Whether you prefer farmhouse or transitional, colorful decor or neutral, we’ve got some easy ways to style your fireplace mantel for summer!
We love changing up things in our homes with the seasons.
Pumpkins and rich warm colors in fall.
Greenery, ribbons, bells, and alllll the mini trees for Christmas.
Bunnies, tulips, and greenery in spring.
And then comes summer when we love to cool things down visually with whites and greens.
Except when we get a little patriotic!
This year has been crazy though (hello graduations, house guests, and family trips!), so we haven’t done quite as much summer decorating as in years past…
But there’s one place in our homes that is so easy to decorate that even during the busiest times it gets freshened up.
We both have open floor plans, so it’s a focal point in our homes.
Not sure why we’re beating around the bush here because the title of our post kind of gives it away! LOL
It’s our fireplaces.
AnnMarie has a gorgeous stacked stone gas fireplace with a raised hearth.
Anne’s fireplace has a traditional painted mantel and she painted the marble surround to look like slate.
Over the years we’ve come up with some tried and true ideas to decorate a fireplace mantel and hearth that we can’t wait to share with you!
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Simple Ideas to Decorate Your Fireplace for Summer and Spring
We’ve got so many ideas to share, and a lot of them can work from spring all the way through summer.
And a number of them can be tweaked to work all year round.
Hydrangeas and Greenery
Hands down, our favorite flower in the summer has got to be hydrangeas.
We both have blue and white hydrangea bushes planted in our yards that we love to clip and bring inside.
Did you know, an easy way to dry hydrangeas after cutting them is to put them in some water, and then forget about them?
Once the water evaporates, the blooms will naturally dry out!
Store them carefully and you can bring them out to use again and again.
The colors may fade a bit as they dry, but they’ll still look beautiful in your home.
They pair beautifully with greenery and look great in just about any container you decide to use.
Wicker Baskets Add Texture
We both love a neutral color scheme in our homes so we use texture to add visual interest.
Wicker and baskets are an amazing way to add texture!
This wicker vase is a new favorite because it’s pretty on its own, or with florals, or greenery stems.
On the other side of the mantel, a vintage fishing creel balances the vase.
Try Adding Some Patriotic Details
It’s easy to add simple patriotic touches like this flag banner.
AnnMarie changed the ribbon on her wreath to a red and white stripe and leaned a sign with a patriotic saying against her antique window frame.
Did you notice she included some white hydrangea from her yard in that enamelware milk jug?
Everything else on her fireplace is seasonally neutral so it’s easy to pare things down after July 4th.
Anne created a simple display by pairing vintage milk glass bud vases she’s been collecting with small US flags.
She can easily swap the flags for flowers when the mood strikes.
Try a Little Symmetry
Symmetry is always pleasing to the eye, and it’s easy to achieve.
Anne used the same milk glass bud vases and added faux yellow allium and ferns to create a traditional, symmetrical mantel display.
Two tall boxwood topiaries anchor the ends, with the smaller vases on either side of the mirror.
Candle Lanterns Can Add Some Glow
When it’s too hot to use your fireplace, try adding candle lanterns on the mantel and hearth.
Candles are a wonderful way to add a little atmosphere and ambiance to your summer home without any of the heat!
We love these natural-looking battery-powered candles because the flame really looks like it’s flickering.
They’re a little pricey and are coated in wax so don’t use them outside during the hot summer months.
Guess how we know?
Hang a Wreath on It
Fireplaces can have the tendency to look very linear. Soften those lines with the curves of a wreath.
You can hang a wreath on a mirror, or window frame, or even on its own over the mantel to add some movement to your space.
It’s so easy to change out the wreath with the seasons!
We both love greenery wreaths because they’re so neutral, but you can use a floral wreath to bring in some color if that’s what you love.
Combine Vintage Treasures with Florals and Greenery
We love searching for vintage goodies at our local thrift shops, antique mall, garage sales, and marketplace!
Vintage spools make fun pillar candlesticks and pedestals.
The patina of antique wood boxes, buckets, and crates looks gorgeous with greenery and florals.
It’s fun to find unique items to make our homes look unique.
Vintage bird cages can be used to add some height on a hearth to create a contained vignette.
Or keep Anne’s kitties from eating her plants… LOL
Antique buckets and rusty coal scuttles are perfect containers for florals during the spring and summer months.
Pillar Candlesticks for the Win!
Don’t have a candle lantern?
No worries!
Pillar candlesticks are a great (and easy!) way to decorate your mantel.
If your candlesticks don’t match, try painting them like AnnMarie did.
I’m thinking I need to pull these tall candlesticks out of storage and give them a paint job for a more current look!
However, a grouping of tall holders like these is an easy way to decorate your hearth.
These are just a few of our favorite ways to decorate our fireplaces for summer. Do you have a favorite that we didn’t include? Tell us about it in the comments at the end of this post!
More Summer Ideas and Inspiration
Thank you so much to Marty from A Stroll Thru Life for inviting us to join her Summer Home Decor Tour. She’s put together a fantastic group and there’s so much inspiration!
Monday
A Stroll Thru Life – Our Southern Home – Grace In My Space
Hymns & Verses – Southern Hospitality – Chalking Up Success
Tuesday
Calypso in the Country – StoneGable – 11 Magnolia Lane
White Arrows Home – RemodelaCasa – Pink Peppermint Design
Wednesday
Designing Vibes – Cuckoo4Design – Whispering Pines Homestead
Decor to Adore – Thrifty and Chic – Clean and Scentsible
Thursday
CitrineLiving – Southern Home and Hospitality – Worthing Court
The Stonybrook House – Southern State of Mind – This is our Bliss
Friday
Follow The Yellow Brick Home – Country Road 407 – Quarters One
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact us or leave a comment below.
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Don’t miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories! We’d love for you to follow us on social media! You can find us on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.