Fireplace Mantels Are Now Trending — Here Are the Top Ways to Style Yours

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your living room, then you’ve got more than just a cozy source of heat – it’s also the perfect place to create a chic, curated decor focal point in the home. Whether you’re thinking of updating your fireplace surround mantel or you’re simply looking for new ways to decorate the top of your mantel, we’ve rounded up 10 ways to fire up the style factor on your fireplace mantel.

boho living room with mirrors on white brick mantel

Lauren Kolyn

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Multiply Your Mirrors

Hanging a mirror over the mantel is a classic way to accentuate the fireplace area while reflecting light (which is a great technique to brighten a room and help create the illusion of more space). In this boho-chic living room, a variety of shapes and sizes of mirrors amplify this effect and add interest through their asymmetry. This styling works particularly well against the fireplace surround, which was DIYed from red brick to a beautifully distressed white.

blue-brick fireplace with starburst mirror above mantel

Lauren Kolyn

2 / 10

Paint the Brick

A pop of unexpected colour goes a long way towards creating a sophisticated foundation for your fireplace mantel, too. In this maximalist Montreal home, for example, marine-blue bricks on the fireplace surround evoke a subtle nautical tone, which is accentuated with a buoy hanging from the mantle. A small, round mirror on the wall makes a statement with bold starburst details, while the shape reminds us of a porthole on ship – furthering the cohesive styling.

modern farmhouse living room with three frames on mantel

HGTV Canada

3 / 10

Think in Threes

When it comes to design, working with odd numbers – and grouping of three in particular – is a shorthand to create interest and a visually pleasing aesthetic. With this in mind, styling your fireplace mantel with items in groups of three (are shown with the trio of frames on the mantel in this Family Home Overhaul living room) is a simple way to make an impact.

eclectic living room with wallpaper above fireplace mantel

Stephanie Foden

4 / 10

Pull in a Pattern

Wallpaper

can be a wonderful way to bring character, colour and charm to a space – including the area above the fireplace. This enchanting 1920s home offers a stunning example of this with a beautiful brick fireplace topped with ornately patterned wallpaper on the wall above. With the luxe wallpaper setting the tone, the mantel is then styled in kind with a curated mix of animal-themed objects for a subtly themed – and totally chic – decor moment.

minimal white living room with colourful painting above mantel

Tracey Ayton

5 / 10

Frame It

If you want to create a bold, bright decor moment, hanging a vibrant piece of art over the mantel is an easy way to make a major impact. Take this renovated Vancouver heritage home’s living room: a colourful art piece instantly draws the eye against the crisp white wall and fireplace surround. The minimal wood mantel underlines the impact of the art, while a few simple decor pieces complete the look.

white living room with round wall art above mantel

HGTV Canada

6 / 10

Opt for a Textured Finish

Similarly, if you opt for a simple, clean-lined fireplace mantel, filling the wall space with unexpected art pieces above is a chic way to bring layers of style and dimension – as Samantha Pynn and Sebastian Clovis show with a mix of patterned round wall art details in this Save My Reno living room.

elegant white living room with round mirror on wall

Stephanie Foden

7 / 10

Stick to a Colour Scheme

One of the easiest ways to establish a sense of cohesion when styling a fireplace mantel is to choose a colour scheme. When you use one colour palette to establish a foundation (for example, this designer’s Victorian home in Montreal features a black-and-white theme for the fireplace area), you can then mix and match different textures and sizes of items to create depth, while still feeling unified.

cozy white living room with with three vessels in empty fireplace

Heather Saitz

8 / 10

Know That Less Can Be More

Don’t write off a non-functional living room fireplace – the empty fireplace space can serve up a stylish decor moment. In this Calgary artists’ living room, for example, a mix of vases and vessels fill the fireplace, while a few simple decor pieces and books top the white mantel.

comfy white living room with white fireplace and mantel

HGTV Canada

9 / 10

Make it Modern

If you love a more modern aesthetic, updating your fireplace can instantly transform the space. In this Making It Home With Kortney and Kenny living room, for example, the team covered the stonework fireplace with a plaster wall painted white for a smooth, sleek look. With the clean-lined vibes well established, the team then styled the wide white mantel with a mix of minimal candles for instant cohesion.

cozy cottage living room with vintage sports equipment above mantel and beside fireplace

HGTV Canada

10 / 10

Try a Theme

Sometimes, the biggest challenge with styling a fireplace mantel is deciding what objects to put on top of it. A simple solution? Choose a theme and then pick pieces that align with it. In this Scott’s Vacation House Rules living room, for example, the team chose a winter sports theme. To fit, designer Debra Salmoni decorated the mantel and wall with vintage sports equipment for a cohesive feel.