A LITTLE BIT OF FALL MANTEL

This year’s fall mantel is quite different from those in the past. Instead of using my usual “big is better” and “less is more” philosophy when it comes to decorating I used smaller elements that look like they tumbled across my mantel. And I added a blue and white twist to fall this year! And what better place to show off a new-to-me style than on a fall mantel!

Today on Decorating Tips And Tricks we are ANSWERING VIEWER’S QUESTIONS. I think these are my favorite episodes. I really feel we are talking right through the microphone and helping you, our precious listeners!

Listen to episode 260 below…

 

Now here’s my fall mantel…

Did you notice something different? There are no more black shutters flanking the clock. Styles change and so does mine. I still love that traditional/transitional style with farmhouse accents but I’m slipping into a little more classic and refined look.

I just felt the shutters on the mantel did not represent something I love anymore. Removing them makes my mantel look fresh. At least to me!

Because I am bringing a bit (just a bit) of blue and white to the back of our home I wanted the fall mantel to reflect that change. So I chose a color palette so very close to my heart! Lots of white and soft neutrals mixed with blue and white and just the littlest hint of burnt orange.

 

Here’s a big tip I want to say again about adding orange fall decor to your home. If you use a little BURNT orange and mix it with blue and white it looks beautiful! It’s a magic formula! The more white you add the more sophisticated it looks.

Give it a try! You will be surprised at how much you love it! I found some good faux bittersweet to add just a little bit of orange to the mantel. 

 

Blue and white balls were almost an afterthought to this mantel. I had reworked it for about a week to get the look I had in my head. The white baby boo pumpkins and the decorative balls are just about the same size and play so well together on the mantel.

 

I think I like this “low” profile look on the mantel. I’m sure I’ll be using it again!

 

 

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66 Comments

  1. Marian Zimmerman says:

    yes, yes, lovely

  2. Actually, I liked your fall decorating much better in previous years. Autumn is all about brilliant color. Seems so many are turning everything into muted color schemes, even glorious autumn. There is no individuality anymore.

  3. It looks so much more open and light now !

  4. genie steger says:

    I was just thinking about how much I like blue and orange, especially in the fall, the hot sun and blue sky!

  5. Rosemarie Veliz says:

    Oh it looks beautiful! So different without the shutters, lighter and lovely. I love the blue balls with the burnt orange decorations. Are the burnt orange branches real? Are the balls Christmas ornaments? What a great idea? Thank you so much for sharing and giving us so many wonderful ideas! Love Love Love!

  6. I LOVE the clean fresh look of your mantel! Always love blue and white — I love the leaning in to a more classic look!

  7. Your mantel looks great. I like the blue balls that you mixed in. I have one shutter hung on the wall horizontally and am thinking of removing it. Maybe for my Christmas mantel!

  8. Melisha Kreppein says:

    Love it! Blue is my favorite color, and I tend to use it throughout the year in different ways. Thank you for showing me a new way to add a tiny splash of blue. Gorgeous!

  9. Today the area rug in this photo inspired me! The perfect change I need!

  10. Dianne Miley says:

    Very pretty! I especially like the overall look of the room. Thanks for sharing that photo at the end. I’ve always been a huge blue & white fan since before blue & white was cool. ?

  11. Yvonne, I really like your new look for your mantle. Blue and orange are a delightful combination in my garden and add a little touch of fall to our inside decor. In our formal living room there is a lot of blue and white and I added some little orange pumpkins to a Chinese porcelain bowl of blue and white orbs. It really gives the room a little pop of seasonal color yet is simple.Good to change up our rooms so as not to get in a decorating rut. cooler
    Love that it is starting to get a little cooler.Enjoy the season.

  12. Very nice! I like the simplicity of the mantel. Also, thank you for posting the last picture with the whole room. That is how we see rooms in our own homes and it gives such a wonderful perspective of how you have pulled the whole look together. Close ups are nice for detail but the pull aways are soooooo helpful and few bloggers show them.

  13. Love the new look! It’s so much lighter and fresher looking without the black shutters. The mantel is gorgeous!!

  14. Love your new look!! I am transforming our living area to a lighter no brighter look too! And the blue and white with touches of burns orange are speaking to my heart this fall too!! You nailed it!! ??❤️

  15. Really pretty color combination. It looks elegant.

  16. bonnie rush says:

    Love the new, clean look on the mantel. Relaxed elegance!

  17. Shannon@Belle Bleu Interiors says:

    Yvonne, I love the way you have decorated your fall mantel! It is beautiful! I adore blue and white… it is classic and timeless! I also love the mix of orange with it for autumn. It makes such an impressive statement! Happy Fall!!!

  18. Vicki Martin says:

    Decorations are pretty and simple. Just enough with Fall colors but not too much.

  19. Love the new look on the mantel! I also spied a new coffee table and absolutely love it, too
    !

  20. Christy @ Our Southern Home says:

    Gorgeous! Just love the touches of blue.

  21. The mantle looks lovely, very light and airy, love the entire room.

  22. As a collector of blue and white items, I definitely like the new twist in your décor! Confession time…Did I notice a new coffee table, along with a wooden chair and ottoman??? Very nice!!!

  23. As a collector of blue and white items, I definitely like the new twist in your décor! Confession time…Did I notice a new coffee table, along with a wooden chair and ottoman??? Very nice!!! When do we receive the FULL reveal?

  24. Beautiful, so classy! I am a blue and white collector also, so I love when you add touches of that to your decor. I too noticed the new coffee table! Can you share where you found those awesome wood candle holders and your faux bittersweet?

  25. kdhocevar@comcast.net says:

    Love the simplicity Yvonne. So classic yet with the rest of the room it still feels warm and cozy. So now I am repainting and I know you have mentioned the color of your walls but could you please tell us again. Thanks so much. Always for providing us with such creative ideas.

  26. I knew something was different. I was enjoying the touches of blue and reading when you said the shutters were gone. But your lamps that you used nightly are gone too. Maybe use timed candles? I enjoy my pillars that turn on at set times and go off too. They add a bit of ambience and light.
    I like this look. Your shelves look pretty too. I’m always wanting to change things. I’ve gotten some ideas today! Thank you! Happy Autumn Days.

  27. Janet Cole says:

    Looks beautiful, fresh and uncluttered – love it!

  28. Laura Harrie says:

    Yvonne,
    Okay, you have won me over with the burlap covered books! I will get out my burlap today! Your mantle looks great. If you want to find a good home for those black shutters… I am just saying I will take them off your hands! Happy Fall my friend, your House makes me smile!

  29. Beth Pozzini Putz says:

    Yvonne, I LOVE IT! I’ve followed you for a long time, and this is spectacular. I had nothing against your black shutters and candle lamps, but this is very refreshing, and yes, exactly what you said…new to you. Sometimes you just need a fresh look. Beautiful! I love this cozy room! Happy Fall Beautiful Lady! Enjoy the bounty!

    Blessings,
    ❤️Beth

  30. Lovely. I love touches of blue and burnt orange also along with light creams or off white. Your mantel looks so nice. I can also see adding some pieces of chinoiserie to your mixture.

  31. I love the addition of the blue and white elements and the whole room looks lovely!

  32. alda ellis says:

    Love the direction you are headed with your decor. Soooooo tired of burlap. Yes, need a more refined look. Classic and never goes out ot style but you can keep it fresh.

  33. Kudos for removing the black shutters and lamps from your mantle. It was time.
    The new look is very refreshing.

  34. Nan, Odessa, DE says:

    Lovely! Did I see these two blue chairs and pillows before?

  35. I love the combination of blue with orange for fall. Even all the pumpkins rolling across your mantel but I find the berry branches give it a busy look.
    I’m a firm believer in fewer big items versus many small ones. I find it to be a more serene, elegant look.

  36. I love, LOVE the new look. It is beautiful!!!!!! Just enough and very fresh looking.

  37. I love the new look. The shutters were nice but I really like this.

  38. Much better without the shutters.

  39. Deb McGinnis says:

    Hi! I love your posts and read them all. A couple of questions. Where did you get your sisal rug and does it shed bad? Are you really happy with it? I love them but they are pricey and want to make sure before purchasing. Also, the little white vases on the fireplace mantle …where did you find them?
    Thanks for your help! love your blog!

    1. Hi Deb,
      Let’s answer your questions: Sisal rugs are far less expensive than other rugs of good quality. You can find the sisal rug here:https://rstyle.me/n/c9jvepb6by7. I love it. It does not shed very much but I also like to vacuum more than once a week.

      The little jugs came from a local shop.

  40. Love the new look. I think simple classic style is always better. It is so calm and soothing to me.

  41. LOVE the new mantel!! What a fresh take on fall. I love the color contrast between the white, orange and blue!!! Simple but beautiful!

  42. Botanic Bleu says:

    Yvonne,
    Be still my ever-loving blue heart! Gorgeous mantel with touches of blue and white… I like the mantel without the shutters. It looks fresh and “clean.” And, I spy that stunning velvet pumpkin centerpiece in front of the window.

    I love the direction your decorating has taken.

    Happy Fall,

    Judith

  43. Just when I thought it couldn’t be lovelier, it is. So happy to see the blue. I, too, used a few blue and chinoiserie objects in my more neutral Fall palette this year. Small accents of Autumn colors go a long way, and provide a more serene look. Love the textures, which add coziness to the classic look. You have outdone yourself, Yvonne. Happy Fall!

  44. I loved your black shutters!

  45. Blue and white will NEVER be out of style!
    When we downsized 7 years ago I got rid of everything except my blue and white; a decision that I have never regretted. Thanks for “bringing it back.” ?

  46. PS: Where O Where is Mickey Mantle?
    I couldn’t find him? PLEASE tell us that he has not found another home!!!

  47. Barbara F. says:

    Yvonne, your blue, white and orange mantel is indeed lovely but I LOVE those shutters!! I have spent time looking for similar shutters for my own fireplace mantel. If I lived closer I’d be knocking on your door to buy them. I live in California, so you’re safe. 🙂

  48. Kathy Davis says:

    I miss the shutters and the grand look of the fireplace mantle.

    1. We all need a change every once in a while. I painted them a soft white and they may appear again.

  49. ATTENTION YVONNE I am still not recieving the “Scoop” in my email like I always did. What could be going on? It didn’t go to junk email or anything. I kinda miss your shutters but since you’ve had them a long time you are probably tired of them. I get that way too.

    1. I just checked and you should be getting the StoneGable newsletters. Is it just The Scoop? or every newsletter?

  50. kathryn stewart says:

    Love the mantle. This is the look I have in my home and it is so fresh and peaceful!
    Where oh where did you get the beautiful and interesting blue balls?

  51. I love the white-washed bricks. Did you do it yourself and how? That’s just the look I want for mine. Would appreciate your how-to!

  52. Julie Briones says:

    Gorgeous, Yvonne… I think taking down the shutters is a nice change, and it still looks perfect! Love the orange and blue, too!

  53. I can’t believe I have followed you long enough now to remember many of these mantels!
    Style changes so much, true! I embrace a few things here and there ( like galvanized metals), but try to mix it up with just things I love so it doesn’t feel like a trend. It can be overwhelming.
    It may go against the stylists/ bloggers/vloggers, etc., but it works for me.
    I love the blue you have added!! While I would love to paint my dining room a neutral in the near future, currently it is a blue-gray and I use bits of the fall oranges and golds in there. I figure by the time I change the paint color blue-grey will be a new “trend.” Lol!!
    I am waiting for my “babies” to get a little older before replacing my furniture. Life is too short to fuss all the time about feet or crayons, etc., on the furniture.
    Enjoy your Fall!!

  54. Beautiful look! I see what you mean about the blues mixed in! Love it!

    Virginia
    More to Mrs. E

  55. Your mantel is beautiful! The bittersweet makes such an impact! Love it!

  56. I love seeing your new approach to less is more! Noticed it first when you removed shelves in breakfast area and your bookcases in family room look much better too. I saw an old blog of your living and dining rooms and I have to tell you I liked them better back then with your formal dining table and that floral black area rug in front of sofa in living room. I just love a more traditional decor one that does not look so trendy. The new chairs and coffee table in family room are to die for! So glad to see touches of blue in your decorating too. Love your new changes so far. Besutiful!

  57. Monica Dameron says:

    Yvonne, I love the new look. What about painting your clock? A darker color would maybe help it show up on the wall. Just an ideal!

    1. The clock was originally dark and it just looked too heavy! I don’t want the clock to be the only thing one see’s when they look at my mantel.