly beautiful Lidy. I have two tall candlesticks on my mantle that I decorate around also. This look is so fresh and lovely. You are going to be joyfully busy with the wedding. Best wishes.

    1. Thank you so much, Dianne! I’m trying to keep it simple with these busy summer months ahead.

  4. Congratulations to your daughter! I know how excited you must be, and I cry at weddings, too. And this is just around the corner! My daughter is getting married next July, she’s our youngest, too. So bittersweet!

    Your mantel looks lovely. I think you know that mine is huge. I try to get the right balance and now I’m looking at it with fresh eyes to lighten it up. Thank you!

    Jane x

    1. Oh how exciting Jane, to have a wedding coming up. I know, it’s bittersweet…but think of all the exciting things around the corner…a new son-in-love and maybe more little people. Our wedding is just around the corner, and I’m so looking forward to it. I finally found the right dress – thank goodness! – and everything is all set. Wishing you a beautiful summer!!

  5. Hi, Lidy,
    I just sent a note to you but for some reason it did not go through, hope it shows up , otherwise I will rewrite you, love all the above. Bonjour, Jean~~~~~~~~~~~

  6. Hi, Lidy,
    Don’t know what happened, but here it is, loved all the photo’s and the mantel and the purple flowers, I could sit in those chairs and really enjoy myself, purple flowers and the white is just lovely. I wish you and your family all the best wish’s with your daughter’s wedding, how exciting hope you post all the detail’s and photo’s. Have a wonderful summer and stay cool. Bonjour, Jean~~~~~~~~~

  7. Diana Lucas

    Hi Lidy, Everything on your mantel is beautiful! Best wishes for your daughter’s wedding…I know it will be wonderful. I, too, am getting ready for a wedding. My younger son is getting married in early August in Chicago. I know summer is wedding season, but seriously, there are so many people getting married this summer. Good luck on yours and enjoy every minute of it. Diana

  8. Oh the definition of simply elegant! … I am sure you are so very excited about the wedding. With you helping your beauty, it is going to be the most gorgeous wedding! Those Columbine are exquisite!
    Have a fantastic week Lidy!!!! xoxoxo’s

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