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FeedMerry Mantels
Glorious garlands take the holidays to hearth
By Michelle Baltus
Photo by susan gilmore | Styled by David Anger
Photo by Susan Gilmore
Like most holiday trimmings, a mantel garland can be as simple or sophisticated as you desire. First, consider the size and style of the room, including the colors, furniture, and fabrics, Kinney says. Then create a theme. A highly refined library might evoke a classic pine garland with pinecones and velvet ribbon, whereas a rugged flagstone hearth inspires something more rustic, says Ardith Beveridge, AFID, director of the Institute of Floristry at Koehler & Dramm, a Minneapolis wholesale florist. She frequently creates airy displays of branches and berries for north woods themes.
“The lodge look is popular because it’s so down to earth,” says Beveridge, who also teaches at the institute. “It’s like taking a walk in the woods.”
The size of the fireplace, the ceiling height above the mantel, and the dimensions of the room dictate a garland’s overall scale, Kinney says. Also decide how the garland will drape the fireplace—on the top or along the front—and what length, if any, will spill down the sides. If small children or pets are of no concern, Beveridge sometimes pools a garland onto the floor for dramatic effect.
Kinney typically uses a standard 9-foot professional-quality, artificial, long-needled pine garland as the base for her custom designs. Artificial boughs are popular with designers because they look realistic, will last all season, and are well constructed so they can be used again. Fresh evergreens are highly flammable and best used as an accent. Mix them with other fresh foliage to add fragrance and visual interest.
Photo by Susan Gilmore
For added dimension and impact, layer your garland with dried or permanent botanicals and berries. Hydrangea, amaryllis, and poinsettia blooms come in colors to complement any décor. Choose orchid stems and beads for more contemporary designs, suggests Russell Toscano, artistic director and owner of Wisteria Design Studio in Minneapolis.
Or, place terra cotta pots of bulbs—paperwhites, amaryllis, and tulips—for a garden-inspired look. Fruit, cinnamon sticks, and pinecones lend an organic aura, as do vines and branches.
Use candles, picture frames, ornaments, and other decorative accessories to introduce height, glimmer, and movement to your mantel arrangement. Beveridge loves to do tall, exaggerated designs or use repetition with a twist. “One of my favorite things to do is include six or seven little vases with a single fresh flower in each,” she says. “Maybe the vases are all the same color but different shapes, or the vases are identical and each flower is different.”
Balance is key to good mantel design, Beveridge says. “An arrangement is like a teeter-totter,” she explains. “If you’ve got an adult on one side, put two kids on the other.”
Don’t forget a little illumination either. “Lights are so important for mood,” Beveridge adds. “Turn them on and all of sudden it’s party time or it’s cozy and comfortable, depending on your design.”
Photo by Susan Gilmore
If you’re a little too harried to craft your own masterpiece this season, design professionals are at your service. They will happily marry your tastes and personal belongings with their talent and resources, Toscano says. Whatever you do, make your mantel your own.
“Like everything else about the holidays, it doesn’t have to be picture perfect, you just have to enjoy it,” Beveridge says.
Michelle Baltus is a St. Paul freelance writer and editor.
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