Beach-Inspired Summer Mantel

This post was most recently updated on September 22nd, 2019

By now, you know I love decorating my fireplace mantel for different seasons and holidays.  This year’s been a little different: it actually hasn’t changed all that much!  I’m not gonna lie: I’ve enjoyed the ease and simplicity of keeping things the same for awhile.  But we brought home some pretty beach rocks recently, so I created a beach-y summer mantel with photos of the kids from that beach visit, along with lots of natural beach texture.

Sidenote: If you’re new here, or you don’t believe how freakishly addicted somebody could be to mantel decorating, you can see all the different ways our mantel has looked through the past few years but checking out: My Year in Mantel Decorating: 2013 {Mantel Decorating Ideas} (2013), A Year of Mantel Decorating Ideas {aka: Revealing my Inner-Mantel Freak} (2012), Mantel Decorating: A Full Year in Decorated Mantels (2011)

 

Beach-Inspired Summer Mantel Display…

 

 

A beach-themed summer mantel is so easy to create. And, hello, who doesn’t like free? If you have shells or other beach treasures from a vacation – or if you live near a beach like I am lucky enough to – then voila, you have everything you need to decorate a gorgeous summer mantel display.

 

 

I also love the idea of adding beach photos to make it personal.  Beach photos of my kids are among my favourite things in the history of ever. (Also see: ‘Beach Photo’ Summer Mantel 2012)

There is so much texture in natural beach items like shells, starfish, beach rocks, coral and urchins. Things from the beach truly are a decorator’s dream.

The trick to creating a great beach-inspired summer mantel display is not to care too much about how it looks. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m all over not caring too much. Summer should be all about keeping things laid back, so don’t be too fussy about placing things. Just layer shells and rocks and photos in a way that makes you happy.  It doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’.

And, can I just tell you that I’m just a little bit gaga over that gold sailboat?  It’s one of the few things on this summer mantel display that you can’t find at the beach, lol.  Gosh, though, wouldn’t it be awesome if the waves left little gold sailboats behind with the tide?!?  Dreamy.

Oh how I love you, HomeSense. When I spotted it, I had to have it.  I mean gold and a sailboat together?  That my friends, is my definition of perfection!

 

Hope I’ve inspired you to add a little beach to your home this summer.

Have a fun-filled beach-y summer weekend! Head to the beach and get yourself some summer mantel decor!

Until next time,

K.