All the details of how I styled my living room mantel with an antique portrait, as we begin the transition from summer to fall.

Time For a Change

I love the nautical flag barn quilt I painted several years ago, which hangs above the living room mantel in the summer.

But I was ready for a change. For something fresh and different.

No, not fall decor! As I have said multiple times here, I can’t go there yet.

I can’t deny that summer is coming to an end, though. September arrives this weekend!

The days are still warm, but the nights are getting cool. (We got below 50° last night!)

The sun is setting earlier.

The light is shifting.

And yes, some leaves are starting to turn.

So I wanted my new mantel decor to be something that could straddle that fine line between summer and fall.

The problem was, I had no idea what that was.

Finding Inspiration

The Search

I like the decor in my home to tell a story.

When choosing what to display, I think about where I live and the time of year.

What kind of feeling I want to evoke.

Since my decor is highly personal, the best way for me to find inspiration is to get out and about.

Usually to an antiques store or mall.

I look for something unique that speaks to me.

Something that sparks my creative flame.

This time I was pretty sure I wanted to start with a piece of art. I even looked at some galleries.

But I was coming up empty.

I am lucky, though, to have a friend who collects and sells art.

The painting that inspired last year’s fall mantel was from her. Read all about that mantel, plus more fall decorating inspo in my post My Seasonal Living Room | Evoking All The Fall Feels.

The Find

So I paid my friend a visit.

And I have to say, the 19th century portrait of a distinguished gentleman that I came home with was completely unexpected.

Are you surprised by it?!

There was just something about him that spoke to me.

I have always admired these moody portraits in other people’s homes, but I never really felt they fit my style.

But when I got him home and placed him on the mantel, he immediately seemed right at home.

I like how the darkness of the image grounds that side of the room and relates to the black accents in my seagull art.

And the formal portrait contrasts perfectly with the rugged stone of the fireplace.

Without a frame, though, the portrait is not too formal.

Plus, the painted antique gold oval border keeps the image from being overly fussy, and gives it a graphic impact.

Keeping things simple, I just placed the portrait on the mantel, leaning against the stone.

I knew right away that he was a keeper!

Adding Details

To really fit into my home, though, Mr. E Ward (as is written in beautiful script on the bottom right) needed some context.

Details.

A story!

Ignoring the “Mr.” in his name, I declared him a sea captain.

Just to be certain that he fit the type, I did a quick Google search on “1800’s Maine sea captain”. He most certainly does!

I wanted to keep the mantel display simple, but there needed to be a few additional details to go with his new title.

Leaving the black sailboat from my summer mantel was a no-brainer. I just shifted it to the right.

For balance on the left I placed a large brass star. A subtle nod to the nautical theme. It also picks up on the gold border around the portrait.

Then for a little color, and to add in something natural, a piece of blue coral in the center.

Time to step back for a look.

It was good, but not quite there yet.

Out again to a local antiques store for something to accent the top of the portrait.

And home with a black and white nautical flag that I hung from the top of the fireplace and draped around the canvas.

I particularly liked that this nautical flag is a diamond pennant shape. It has less bulk than a rectangular flag and drapes nicely.

NOTE:

Nautical flags are an international signaling system used to communicate between ships at sea. Each nautical flag represents a letter or number, and also has a specific meaning. This black and white flag is a “repeater” or substitute flag. It is used to signal messages with duplicate characters without the need for multiple sets of flags.

I love nautical flags for their bold visual impact.

It was the finishing touch I needed for my mantel display!

Done!

Help Me Continue the Story

Well, almost!

Captain Ward needs a full story.

This is where you all come in!

Won’t you help me write Captain Ward’s story?

Who is this man?! What is is first name? Does he have a family? Is he a long-lost relative of mine?

Please leave your contributions in the comments below!

Get creative, and let’s have some fun!

This Week Into Next

So, would you hang an old portrait like this in your home?!

I certainly didn’t think I would, but I am absolutely loving it.

Isn’t it so great when our home decor surprises us?

Always be open to adding something unexpected to your home!

And never take decorating your home too seriously.

A Planter Refresh

Many of my outdoor pots are looking overgrown and tired.

It was a good summer for them — with lots of sunshine and warm temps.

But they are in need of a refresh.

I have done this in September for the last couple years. It might seem like a lot of work this late in the season. I have found, though, that it eases my transition from summer to fall. And helps me to enjoy my outdoor spaces longer.

So, I will definitely be checking out my blog post Fresh Color and Texture For Your Planters Heading Into Fall. In it I give a full list of all the plants I used for my pots last year.

And then this weekend I am heading to the plant store!

I basically ignored the garden all of August, so there is cleanup work to be done too.

A Labor Day Concert

On Sunday our neighbor, Adam, of the Adam Ezra Group, will be playing a benefit solo concert at our local school!

If you haven’t heard of this amazing indie-folk musical group, you can read more about them here.

AEG plays primarily in New England, but they do tour elsewhere. See their full schedule and purchase tickets here.

And you can listen to their music on Spotify!

In Zoe’s Kitchen

I have been negligent in sharing Zoë’s weekly recipe newsletter.

She has switched to a bi-weekly newsletter, so it has thrown me off a bit.

This week I made the Tomato Galette that she shared last week. Full of late summer’s fresh tomatoes, it is ah-mazing! And it makes quite the presentation too!

Make sure you use a sharp and flavorful cheese. I used Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar.

The Big Apple

Next weekend this country girl is headed to the very big city!

I am meeting my girls in New York City for a belated Mother’s Day getaway.

I can’t wait!

They have planned some meals out and we are seeing the musical Six on Saturday night.

And I am super excited that we will be taking Peloton classes live at the NY Studio on both Saturday and Sunday! Sunday’s class with Christine D’Ercole, in particular, will be a huge fan-girl moment for me!

If you are on Peloton, I invite you to join me live! Look for Molly in Maine on the leaderboard!

But of course the best part about next weekend will be spending time with my daughters. You know I love any time with family, but time with just them, especially now that they have children of their own, is particularly special.

On Thursday, in a rare mid-week post, I shared Lunch, A Lighthouse, Antiques, and Art | A Day in Bristol, Maine!

And last week I wrote an ode to late summer in Maine: It’s Late August and I’m Still Enjoying Summer in Maine.

Have a great weekend!

Welcome, September!

Molly

Highlighting coastal decor and lifestyle, Maddie and Cisco, and the way life should be...

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