Winter mantel

I’m still in love with the mantel I created with the wood from the old house. It has offered so many opportunities for decor, and winter is no exception.

Sometimes it can be hard to decorate after Christmas because everything seems so bare. I actually look at the bare space as an opportunity to change things up and try something different.

For my winter mantel, I brought out my grandmother’s oval mirror that hung in the old house and used that as my inspiration for the warm, gold tones.

Books that belonged to my grandfather and his mother are always a favorite for styling any shelf, table or area that needs interesting texture.

I really feel like greenery is a necessary element in winter decor so I added Nandina branches in a gold vase. Zero cost and easy to keep alive.

Old family photos in antiqued frames add a bit of light to the dark wood mantel. An old jelly jar holds a votive candle.

Since last summer I had been looking for some antique oil lamps for the old wall brackets I found, but none fit securely enough to feel safe with them hanging on the wall. I finally bought two of these from Antique Lamp Supply, and I could not be more pleased with the quality, how they were packed and the fast shipping. And this is not a sponsored post, but after searching for a while for the best deal on these, I was super happy with Antique Lamp Supply. Unfortunately, they are currently out of stock, but they offer some other choices. Now I’m ready when the power goes off! I added the antique French crystal drops that I won in a giveaway several years ago from a French blogger to the brackets.

I still cannot believe how much character this mantel adds to my living room, and knowing I built it out of spare parts, makes me really happy😊

Here are the lamps lit up at night, and you can see a big sneak peek of something very special I found that I will share later😉 

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