Easy Summer Farmhouse Mantel - MY WEATHERED HOME

Are you wondering how to transition your home as we ease into late summer? Today I am sharing an easy summer farmhouse mantel that may help you do just that! Summer is still here for a little while longer and I want to embrace it!

I am kinda a lucky gal! You see, I have two (yes, two) fireplace mantles in our home. That may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but around here (in my neighborhood anyway) that is a pretty big deal! The thing is, I only style one of them. Our family television sits above our downstairs mantel and I prefer to leave that one bare. I know it may seem a little odd, but I just prefer “simplicity” under the TV! But, do I make up for upstairs!

We have an upstairs living room that has a huge vaulted ceiling. The focal point of that room is our mantel and boy do I make use of that space! I love to change it out too – seasonally! I recently had it packed with all of my 4th of July decor (click here to see what that looked like) and it normally has a huge Christmas display. I’ve been walking past the space and just today decided that I need to transition the space a little bit into an easy late summer farmhouse mantel. I am not quite ready to break out the fall items (summer, please don’t go) so today I got creative and created a space that still speaks “summer” to me … as I wait for fall to arrive.

Let’s Decorate A Summer Farmhouse Mantel

My main goal for this space was to keep the area a bit muted (in regards to the colors that I chose) as we wait for fall to arrive. But, I also wanted the space to feel like summer still. Many of the items that I use in my mantel area remain year round – I rarely change it out completely. Things like the mirrors and the wooden trunk and the drawers are staples in this space, but I do like to change out and move around all of my small little pieces. Playing around with all of the ‘pieces’ is the best part for me!

Finding My Staple Piece

the picture that I based the mantel off of

I began racking my brain this morning to see how I could transition my mantle and all of a sudden THIS piece of art popped into my head! It is the perfect piece for me to use because the subject matter is still very ‘summer’ AND the colors are still very muted. I knew instantly that it would work well with my crocks and a few of the other smalls that I already have! The best part – this little guy was sitting in my garage and was a yard sale find – I snagged it for only $10.00. All it need was a little wipe down and then it was ready to go. Once I decided to use the art work, all the other mantel details feel into place!

Colors

Based on the piece of art that I chose to use in this space, I decided to stick with all of the creams and browns and golds. As I said before, I wasn’t ready for the colors of fall yet. It is still very much summer and I didn’t want colors to take over the design I was creating. Luckily, these colors go well with our wall color which is a light french gray. You can see all of the colors we use in our home here. The crocs, wood pieces and books fit perfectly with the color scheme.

Add In Your Favorite Things

a close up of an old clock face and my an old clock

Do not be afraid to add in a few ‘unexpected’ items from your home if they are things that you love. For example, on this farmhouse mantle I have a random clock face that I love. I enjoy this little piece so much and it just adds so much character in my opinion, not to mention the color works well. I think it is always a good idea to incorporate the things that speak to you.

Layers

In case you can not tell, I do enjoy layering! I like the fact that the layers can add depth to a space which in turn, adds interest! Throughout the mantel you can see that I used layering – in the mirrors and art as well as several little areas of stoneware!

QUICK TIP: Don’t be afraid to use items to raise up your pieces like I did here!

a covered stoneware piece sitting on a little box to raise it up

Add In Something Unique

a big brass bird sitting on a stack of old books

I was busy upstairs working when I all of a sudden realized that I had the perfect little “unique” piece that I felt would work well in this space. A few days ago, I purchased this old brass parrot. I actually bought it for a friend who collects them, but I grabbed it for this mantel and I feel I love the way that it helps to tie in the subject matter of the art. And, that deep brass color ties in well too with all of the other items.

A Few Green Touches

a pathos plant sitting inside a huge old bowl

With two huge windows on either side of the fireplace, this room gets a lot of sun. It is the perfect place to add plants. Here I have a few pothos – they are very easy to keep alive and add the perfect pop of green. I love the way that the plants and the windows help to bring the ‘outside’ in! This space just feels so bright and happy – just like late summer should feel!

Wrap Up

I am so happy with my new easy summer farmhouse mantel and I am so pleased that this space got a little attention today! My kids start school in just a few days so I feel that fall is just around the corner – but I truly want to hold onto summer a bit longer! I hope that you love it as much as I do and that this little post inspires you to still embrace these last few weeks of summer!