| California Home + Design

Mantels are intrinsic to the holidays - where else can you hang a stocking and warm up with a mug of coco (or a hot toddy!)? Although it's easy to get caught up in the tinsel and colors of the season, we love when people use their fireplace to create a unique art installation instead of recreating the same look year-after-year. Need some mantel inspiration? Here are a few of our favorite designs that manage to look modern, fresh and cozy.

Rachel Greenberg

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Neon

Pops of neon were all the rage this past year, so why not include uber-bright shades of pink, yellow and free in your mantel display? The modern, youthful style is the perfect match for white walls and a plain fireplace. Anthology Mag
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Monochromatic

Monochromatic manages to look anything but matchy-matchy in this jewel-toned room. The mantle is overflowing with interesting textures and shapes, and how cool are those hanging stars and snowflakes? We bet they'd be a breeze to recreate in your own home. Globally Gorgeous
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Chalkboard

A chalkboard-style art piece and stockings made from "recycled" burlap offer a few industrial elements to this otherwise super-traditional design. We also love the little wood cracker collection - so charming.
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Stacked

Fireplace not functional? Stack it full of little logs for an easy art installation that makes a big impact. Plus we love the natural wood texture paired with the homemade-looking garland. Flickr