Fireplace Mantel Design: Tale of a Lonely Clock

When we moved into Poodle Cottage, it was just about one week before Christmas, and since we were so excited to have the new house plus the holidays to celebrate, I immediately draped the fireplace mantel with dark green garlands, green and white candles, and a string of white lights, not to mention our stockings. It was lovely! Fabulous. . . . But, alas, the beauty did not last.



Now that the holiday decorations have been put away, the mantel is bare---save for the family-heirloom antique mantel clock that sits all alone. Its sweet round little face begs me, every time I walk by, to Please find some friends for it to chill with. I seriously believe it's little tick-tock seems louder day by day, as if it's trying to show its annoyance and frustration for being all alone up there. And, sure, even if that's not really the case, it's chimes do seem to leave a deep echo out across the sparsely decorated mantel, and hourly, into the void of the rest of the room.

My mom said recently that she has the same problem. Her fireplace mantel is brand new---a shiny, polished wooden mantel with heft and width. So when I think about the design and decor of hers, of course my mind is filled with numerous ideas: I think of colors, arrangements, groupings. I consider all the items in her house that could be used: framed pictures, art glass, sentimental bowls, vases, and some art pieces that have meaning to her, like a charming spinning musical carousel. And then for ours here? I'm stuck, of course.

It's always easier to imagine someone else's home or space, or troubleshoot their problem, or situation, than our own, because we're too close to it. It's true, right? So I'm trying to remove myself from this design dilemma and keep an open mind. Here's the game plan. (1) Stop feeling sorry for the little mantel clock, and disregard its little tick-tock chant of I'm-all alone-here. (2) Pull out anything and everything that might look good up there, and set it out on the dining table: lamps, vases, photos, artwork, paperweights, and oh, those candlesticks! (3) Resist the temptation to "just go buy something" and Really take stock of what I already own. (4) Allow myself to play around with different compositions. It could be something seasonal for winter, or regional with New England vibes, or traditional and symmetrical, or themed for Valentine's Day. I just need to keep my eyes open to various possibilities, different colors and metals, varying height combinations, something new and fresh. (5) Remember that it's not the end of the world. Even if I find something a solution I like, it doesn't mean it's permanent. It can be changed at any time, so it need not be perfect the first time around. (Well, that whole perfectionist state of mind is an issue to deal with another time---but for now, I'll give myself the opportunity to be playful and creative and see what sticks.)

The lonely mantel clock will be greeted with new ledge-mates soon enough. In the meantime, I'm off to unpack these decor boxes!