Summer Mantel

I recently re-did the mantel for summer!

Lots of shells, coral, and some crusty and rusty elements rule the day.

A mostly white palate helps lighten the room and add to the cool summer feel.

Everyone always asks me where I get all my shells! The truth is I love the beach, but am not a fan of sand....yes, an oxymoron, I know! Needless to say most of my shells have come from yardsales and thrift stores! I've also picked up coral the same way. Other pieces came from either Marshall's or Home Goods.

A yardsaling/thrifting buddy of mine frequently makes the 2ish hour trip to Norfolk, VA to do some serious junking. Every once and a while, I'll go with him. It is much fun! With Norfolk being so close to the beach, some of the thrift store finds are amazing.

This cloche is actually the dome off a cheap anniversary clock I picked up at a Goodwill back when I could afford to shop there. I don't know about you, but the Goodwills in the Richmond, VA area are getting out of sight expensive! They've been pricing junk furniture at antique shop prices! I'm talking about stuff you'd LEAVE on the side of the road if you found! I can't even believe they have the gull to sell some of the stuff they put out--it seems like people are leaving their garbage in the donation center--and it's being priced and shelved! Oy Vey! I hate to see things like this happen to such great charities. I've tried to contact upper management to voice my concerns, but have only received polite form letters in return. Local management has a lot to do with it, too.

This shell wreath was a buck at one of the Norfolk thrift shops. Grandma was going to throw the dried baby's breath away!

I rescued this great wire basket from the trash! Can you believe someone was going to throw this away!?!

The nice starfish came from Target in a mixed bag of shells. You can find shells and starfish at most crafts stores, too.

This pink coral is one of two pieces I own that are real. Most is resin. It is a 1950s beach souvenir from Florida. I picked it up at a yardsale for a quarter!

I've been seeing these aqua mineral water bottles all over blogland. I've had these for years! I love love love them! I hope you have enjoyed my summer mantle tour!

Five Tips to create your own Summer Mantel!

1. Pick a simple and light color palate. Think beach colors--white, sand, & aqua.

2. Mass like items together, fill a bowl or basket with shells of varying texture and color.

3. Layer. Different heights and depths of items create interest. Don't just line up everything in a row. Don't be afraid to overlap any wall art you have hanging. Now, if you have the TV over the mantle, that's a horse of a different color!

4. When doing any mantel, especially a nearly monochromatic one, having some shiny objects really helps break up the blah! Think about clear glass bottles, a cloche, sea glass, etc.

5. Don't go overboard! Sometimes more is justs too much! Step back and look at everything from a distance. You don't want it to feel heavy or cluttered. You should be able to see everything, but not notice just single objects. Once you have it perfectly how you like it, it will all meld together in unison!

Featured at Sally Lee by the Sea!http://nauticalcottageblog.com/