Dressing an Elegant Fall Mantel

Learn my five tips to decorating an elegant fall mantel and get inspired by mine filled with preserved hydrangea blooms, gold and white pumpkins, Chinese vases, orange berries, and sage green Wedgwood Jasperware.

Every year it is a joy and a challenge to create interesting and new seasonal mantels for myself and as inspiration for y’all. Fall is my favorite season to dress up the mantel for — there is just something about the cozy vibes of the fireplace that blend so well with autumnal colors and textures. I love playing with the hues and florals of the season to create that unique but traditional look each year!

Creating an Elegant Fall Mantel

I’m a fan of color and pattern, so my mantel decor will always be filled with it, but here in our formal living room I try to style a note of elegance into the fall decor. Going with bold color or an unusual pattern doesn’t mean it has to look cartoonish or over the top.

Dressing an elegant fall mantel is all about blending pretty autumnal colors with sophisticated textures and artistic lines!

Here are my tips to add elegance to your autumn mantel decor:

No. 1 Create elegant swooping lines

When I look at mantel decor that feels really elegant, there are always swooping or draping lines. What I mean by this is that the florals used have a slightly curved elongated line that extends up like I did here with my orange berry stems or drapes down off the mantel.

No. 2 Mix metallics

There is just something so sophisticated about mixing warm gold tones with cool silver ones! They balance each other while creating that glitzy glow.

No. 3 Pair orange with sophisticated muted hues

I enjoy the color orange this time of year, but it can quickly become overpowering or too Halloween-ish, so when using it I try to pair it with blues or softer more muted tones. Here I mixed in a pale wood rose hue with the ribbon and floral colors as well as a sage green with the Wedgwood Jasperware compote to soften the affect of the pops of orange (shop the compote here).

No. 4 Bring in natural elements

I know I always recommend this, but that’s because it works! Every single time! Natural elements have a simplicity and gracefulness that always lends elegance. Here the preserved hydrangea blooms and orange berries also help play up texture and color. The florals are all from my friends at Hoskins in the Flat! If you are local, I highly recommend heading to the shop to snag gorgeous fall blooms. I’ll link some alternate sources below.

No. 5 Play with classic antiques

Traditional ceramics and tasteful silver immediately add sophistication to a seasonal vignette. It maybe tempting to buy the latest decor at Hobby Lobby, but I believe you are better served investing in classic antique or vintage pieces that can be used year round or season after season. These orange and white floral Chinese vases are a chic pair that add wonderful fall color to your mantel while being stylish and tasteful (shop the pair here).

The sage green Wedgwood Jasperware compote and the pair of orange vases are available in the curio shop as well as a tall bottle vase in the same pattern. Head over to the shop to buy!

Here are some florals similar to what I used on this elegant fall mantel:

Happy Fall Y’all!