Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero once wrote, “The home is the empire! There is no place more delightful than one’s own fireplace.” Festooned with greenery, crowned with fruit and flowers, or topped with beloved collectibles, and hung with stockings, the fireplace mantel is certainly a source of yuletide delight for many. We’ve gathered FLOWER magazine’s most popular mantels dressed for Christmastime to inspire your holiday decorating.
In the grand blue and white living room of designer and blogger Tina Yaraghi’s Long Island, New York home, the mantel is topped with six pots of white amaryllis, big pine cones, and a garland of greenery that extends to the floor. See more of Tina’s enchanting holiday decor (including dining room and loggia mantels). Photo by Brittany Ambridge | Styling by Margaret Zainey Roux
In the study, painted Benjamin Moore’s “Apollo Blue,” Williamsburg designer in residence Heather Chadduck and floral designer Jimmie Henslee collaborated on a mantelpiece garland bedecked with oranges, satsumas, and kumquats. See more of Heather and Jimmie’s holiday decor in Williamsburg. Photo by David Hillegas
Pomegranates, apples, pears, and persimmon branches accent a lush garland draped over the mantel in Keith Meacham’s Nashville home. A pair of gold amphora vases hold red and white striped amaryllis, red tulips and greenery. Photo by Laurey W. Glenn
Interior designer Jane Schwab decks the halls of her classic Charlotte, North Carolina home to create celebration-worthy spaces that are as inviting as they are elegant. In the family room, more than 30 feet of fresh garland forms a striking note above the fireplace. Antlers mounted on antique English plaques, tabletop topiaries, and a lavish rabbit throw evoke an enchanted forest allure. See more of Jane’s joyful holiday decor. Photo by Laurey W. Glenn
The mantel in Butter Wakefield’s West London home is full of greenery, candles, and natural materials, giving it a rustic charm. Bird ornaments fill and perch above a bird nest and along the surface. A large arrangement of evergreen cuttings from conifers, magnolia, eucalyptus, and even grasses stands at the center. See more of Butter’s colorful Christmas decor. Photo by Clive Nichols
Floral designer Canaan Marshall says, “I looked to a classic Christmas palette… I’m rather an old soul at heart, and tradition always speaks to me, especially during the holidays.” For this lush mantel garland he used magnolia foliage, cedar, green holly, elaeagnus branches, wax flowers, seeded eucalyptus, two glass vases, and wired gold-and-white ribbon. See more of Canaan’s Christmas arrangements. Photo by Laurey W. Glenn
Sybil Sylvester of Wildflower Designs in Birmingham decorated this fireplace with mixed garland enhanced with lichen, olive, and acacia branches, smilax vine, and other greenery as if it were growing naturally on the mantel and wall. See more of Sybil’s holiday arrangements and decoration at Alice and Bob Schleusner’s home. Photo by Laurey W. Glenn
In designer Barry Dixon’s Virginia home, the mantel of a guest room he calls “the Venetian bedroom” is topped with two arrangements of greenery, each punctuated with a tall, green tulipiere. See more from Barry’s Elway Hall decorated for Christmas. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik
The mantel in blogger and author Paula Sutton’s charming home in the English countryside is decorated with white twinkle lights, ivy, grape vines and grapes, apples, pinecones, orange slices, books, and a pair of brass candlesticks with tall tapers. See Paula’s tips for growing potted hyacinths from her book, Hill House Living. Photo by Simon Brown
Simple garland of conifer and magnolia branches drapes across the mantel and to the floor in designer Shelley Johnstone’s living room. See more of Shelley’s Lake Forest, Illinois home decorated for the holidays. Photo by Aimee Mazzenga | Styling by Cate Ragan
A great hall fireplace showcases a masculine holiday decorating approach with robust greens, pine cones, and antlers that evoke a hunting lodge. A pair of potted conifers flank the firebox. See more of designer Barry Dixon’s Virginia home decorated for the holidays. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik
The family room’s limestone fireplace in interior decorator Alix Rico’s New Orleans home is an authentic representation of the classic château-style fixture common in Provençal architecture. A garland of lighted greenery with containers of white flowers and white and gold candlesticks adds holiday cheer. See more of Alix’s Provençal holiday home. Photo by by Sara Essex Bradley | Styling by Margaret Zainey Roux
In the parlor, cedar boughs, pine cones, and magnolia leaves frame the mantel of Bart McCorquodale’s home, with more magnolia and tulips in the flanking pedestals. Floral designer Kappi Naftel created the coffee table arrangement of seasonal greenery and hellebores. See more of Bart’s home decorated for Christmas. Photo by Hector Sanchez | Styling by Amanda Smith Fowler
In the historic St. Mary’s County, Maryland home of event planners Rick Davis and Christopher Vazquez, an antique mirror and salvaged iron fence hang on the living room’s Pennsylvania fieldstone fireplace surround that is festooned with a frasier fir garland with pine cones. Shelves are lined with amaryllis, cyclamen, and a large tree fern. See more from this merry vintage Christmas home. Photo by Jenn Verrier
Because magnolia blooms fade in a few hours when cut, floral designer Erin Weston used meticulous faux blossoms. in the fireplace garland, along with mini magnolia bouquets and sprigs of ‘Raywood Weeping’ Arizona cypress. “I wanted to bring more fragrance to the room, so I tucked fresh gardenias into the garland as well,” says Erin. See more from Christy and Scott Goudy’s home decorated for Christmas. Photo by Catherine Nguyen
While technically not a mantelpiece, the antique beam in Rick Davis and Christopher Vazquez’s foyer certainly looks the part. It holds an assembly of ornaments, tiny Christmas trees, pots of red-flowering cyclamen, tole candleholders, branches of pine and holly, pine cones, feathers and other found objects. See more from their farmhouse decorated for a nostalgic Christmas. Photo by Jenn Verrier
Design author Courtney Allison’s office mantel is dressed with eucalyptus and flowers that mingle perfectly with a crisp white Christmas tree covered in vintage-style blush baubles and a pearl garland. See more of Courtney’s Christmas decor from her book, French Country Cottage. Photo by Courtney Allison
With an artist’s exacting eye, Mila Hirsch decorated the interiors of her Birmingham, Alabama house herself. Here, the family’s beloved Papillon, Ziggy, cozies up by the fire in the living room. The fireplace is flanked by ceiling-to-floor magnolia swags. See more of Mila’s holiday style. Photo by Laurey W. Glenn
New Orleans interior designer, Ware Porter commissioned floral artist Kim Starr Wise to dress his living room mantel in traditional greens, including a hand-tied garland made of cypress and rosehips, a wreath of evergreens and pine cones, and a towering arrangement of rosehips and bay leaves. See more of Ware’s home decorated for the holidays. Photo by David Hillegas
On the mantel in floral designer Laura Dowling’s parlor, a lime and berry wreath and a garland made of magnolia leaves, moss, and decorative paper command center stage, while bright red arrangements draw in the light cast by silver trays. See more historic homes decorated for Christmas in quintessential French floral style. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik
A long conifer garland with pine cones, and woven, cane Christmas trees top this white plaster mantel. An evergreen wreath and white stockings with rows of fringe hang from the mantel above the arabesque firebox. See more holiday inspiration from Summer Classics Home.
In designer Cara Brown’s living room, the mantel’s garland is studded with amaryllis blooms, gold-dipped pinecones, French tulips, and branches of faux red berries. “The berries are the only faux thing I use,” floral designer Jennifer Figge says. “Unlike real ones, they don’t fall off and make a mess.” See more from Cara’s historic New Jersey farmhouse decorated for Christmas. Photo by Tria Giovan
A mantel is draped with simple evergreen boughs and hung with needlepoint stockings at Brooke’s Bank, Mary Spotswood’s historic home in Essex County, Virginia. See more Christmas at Brooke’s Bank. Photo by Mary Craven Dawkins
By Jason Burnett