How to Warm up Black and White Decor

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This black and white decor has a warm and neutral theme. I layered my mantel with black and white frames and candle sticks. Adding brown decorative items for warmth in this cool white and black color scheme.

I love decorating in coastal and neutral colors. Blue and green are definitely my favorite pops of color in a mostly white and natural base.

The mantel decor I am sharing today is nothing of those things. I went completely different with my color choices this time and came up with a more modern, sophisticated and slightly more masculine look for my mantel.

Black and White Mantel Decor

See what I did.

The basic colors of black and white are complemented with some natural brown touches.

I cut two images from a book about our favorite city New York and framed them in old thrifted frames that I painted black.

The wooden candles are thrift store finds, too, that also got a black paint treatment.

I layered the black frames with an empty white frame. It is now the perfect frame around a small white pumpkin. The empty frame adds to the layering of this mantel decor without making it look cluttered and full.

Related Reading: 25 Fall Mantel Decorating Ideas

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How to Warm up Black and White Decor

Decorating with black and white guarantees a slick and modern look. It is perfect when you don’t want your home decor to look too feminine. But white and black together can also create a stark and cold atmosphere. The two colors need to be warmed up.

To warm up black and white decor, it helps to add natural and neutral colors like soft browns, off-whites, and touches of greenery. Adding different textures also gives depth to white and black decor.

I used soft, warm browns to break up my black and white decor. The soft leather on the journal, the wicker decorative balls, and some natural fall seed pods add both warmth and texture to my mantel.

This whole mantel was easy and cheap to create. I shopped my house and stash, foraged the little decorative fuzzy balls, and used thrift store frames I got for a song.

The only thing I bought new, was that little white pumpkin. I guess 50 cents out-of-pocket decor costs make this a really cheap mantel decor.

Related Reading: Cheap Fall Decor Ideas

Related Reading: Simple and Easy Fall Decorating Ideas

Layered Mantel Decor

Whenever you decorate a fireplace mantel, or a decorative ledge it is important to keep layering and symmetry in mind. I clearly did that here on this year’s mantel.

The layered frames are the background and focal point at the same time. The stack of brown leather journals add extra depth and interest to the mantel.

The candle sticks on either side of the frames give this mantel a symmetrical look. Even though I did not use identical candle sticks. I balanced the bigger and heavier candlestick on one side with a set of two smaller ones on the other side.

I think it works.

The small pumpkin, the green seedpods, and some small votive candles have almost carelessly been scattered on the mantel shelf. They give the much-needed frivolity to an otherwise stark design.

Black and white decor…

It was and is an unusual color combination in my neutral beach cottage farmhouse home. But I like it….

Thank you for sharing my content!