Style Your Living Room & Fireplace Like You Live In Downton Abbey
Seven Fireplace Mantel Design & Styling Hacks
During quarantine I watched the entire series of Downton Abbey from start to finish then we watched the movie to boot. I had seen bits and pieces of the series over the years, but binge watching it back-to-back altogether was such a treat and inundation of all things English. It was educational to see the homes, interiors and dining up close during these time periods. It gave me a renewed interest in how the English decorate their homes. I can now officially say I am an Anglophile. The Brits can get away with designing homes with lots of vivid saturated colors because it's combined with antiques, old art, family heirlooms so the juxtaposition is a wonderful treat. It feels almost all British homes are brimming with a burning fireplace and overstuffed furniture. Cozy and elegant are the words that comes to mind. Now, we can't all live like the days of Downton Abbey, nor does our modern lifestyle lend itself to all this pomp and circumstance but my take away is to bring a little bit back into our homes- I'm going out on a limb and saying that the some modern, sleek designed homes are overrated. Many of us know that now more than ever after living 24-hours a day in our homes during a pandemic. This post is for everyone who has a fireplace, and even those those who do not but want the design aesthetic. Take some of these tips to your own home. Also, please check out my Fireplace board for sources and more images.
photograph via Traditional Home magazine
1. One of my design pet peeves is when designers and homeowners try to hide a fireplace by placing furniture right in front of it. This does not work for me, and regardless of whether or not the fireplace is a working one, it still operates as the center of a room, the base. Furniture should be worked around it to enhance the fireplace, and if it's a non-working one (as mine in New York City is) give it a new purpose. Perhaps a large planter overflowing with greenery, a tray spilling with seashells or a sculpture, but please do not cover it up! I am not over familiar with Feng Shui principles but if I had to guess, blocking the energy of a room's fireplace is against the ideology. This photograph above showcases a small area of the room where the furniture enhances and works well with the fireplace.
2. I almost always recommend painting the inside of a fireplace black. The brick or other material inside gets easily discolored with the heat and just looks dirty, so I use fireplace paint and each year I paint the inside a dark black and the inside of the fireplace just disappears and blends in a better more aesthetic way.
3. Style a curated art collection around your mantel. Sometimes I lean works right on the mantel for a bit of a relaxed feel then hang photographs and original art together around it. I like to work art a bit asymmetrical utilizing three pieces together so a large hung, then medium leaned and small in front
4. To attain the most a Downton Abbey feel, hang a large framed portrait over the mantel. Back in the old days, these portraits were our family members but a painted portrait creates dimension and instills a sense of history. Heck, it doesn't need to be your own great grandparents and you can pick one up at a flea market or estate sale, reframe it in your own personal way and voila you have a beautiful work of art.
5. If portraits/family heirlooms are not available or are not your style, hang an oversized mirror over the mantel. This reflects light and makes the room appear much larger bringing a sense of focus to the fireplace as the highest point in the room.
6. Paint the room an unexpected and jewel-toned color - set against the woodwork and framed fireplace creates dimension. Rich colors in a room with a fireplace look fantastic. My own living room is emerald green and set against the white fireplace (painted black inside) looks stunning.
