An empty mantle is a sad mantle, no matter what the time of year. This surface space, which is often naturally the focus of the room, is prime real estate for decorating. It's the perfect place to switch out with the seasons to give the whole space an easy, low-lift update. And Joanna Gaines, queen of seasonal styling, just shared how she updates a mantel for spring.
In a recent Instagram post, the designer shared her mantel decor ideas that can refresh the scene for the new season ahead – featuring several of the new arrivals from her latest collection at Magnolia. Balancing tall, elegant vases and flower stems with smaller, whimsical trinkets, Joanna's mantel styling is simple, but effective.
Joanna begins her spring mantel decor display with a vase swap. She replaces a ceramic vase with one in a material that reflects the freshness of spring – rattan. This Remi Rattan Vase sets the tone for the rest of the mantel with its natural weave, organic shape, and textural appeal. It also serves as a vessel for a very convincing faux floral arrangement, which helps the mantel come to life with spring colors.
Next comes the trinkets. Joanna has spoken in the past on how much she likes to style with 'sit abouts' – those small trinkets that serve no real purpose other than to add unique character – and the mantel is the perfect home for this kind of all form, no function decor.
The textural details of each piece Joanna adds to the mantel create depth, as does the size and height variation of each piece. Your eye doesn't really settle anywhere; its attention is pulled in all directions, which is always what you are after when styling vignettes.
Shop Joanna Gaines' Mantel Decor from Magnolia
Rattan is a spring material; it's instantly going to add a freshness to your mantel. Aside from its textural appeal, this vase is visually appealing in shape, too. It's bound to freshen up your mantel for the spring season ahead.
This taper candle holder balances elegance with whimsy. Its floral shape is an obvious call to spring, but its patinaed brass finish gives it a timeless appeal. You can certainly style this candle holder alone, but consider pairing it with its shorter counterpart – just as Joanna did in her video.
Nine times out of ten, we'd choose real flowers over faux variations. However, when it comes to mantel styling, faux flowers are simply superior. A stem like this will ensure a fresh and characterful display for the entire spring season. Plus, this one looks just like the real thing.
With the slight crackle in its glaze, this vase looks like a charming, vintage-inspired find. Its distressed finish can add some character to your mantel. Plus, it'll serve as the perfect vessel for a spring bouquet.
Joanna trialed a few trinkets when styling her mantel, including this little brass pear. It's a cute trinket that does more than just look good – it's functional, too. It opens up at the center revealing a hollowed interior – perfect for stashing all sorts of small keepsakes.
While mantel decor choices can certainly refresh your home for spring, nothing is as effective as a fresh candle scent. This one features notes of grapefruit, salt, and mineral. Together, they form a calm and inviting scent that can revitalize your home for spring.
If the Oversized Rattan Remi Vase is too wide for your mantel, but you love its organic shape and textural appeal, try this vase, instead. This one is almost exactly the same, except its body is much slimmer and taller. If you need some height variation on your mantel, this vase can help you get just that.
Along with the vases, flowers, and sit abouts that Joanna used to style her spring mantel, she also incorporated books into the display. Any old book from your collection can aid in stylizing your spring mantel, but so could this book box. Plus, this one has room for storing small knickknacks.
This duck looks like a charming trinket that you'd find at a flee market. Between its unique look and its clever design, it could easily add character to your mantel. Although there's room for a candle, I'd leave this bare and use it as a cute, decorative object.
Although faux, this stem is made to resemble a fresh peach blossom stem. Style it alone in a vase or with another assortment of faux flowers for a charming and romantic look.
This little bird is a true sit about – it doesn't really serve a purpose other than looking cute, but what's wrong with that? It's a charming detail that can certainly add character to your mantel, a shelf, or any other tabletop surface.
Styling a mantel for spring goes beyond just the mantel itself. Over mantel ideas can also aid in giving a living room a springtime feel, just like this wall sconce. From its aged brass finish to its scalloped shade, this lamp certainly looks like spring.
These decor finds can help you stylize your mantel for springtime, but why stop there? Joanna has also shown us how to style tablescapes for spring, and we're taking notes.
