Decorating a Mantle for Christmas with a TV

Today, I want to help you look past that black hole above your mantle. I want to help you decorate your mantle for Christmas with a TV.

Here’s my 2020 Christmas mantle, and I really love it, despite her TV!

So, many may notice at first glance that we have a TV over our fireplace. In the design world that is a big negative, it’s considered a black hole.

The design world isn’t wrong, that’s exactly what it is. But, here’s the thing, we live in this little room. We watch morning cartoons here, it’s where we do Friday night movies, and catch up on all things Hallmark. So, although it’s not pretty, it’s pretty functional.

So, my rules of thumb in decorating a mantle with a TV, are simple.

1. Embrace it! I work with the TV, not against it. Remember this is your home and you’re the one who gets to live there.
2. Create a sense of balance with your decor. Things don’t have to match, but it is visually pleasing if one side doesn’t “feel” super heavy compared to it’s counterpart.
3. TV’s traditionally bring a cold feel to a space. So, I try to add a lot of texture around mine to soften the edges. This rule speaks to my cottage loving, slightly obsessed with organized clutter, loving heart.

I decorate my mantle, as if it doesn’t have this huge TV in the center of it. I fill it with all the greens and twinkle lights I can and celebrate that we indeed have a mantle. Some design rules are worth breaking.

Side Note: I am speaking to the person who is drawn to the farmhouse, cottage style home. As you can see, I love a lot of texture in a space. I would never call myself a minimalist. However, if you are, these rules can be modified to suit whatever design style you’d like to apply it to.

Love to you and your mantles, those with TV’s and those without,