Interior Stylist 101 - How to Stage a Mantle

Whether you’re dressing your home to sell, or making a stylish statement, here are some tips and techniques on how to stage your mantle.

1.) Please use the principles of Scale and Proportion.

Take a look at your mantle space - Consider the overall size of the entire unit; wall space on either side, height of ledge to the average eye, the space above the ledge to ceiling, depth of the ledge and most importantly the height and size of your room.

These cues will give you an idea of the type and size of décor you’ll need to use (Remember in design, size does matter.)

Would you change anything?

2.) Gather a collection of décor and accessories for mantle placement. Shop your home 1st (an Interior Stylist must,) before running out for retail. Collect the products, keeping in mind how the items relate to each other, have a common thread or play into the season, a whim or holiday.

Lay them out on the floor to create a practice vignette - It will be less stressful for you do major tweaking once the things are up on the mantle.

3.) Tips on shopping:

a. Be careful of mirrors!  Although mirrors can make a space look larger, brighter and come in fireplace scale appropriate sizes - Mirrors should reflect something lovely, not your ceiling fan, upper staircase rails or angled ceilings (especially the view is dangerous when leaning – You do not want your guests feeling like they have vertigo...

 Please do use mirrors over fireplaces when they’re architecturally decorative, are reflecting some thing lovely, less reflective (with an aged patina,) or are the back drop to a spectacular accessory mantle-scape.

How's this working for you?

b. When shopping your home for your centerpiece picture, make sure it is in large scale detail, and can be viewed and appreciated from a far (example. A landscape is a great choice.)



Lovely Landscape Painting.

 c. Look for mantle accessories that are different heights, are in-tune to the overall scale of the mantle, a combination of shapes, and even better - are in odd numbers.


4.) Arrangement: If selling a home, simplicity is best - The accessories are not there to reflect your personal taste, but instead to market the luxury of the fireplace.  But do be creative, boring doesn't sell a home...

Besides being forgetfully boring, the accessories are not to scale.

b. A good rule for staging is the Center Focal formula. Center Formula is using a center piece (i.e. Painting,) flagged on either side (symmetry) or one side (asymmetry) by scale appropriate objects (i.e. topiaries, candle sticks, etc…)

Center Focal formula arrangement

Using what's to the left of the mantle to help you make accessory choices.

c. Whether selling or decorating, if you have an angled ceiling line, use that line as your cue of painting placement, as well as accessory height placement.

Using the ceiling angle as your guide.

d. When wanting to make a stylish statement, try to jump outside the box a bit. Why not use the Center Focal formula for the largest piece (i.e. Painting,) but for the mantle ledge accessorizing, use the Golden Section formula. * This is achieved (see below diagram) by offsetting the center point (B) and arranging the accessories using this offset center point.

*The golden section formula has been used extensively in architecture, painting, and sculpture (see above landscape painting.)

Golden Section Formula

5.) Lifts and Levels – When creating a mantle-scape, make sure that all the objects are not at the same height and visual weight. Try using books, low and long pieces, different shapes pieces and layering pieces.






A fireplaced layered with accessories showcases and creates visual interest.

By using these tips and techniques, building your mantle-scape step by step and layer after layer, you too can dress and style your mantle perfectly.

The "Glamour Don'ts" of Staging and Redesign

Just like our favorite magazine, we home stagers/redesigns have our own list of pet peeves when it comes to our craft. Here are a few....








•1.) Faux Greenery/Silks in Odd Areas. Always place trees or greenery in areas that they could actually GROW! Their sole purpose is to give the illusion they are real, therefore need photosynthesis to grow. Oh... and placing ivy as a window valance or China cabinet topper went out when Dynasty went off the air.

•2.) Floating Art. When hanging art over a sofa or a case good, associate the height to the item to retain good visual contact. The display will not look right if it seems to float too high  above the object - it needs to be grounded. 18" from the back of the sofa is a good rule of thumb. And slightly above the smallest arrangement for the case good.

•3.) The Rug Scale to Conversation Area Faux Pas. A rug can create and define a conversational grouping. Make sure that the scale of the rug is in-tune to the scale of the furniture/objects associated to it. A sofa should either be sitting on or no more than 8"away from a rug.  Just about the same size as the cocktail table is not a scale formula for rug size.

•4.) Accessorizing with Evens. When accessorizing or creating vignettes, the golden rule is "Always in Odd Numbers."

•5.) Forgetting the Focal Point. Every space has a fabulous purpose or emphasis. Focusing on the purpose and/or emphasis of the room will allow you to set the mood and arrange the furnishings and accessories properly.


•6.) Forgetting the Stature of the Home or Room. Wicker doesn't belong in formal living rooms, nor does a Big Lots ficus tree in a Tony Tudor. Make sure the things placed in a room or home go with the  stature of the space.


•7.) Flood Window Treatments. Traditionally drapery panels are set 1/2 in. off the floor. 1" is pushing it and 3" off the floor is creating a Capri.


•8.) Being Light Challenged. Every room should have at least three light sources for the function of space. Ceiling lights do not count. The perfect formula is to have them placed in a triangle pattern around the room; which will create movement and flow to the space.


•9.) Table Short. Anywhere someone sits in a functional space should have a table in reach of a seated person. The exception is a transitional space such as a foyer or hall.


•10.) A Mirrored Mess. Mirrors over fireplaces, sofas, or lonely on a wall oh my... Mirrors should always reflect something beautiful - Not a ceiling fan, walk rail or wall. You can be excused if it is a decorative mirror that shows as art rather than function.

•11.) Oddly Angled Furniture.  Don't think your being creative if you put it on an angle.  Angles instantly slice through visionary planes, can make people psychologically feel uncomfortable, can eat up floor space and can render the piece or room functionless.