French Country Mantel Decorating Ideas

Lincoln Barbour

Have you decided to renovate your living room, but aren't sure where to start? Go ahead and let the hearth of your home guide you with these best fireplace mantel ideas. It makes sense that in order to create a cozy living room, you must make sure your fireplace is a main focal point. A mantel revamp is also a simple way to make a noticeable change in any space.

For instance, why not use one of these amazing living room paint colors and apply it to your fireplace instead of the walls? It may be much less work, yet will still deliver a big payoff. Look to the mustard yellow, navy blue, or sage green fireplaces in this list that make an elegant yet understated statement. Plus, painting has never been easier, thanks to our handy guide on how to paint furniture. You can also use decorative touches to highlight your mantel, with clever tips such as layering antique mirrors, hanging a vintage oil painting above, or adorning it with lush plants.

Whether you're looking to uphold your farmhouse decor ideas or you're hoping to create a more modern, minimalist look, this list of beautiful, inspiring fireplace mantel ideas is exactly what you need.

fireplace mantel ideas mirrors

AARON COLUSSI

1 of 45

Layered Antique Mirrors

Not only do the different sized mirrors give depth to this room, but framing the fireplace with other pieces of art in various sizes makes it a real focal point.

SHOP WALL MIRRORS

fireplace mantel ideas wood

KIM CORNELISON

2 of 45

Budget Mantel

A thin piece of wood is used as the mantel on this all-white fireplace. The homeowners kept its natural edges to give it a more rustic style.

SHOP RUGS

fireplace mantel ideas antique wood

BRIAN WOODCOCK

3 of 45

Showcase the Brick

You can show off your original brick fireplace and still give it a unique look by surrounding it with antique wood.

SHOP PRINTS

fireplace mantel ideas collectibles

ANNIE SCHLECHTER

4 of 45

Display Collectibles

Have collectibles of something? Displaying it on your mantel is a great way to show off your items while creating a charming look.

SHOP PAINT

fireplace mantel ideas antiques

David Tsay

5 of 45

Antiques Everywhere

Looking for a place to put your favorite odds and ends? Look for inspiration in Kelley Motschenbacher's quaint abode, where collectables are placed all over the living room. "I really like antiques because they're often weird, nontraditional sizes that are ideal for smaller rooms," she says.

fireplace mantel ideas topiaries

TROA GIOVAN

6 of 45

Perfectly Pint-Sized

Jennifer Miller didn't let her 28-inch-wide hearth dissuade her from decorating. She chose scaled-down topiaries and candlesticks to go along with an oil portrait.

fireplace mantel ideas vases

ERIC PIASECKI

7 of 45

fireplace mantel ideas nyc

ANNIE SCHLECHTER

8 of 45

Mirror, Mirror, on the Mantel

The gilded mirror in this New York City townhouse subtly matches the gold and black fireplace.

fireplace mantel ideas tv

Ryann Ford

9 of 45

A Little Lighting

A pair of metal lamps help the stunning chandelier illuminate the living room in this antique-filled farmhouse.

fireplace mantel ideas photos

ARMANDO RAFAEL

10 of 45

Color Coordinate

Danny Seo used his hearth to show off a variety of beautiful black and white pieces.

fireplace mantel ideas

AUDREY HALL

11 of 45

Stunning Stone

When your fireplace is this gorgeous, there's no need to go overboard with the decor. The owners of this Wyoming home added a pair of candlesticks and one piece of artwork.

fireplace mantel ideas wheat

LAUREY W. GLENN

12 of 45

A Bit of Brick

Hal Turner, the owner of this South Carolina smokehouse, actually salvaged brick pavers from his grandparents' old home for his fireplace. He then kept things nice and symmetrical up above with a couple of vases filled with wheat sheaves and a painting.

fireplace mantel ideas white

ANNIE SCHLECHTER

13 of 45

Bright and White

A white mantel offsets the brick fireplace in Holly Williams's Kentucky home. Plus, it offers a blank canvas to display just about anything.

fireplace mantel ideas hoop

David A. Land

14 of 45

Pretty Plants

Instead of hanging plants from the ceiling, simply display them around eye-level—like Chenault James—to freshen up your home for spring.

fireplace mantel ideas painting

David Tsay

15 of 45

Unveil Artwork

The farm painting perfectly pairs with the cow figurines lounging in this Texas home.

Living room, Room, Interior design, Fireplace, Furniture, Wall, Hearth, Table, Wood, Home,

Emily Followill

16 of 45

Prop a Painting

Rather than leaving it bare or filling it with fire wood, the owners of this southern sporting cabin opted to display a work of heart on the hearth.

Furniture, Room, Interior design, Pink, Yellow, Living room, Table, Home, Chair, Wall,

Annie Schlechter

17 of 45

Mortar Wash

Take a cue from the owner of this renovated California cabin and give your brick fireplace a quick makeover with a "German smear." The fast wash treatment is an easy way to tone down and distress a bright fireplace.

Hearth, Fireplace, Masonry oven, Brickwork, Brick, Room, Wood, Architecture, Building, Interior design,

Victoria Pearson

18 of 45

In With the Old

The "art" above this fireplace is actually a gate from an old pigpen! Before this 100-year-old Texas home was remodeled, the entire structure was covered with fake rock from the 1970s and surrounded by bookshelves. The owners tore everything out to find this beautiful brick fireplace beneath all the junk.

Furniture, Room, Bed, Bedroom, Shelf, Interior design, Property, Shelving, Wall, Bed sheet,

Helen Norman

19 of 45

Decorate with Found Items

Living room, Fireplace, Hearth, Room, Interior design, Furniture, Heat, Home, Table, House,

Lincoln Barbour

20 of 45

Rustic Wood and Antlers

The rustic mantel is made of wood from the homeowner's grandfather's farm, adding to her home's cozy, welcoming feel.

Hearth, Fireplace, Room, Heat, Living room, Wood-burning stove, Furniture, Fire screen, Interior design, Home,

Helen Norman

21 of 45

Bring the Outdoors in with River Stone

As much as the architect of this Alabama home loves natural materials, he also knows there's a time and place for man-made materials. This fireplace is coated with a sandy plaster finish. "It's not a material plucked from the 'outside,' but it's made from organic materials, including marble dust and lime, to resemble smooth river stone," he said.

Living room, Furniture, Room, Interior design, Property, Home, Coffee table, Table, Wall, Floor,

Courtesy of Touchstone

22 of 45

Rough-Cut Mantel

In this living room, a piece of dead cedar, 1920s corbel, and mismatched tile make the fireplace a dramatic focal point.

Wood, Room, Interior design, Floor, Hearth, Furniture, Wall, Table, Flooring, Interior design,

Max Kim-Bee

23 of 45

Hanging Canvas

Around the hearth of this Maine cottage, reclaimed barnwood serves as the perfect spot for a flamingo painting on unstretched canvas, hung in homage to Southwest Harbor's annual Flamingo Festival.

Room, Living room, Property, Interior design, Building, House, Furniture, Home, Fireplace, Architecture,

Miki Duisterhof

24 of 45

New Meets Old

The sunroom's salvaged casement windows, vintage fireplace surround, and Plexi-Craft coffee table exemplify the owner of this Connecticut farmhouse's new-meets-old mix.

White, Flowerpot, Houseplant, Shelf, Wall, Plant, Room, Leaf, Flower, Botany,

Bjorn Wallander

25 of 45

Vintage Prints

The owners of this New York house scoured Etsy and eBay for vintage prints and paintings to lean above the mantel, including this secondhand watercolor of cows.

Hearth, Fireplace, Heat, Wood-burning stove, Room, Furniture, Fire screen, Table, Interior design, Home,

Max Kim-Bee

26 of 45

New York Farmhouse Fireplace

The Windsor chairs in this historical farmhouse are from a vintage store in Hudson, New York.

Room, Furniture, Fireplace, Living room, Hearth, Property, Interior design, Home, Table, House,

Max Kim-Bee

27 of 45

Salvage Chic

The owner of this Texas cottage snagged these window screens at a Houston garage sale years ago.

mantel

Victoria Pearson

28 of 45

Mantel

The owner of this California cottage snagged this pensive portrait for a song at a flea market, and stuck this feather-tipped dart, a prize at any price, straight into his mantel.

Room, Hearth, Wood, House, Brickwork, Cuisine,

Max Kim-Bee

29 of 45

Vintage Colonial

A mid-1800s portrait, which came with this Connecticut cottage, feels apropos against the dining area's original wood paneling. Steel bistro chairs from Industry West deliver a jolt of modernism.

Fireplace, Hearth, Room, Arch, Architecture, Furniture, Interior design, Collection, Art,

Chris Court

30 of 45

Themed Collectibles

Stylist Sibella Court added some light-hearted humor to her mantel by gathering portraits of men and boys, some of whom have mustaches. For those lacking in hirsute charms, Court added ruffled paper fringe, a Groucho mask, and—in the case of the vintage Secret Service target at far right—a penciled-in 'stache and clown nose.