Decorating the fireplace mantel after Christmas is bittersweet because it means all the Christmas decor has been put away, but it also provides a blank slate to refresh the space! My goal for winter decor is to keep it minimal but cozy. Here are my simple tips for decorating your fireplace mantel after Christmas.

1. Add brass pieces

Brass is great for warming up any space. Adding brass accents to your mantel will immediately give it that cozy feeling. Thrift stores are a great place to find vintage brass decor that will look beautiful on your mantel.

Pro Tip: Try using different shades of brass that complement each other. This will prevent your mantel from falling flat if you’re using multiple brass items.

2. Use nature inspired home décor such as pinecones

Another way to create a cozy mantel is to use nature inspired home decor. I like using pinecones because they look great against the brass! I usually just use the ones I have left over from the Christmas decor.

Pro Tip: Display your pinecones in a small decorative bowl. This will give them such a designer look!

3. Add winter greenery

I just love winter greenery! I prefer using faux winter greenery on the mantel, but if you can find the real stuff then even better!

Pro Tip: Olive branches are a great substitute for winter greenery. They give the space a soft look and easily transition into Spring.

4. Don’t forget the moody art

Moody art on a winter fireplace mantel is a must! It really completes the look of the mantel decor. If moody art isn’t your thing, I think landscape prints also look great!

Pro Tip: My favorite place to shop for art prints is Etsy. The best part is that you can print them right at home.

May your winter mantel be as fabulous as you!

I love neutral Christmas Mantel decor! There’s something special about subtle Christmas decor that makes home feel peaceful and joyful.

Here are a few ways to dress up your fireplace mantel while keeping it simple and neutral:

1. Add green foliage

I love a good garland! My favorite types of garlands are faux cypress and pine. I also like to mix the two, which tends to give the garland an elegant look. This year, I decided to mix in some faux eucalyptus. I purchased some inexpensive eucalyptus stems from Amazon and placed them throughout the garland.

Pro Tip: Try placing your garland asymmetrically on your mantel. It totally elevates the look!

2. Choose Christmas accents that are gold and natural wood color

When selecting the other items to add to your mantel, stick to gold and natural wood-colored items. Not only does gold and natural wood look great against the green foliage, but it also adds a softness to your Christmas decor.

Pro Tip: Frame a piece of art in either gold or natural wood. The key here is simplicity.

3. Add a focus piece

It’s easier to decorate your mantel by starting with a focus item. For me, this was a round black mirror. It provides a good focal point to work from.  I then like to add the tallest items on the very outside of either side of the mirror and work my way in. I try to group items together in either 2’s or 3’s, but don’t be afraid to mix up your items until you’re happy with how they look!

Pro Tip: Make your focus piece a mirror. Not only will the mirror make your space look larger, but it also makes for great photos! 

I hope this helps you create your perfect neutral Christmas mantel this year! As always, thank you for being here.

I love bookshelf styling! But I must keep it real, I used to struggle so hard when styling our built-in bookshelf. There was this one time where it took me 3 hours to style this space!

I’ve curated some of the best styling tips to help next time you’re styling your bookshelves and added bonus, this is a great way to style your shelves for the winter/holiday season!

1. Select 3 base colors

Start off by selecting 3 colors you are going to use as your base. Since our home is mostly neutrals, I selected brown, black, and beige. This will help create consistency throughout your shelves.

Pro Tip: Select at least one achromatic color (white, black, grey), which will make it easier to select the other 2 base colors to work with. For example: grey, blue, and white OR black, cream, and green.

2. Compile your decor items and make sure they are of different shapes, heights, and widths

Having the base colors selected will makes it easier to find items to incorporate into your styling. Now, it’s time to have fun with the other items you’ll add and think about how many items you want to see on each shelf. This is really about personal preference. I like to see some type of balance while minimizing the busyness. Again, this is all about what you like.

Pro Tip: Source local antique or thrift shops for unique items to add to your shelves. I like using Yelp to find shops near me.

3. Rearrange until your heart is happy

There is no one size fits all for bookshelf styling. Rearrange, rearrange, and rearrange again! You’ll know when an item is in its correct place.

Pro Tip: Each time you rearrange items, take a photo. There is something about looking at your styling through a photo that makes sense. It also helps you remember where items looked good so you can refine your styling.

My favorite tip of all, have fun!

Target has some incredible Holiday home decor finds this year! The collection includes some beautiful neutral pieces perfect for incorporating with any style. They are truly some of the best Holiday home decor finds for 2021!

Studio McGee Ornaments | Tan Stockings | Ceramic Houses | Brass Decorative Trees | Green & Cream Kitchen Towels | Bottle Brush Trees

Oh, nightstand styling! Pinterest makes it look so easy.

I recently built these nightstands and was so excited with how they turned out, but I wasn’t sure how to style them. I tried several different looks until I narrowed it down to the items that made the most sense for the style, color and size of our nightstands. Here are my easy-to-follow tips for nightstand styling to make you nightstand Pinterest worthy! I also share my favorite decor items that work with almost any style, color and size nightstand.

1. Add lighting

Table lamps add such a beautiful element to nightstand styling. One thing to keep in mind is the scale of the table lamp. This will depend on the size of your nightstand. As you can see in my photo, the nightstands I built are wide, so a wider table lamp looks more proportionate than if I would’ve opted for a petite lamp. I personally like making the table lamp the focus item.

Pro Tip: Try to keep the lamp shade no wider than the nightstand.

2. Use fresh greenery or flowers

There’s something about bringing the outside in that makes home feel relaxing and peaceful. Adding greenery to your nightstand will immediately elevate the look. It also adds texture and color. I usually like to use a clear vase, but you could also opt for a neutral color.

Pro Tip: Use eucalyptus for your fresh greenery. It will last up to 3 weeks, so you won’t have to replace it as often. Make sure to trim the ends before placing in water.

3. Play with layering

Try incorporating your favorite piece of art or maybe even 2 pieces or adding a mirror on the back of the nightstand. Layering different pieces creates depth to your styling. I prefer to keep my nightstand styling simple but will usually add either a piece of art or coffee table books layered with other items.

Pro Tip: You don’t have to spend a fortune on coffee table books, just cover some old books with neutral fabric!

Make sure to check out the Thula Tula site for this beautiful and cozy blanket. Also remember, sometimes less is more!

It’s not too late to decorate for Halloween! I decided to keep this year’s Halloween mantel decor simple and understated. I purchased some faux fall foliage from Pottery Barn and this cutie vase from Walmart. I think they pair perfectly together!

I was then inspired to incorporate some flying bats, because who doesn’t love Halloween bats! This was such a fun and easy DIY. I used cloches that I found from Michael’s & Target and attached the bats to clear string and then taped the string to the top of the glass. Check out my TikTok for a more detailed tutorial on how I created the flying bats for this year’s Halloween mantel decor.