| Whether you live in a city apartment or a cabin by a | | | | side and add a vertical swag of cattails and reeds to |
| lake, your fireplace can be the focal point of your cabin | | | | the right or left of the main piece. A nice choice for |
| decor. If you've got a stone fireplace chances are you | | | | your main piece can also be a large mirror with a rustic |
| already have a good base for adding some nice cabin | | | | weathered frame or themed cabin frame. |
| decor. If, on the other hand, you rent an apartment and | | | | You can then choose the items for your mantle. If you |
| have a more modern brick or tile fireplace, there are | | | | have a newer gas fireplace with no mantle you might |
| many things you can do to bring lakeside cabin charm | | | | consider adding a fireplace mantle shelf, available in a |
| to your hearth and mantle. | | | | number of styles. Select a rustic looking shelf. Continue |
| First, if painting is an option, consider choosing a color | | | | the main theme you are working with. You might want |
| based on the main item for your mantle decor. For | | | | to choose a waterfowl decoy or a wooden carved |
| example, one of the nicest decorations for a cabin | | | | and painted trout, an antique reel and fish basket, an |
| decor mantle is a decoy. A beautiful decoy often has | | | | arrangement with cattails and reeds in a basket or |
| subtle colors from which you can select a shade of | | | | aged tin pail, a decorative birch bark canoe. If you're |
| paint in a complimentary color. Another option is to go | | | | going for a pine theme you could combine a pine cone |
| with rustic colors traditional in lakeside cabin scenery | | | | wreath above the mantle with some small, whimsical, |
| such as straw color, light to medium warm green, | | | | fake pine trees in staggered heights. One of the nicest |
| warm grey, light brown or rust and even some shades | | | | choices for any mantle are family photos in beautiful |
| of blue. | | | | rustic frames. You can choose frames with themes or |
| Next pick a central lakeside cabin theme such as | | | | just rustic weathered wood. Stand back and look at |
| pheasants, ducks, trout, bass, cattails, pine cones even | | | | your choices for the mantle. Some selections will need |
| field dogs make a great cabin theme. It is better to | | | | to be centered on the mantle under the wall decor and |
| have a few larger uncluttered pieces for your mantle | | | | some will need to be at the ends of the mantle. Move |
| than a lot of small items. Include the area over the | | | | the items around until you achieve a pleasing look. |
| fireplace and the hearth as potential decorating areas. | | | | Any mantle decor needs candlelight. Fill in with either a |
| Once you have your color choices, next select a | | | | set of votive candles along the length of the mantle or |
| fireplace screen. Select a black screen either plain or | | | | set a collection of pillar candles with or without |
| preferably a screen with a lakeside design built into the | | | | candlesticks at one or both ends of the mantle. |
| screen. Choose a design as close to your theme as | | | | Generally if you're not using votive candles, you will |
| possible. | | | | want your candles to be of varying heights. |
| When you have chosen your fireplace screen, focus | | | | Decorate your hearth sparingly. Some choices are a |
| on the area over the fireplace. This is the area where | | | | large basket of reeds, a set of oars leaning against the |
| you can really present your theme with a handsome | | | | fireplace (secure these if you use them), a rustic black |
| rustic framed painting, a tapestry wall hanging, a wall | | | | iron wood holder with or without cabin theme profiles |
| mount decoy such as a pheasant or flying duck or a | | | | piled with white birch logs. Balance this off with your |
| large mounted fish, even a personalized decorative | | | | fireplace tools. If you like, you can include a small hearth |
| sign with your cabin theme and with your family name, | | | | area rug such as a small braided rug in a |
| a beautiful pine cone wreath. Use a rather large piece | | | | complimentary color. |
| above the mantle and don't clutter this space with a | | | | Above all, have fun decorating your beautiful cabin |
| collection of items. At most, you can flank your large | | | | fireplace. |
| piece with wall sconces or set the main piece to one | | | | |