Another way to take this fireplace from basic to beautiful would be to turn the mirror vertically, but instead of mounting it to the wall, simply rest it on the mantel and prop it against the wall. What I like about placing the mirror vertically, is that it visually lengthens the space above the mantel.

In Mamacita’s case, I think the mirror might actually be too tall to turn vertically, but for demonstration purposes, let’s pretend that it’s not.

In the previous post, Jolyn asked about placing sconces on either side of the mirror.  In that design, because the mirror was already set horizontally, I felt like adding sconces to either side would just continue to widen the space visually and therefore not contribute to the design. 

In this example however, with the mirror set vertically, I think the right sconces would be a great choice.  Another option would be to place six little decorative mirrors (or a six small black-framed prints) symetrically on either side of the big mirror, as I have shown here.

If I am working towards a traditional look, in front of the mirror I would put an interesting vase of some sort, perhaps one with a Chinoiserie motif, like this one on the right, and then into that I would place some tall dried berry branches.

For my eye, less is more when it comes to mantels, so I think you could stop right there and have a beautiful design, but I also think you could add a few other special things using the 3+1 rule (see previous post) if you were so inclined.

A collection of ginger jars of varying height and unified by color (two or three on one side and one on the other) or any collection of things that are interesting, colorful and weighty — would look nice.  Use books and decorative boxes to elevate where necessary to get variation in height among the elements. Things that will not work as well are small, uniform, delicate, transparent (glass) and nicknacky.

If this were your fireplace mantel, how would you design it?  Horizontal mirror or vertical? Mirror or painting? Sconces or no?  A collection of some kind? What kind?  Family photos?  Candles?  Or nothing at all?

I have a design dilemma.  My mantel - it’s plain and boring.  I have a big mirror that is propped up on it right now, mainly because I loved the mirror and thought it might look good there.  The only other little things up there are some candles off to the right.  What can I do to make it pretty? Any ideas?

~ Mamacita

Mamacita, there are probably about a million ways to skin this cat, but I really like the mirror that you have started with, so we will let that be the basis for our design.

Your mirror with it’s thick black frame works well for the space in terms of shape, color, style and size — so congratulations, you’ve covered all the design bases with just this one piece.  You are off to a good start.

Based on that information, I think the thing to do is to keep it simple – pair it with just a few other things that are also simple and modern in line and dark in color that refer back to the mirror. 

The obvious thing to do is to hang the mirror horizontally and centered just a few inches above the mantel. Then proceed with the standard 3+1 rule of design  - a collection of three related objects of varying height on one side, usually the left, and a single item on the other.  On the left, something like this collection of Misao vases would work nicely.  If you need to create height for visual interest, consider placing the tallest vase on a decorative wooden or laquer box. 

On the other side of the mantel, the right,  you could put something funky like this pair of horses.  I realize that the two horses violates the 1 part of the 3+1 rule, but as a pair they read as a whole  And? There really are no rules in design.  

Into this monochromatic design, we need a lightning strike of color, so consider adding some tall branches of dried burnt orange bittersweet or red berries to the vases and call it a day.

As you are on the lookout for mantel accessories, I would avoid small unrelated items, tiny pictures or anything fussy, cluttery and unrelated to the whole.  Look for grayscale in color and let that one colorful organic item take center stage. 

Next Time: A Fireplace Mantel - Case Study #2. We’ll look at the same fireplace mantel with the same mirror, but take the design a completely different direction.

I knew I could count on y’all to come up with some great ideas.

I think we are all in agreement that we should paint all of the furniture some shade of white to pop against the color we want to put on the walls.  I would also replace the knobs and pulls on the chest of drawers, vanity and any other pieces to a simple brown or satin nickel pull, a square or diamond shaped one would be nice if you can find one as it would refer to the geometry of the bedding fabric. Paint and hardware will go a long way in unifying any mismatched pieces.

I would like to put a coffee brown color on the unobstructed wall that will feature the bed. I know brown can be a scary color to put on a wall, but trust me on this, the visual pop of the white furniture against the brown will knock your socks off. The pink in the bedding and the art will take the “big” out of the big brown wall. On the other three walls I would pick out one of the lighter shades of pink in the bedding and put that on the walls.

Someone in comments suggested that it would be worth it to install crown molding and I agree with her. You can get pre-finished crown that’s made out of some sort of foam product at any home improvement store. It’s cheap, it’s easy to cut to fit, it’s lightweight and not too much trouble to install — and it will make a world of difference visually.

As far as dressing the windows, consider using both fabrics – the large brown and pink tile on the front and the small brown and white grid on underside (as opposed to plain white lining). When the curtains are pulled back, the brown and white will peek through to the front for a high-end finished look. Make tie backs out of the brown and white and then add a small hot pink trim. I would also add a crisp white sheer to soften the hard edge of the blinds and to provide some filtered light which will add a lot of ambience. If you still want to use the cornice board, I would probably use the smaller brown and white grid and again, trim it with a small hot pink braid trim of some sort to give it a bit more flair and refer back to the pink and brown fabric.

For pillows and the vanity seat, I would look for some pink and brown fabrics that coordinate. Since you will need so little, you will probably be able to find a yard of something like these fabrics shown here in the clearance stacks.  Solid fabrics with texture would work nicely too.

For art, I would buy six or eight small square canvases and cover them with extra bedding fabric, possibly turning the fabric in different directions and off setting the patterns, maybe even throwing in a solid pink or brown. I would hang these canvases over the bed in a configuration that complies with the width of the bed.

For a fun place to tuck photos and cards, I would buy an inexpensive bulletin board. Wrap it in medium weight batting and then cover that with a coordinating pink or brown fabric. Finish it off with a criss cross of pink ribbon and tack it down at the intersections with some pretty brown buttons.

On the floor, I would go with a big shaggy brown rug right over your existing carpet. Brown because in a few years you will not want to be stuck with a big shaggy pink rug and there’s a better chance that you’ll be able to use a brown rug elsewhere. And shaggy for the warmth, fun and texture.

Don’t forget to bring in some nightstands, because a girl needs some place to tuck her Nancy Drew books. You could could probably pick up a pair at a garage sale or thrift store and they certainly don’t have to match, they just have to be appropriate in scale. Paint them the same white as the other furniture and add matching hardware. Top the night stands off with some inexpensive lamps that you could spray paint brown and then with fabric glue, add either a hot pink beaded or eyelash trim to a standard shade.

There are probably a million other ways to jazz up this room.  I won’t try to cover them all here but I’d love to hear your ideas in comments.

My friend Jill is redoing her tween daughter’s bedroom.  Does that not sound like a fun project?!  Here are the specs we are working with – and by we I mean you, so listen up! (clap clap) Work with me people!

The room is a fairly standard bedroom — 11×13 minus a few inches. There is a window on one wall, a closet on another and the door on the third. This leaves only one unobstructed wall.  She has 8-ft ceilings with popcorn, which she is not interested in scraping at this time and who can blame her really. There is no crown molding.  The carpet is kind of an off white and she is interested in possibly replacing it.

She has come into some furniture for this room which she plans to paint - a full-size bed with a headboard and footboard, a small chest of drawers, a small vanity with a mirror and padded bench (I would have died for this when I was a tween).  

 So far, she has purchased this fabulous bedding with extra sheets to make curtains and  pillows and possibly cover existing cornice boards.

So then, what we need to figure out is what color or colors to paint the walls and furniture, what to put on the floor, window treatments and art! And all budget friendly of course!

What do you think? What shall we do?

I’ll be back with a plan on Tuesday.

I have a design question that has been waiting 4 years for an answer!  We live in 1970’s bi-level split. You walk in the front door and practically slam the door into the stairway–seriously, you can’t stand at the door and open it at the same time!  Space issues aside, we’ve got massive amounts of glass in that space. The door is standard size, and bordered by glass on the sides and top. I’d love some help making the most of it!

The upper glass used to be goldenrod with circles imprinted. We replaced it with 3/4 inch reeded glass. The side panels are just flat glass. They are hiding behind some panels on pressure rods to give us a bit of privacy and a bit of insulation in these no-degree (it was 10 below this morning) weather days.  ~ Ellen

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Good move replacing the 70s golden rod glass Ellen! I love the reeded glass.  The problem as I see it, aside from the lack of standing room, is lack of continuity.  You’ve got the door, you’ve got the curtains and you’ve got the reeded glass — and they are all large elements in a small space.

I think there are a number of products you could use to unify the space, depending upon your budget and taste.  In the picture below I covered the windows all in the same thing thing to show how using all of the same product makes the door and windows read as a whole. You could use shutters, matchstick blinds, duette shades or simple tension rod sheers. I would probably look for something with a texture and something that would allow a little light through.

The other thing that might help open up the space visually, is to remove the short wall that meets the floor and the first few steps and put in a railing and balusters to match the balcony. 

We have fairly standard size full baths in our home, not very large. Is it better to put a large tile or a smaller tile on the floor? I have found an 8×8 tile that I like but my husband thinks we should go with a larger 12×12 tile.  ~ Jacquie

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Jacquie, my philosophy on tile is this:  Tile good.  Grout bad.

What I mean by that is the bigger tile you have, the less grout you will have to deal with.  For as long as you have your tile, you will probably have to do nothing more than wipe it down with a mild soap to keep it looking nice.

Grout, on the other hand can crack over time and need to be repaired.  If you choose a light colored grout, it will show dirt and need to be cleaned or recolored once in a while.

So then, I agree with your husband – for the floor, a 12×12 tile would be better than a 8×8.  And if you can get away with an 18×18, I would go with that.  Additionally, a smaller tile with all the grout lines makes for a lot of visual noise and can make a small space feel even smaller.

If you find a smaller tile that you really like, I would recommend that you use it on the tub or shower surround and the larger version of it on the floor.