Spring in the Living Room | Mantel, Coffee Table, and How I Style Surfaces

Welcoming May in the living room—a mantel display that brings back an old friend, “fancy daffodils” on the coffee table, and my relaxed approach to styling surfaces.

It’s May.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, though, it doesn’t look or feel like it here.

Or at least not how I think May should look and feel. That would be green leaves, bright blooms, blue skies—and a warm lightness that reaches deep down into the soul, clearing out the cobwebs that settled there over the long winter.

Instead, we seem stuck in the 40s, low 50s if we’re lucky. Today is wet and raw, with a “feels like” of 38°.

I warned you that April makes me grumpy.

But now it is May. Time to take things into my own hands, no matter what Mother Nature is up to outside.

So with a grayscale video set to a soundtrack of falling rain playing on repeat out my windows, I went about bringing true spring to the living room.

I changed up the mantel (look what’s back!), added some pops of color from nature, swapped out slipcovers and throw pillows, and yes—finally put away the plaid wool blanket that has been draped across the back of the sofa since last November.

I’m sharing it all today, along with a few thoughts on how I go about arranging things on surfaces like the mantel and coffee table.

Let’s start with the mantel, always my favorite spot to decorate seasonally.

The Living Room Mantel Dressed for Spring

I have settled into a rhythm with the living room mantel that makes it easy to change seasonally without a complete overhaul. A couple of things are put away, a few get added, and after a bit of rearranging and some final tweaks, it’s good to go.

You’ll notice immediately that my beloved ship diorama is back. Yes, it was time for Captain Ward to head off on his annual hiatus. He is a rather serious fellow, and I felt that the warmer(ish) months called for something a bit more lighthearted.

I kept the draped rope, though, and rearranged the books. On the left, I swapped out the blue pottery vase with willow branches for a small striped one holding faux forsythia. This happy yellow harbinger of spring is just starting to bloom here. A small shell-filled basket made by a friend sits on the right, atop a stack of books. A single shell, just off center, is the finishing touch.

Easy, done—and ready for spring. The best part is that I used all old favorites, but it still feels fresh.

Coffee Table Daffodils

I took an even lighter hand with the coffee table. I had originally changed things up a bit for “spring” back in March, and did a slight refresh a few weeks ago. So I was pretty much set with my stacked platters filled with blue and white bits and bobs, Chinese money plant, scented candle, coral piece, and Sean Scherer’s book, Vignettes.

But then the other day, as I headed down the peninsula, I drove past a hand-lettered sign for “fancy daffodils.” Daffs might already be my favorite flower—how could I say no to so-called fancy ones? So I made a U-turn and headed back.

And I do have to agree that these, with their multi-ruffled pinkish-orange centers, are particularly lovely. I arranged two bunches loosely in an ironstone pitcher and placed them in the center of the coffee table.

As a final touch, I flipped the pages of the open book to ones with a bit of blue, green, and orange to match. It’s always about the details for me, even if no one else notices.

That was it!

My Tips for Decorating Flat Surfaces

Decorating flat surfaces such as mantels and tables doesn’t have to be hard. Here are some things I keep in mind when I do it.

Sorry, no, I don’t have a three-step formula for you. Design should be a reflection of your own personal sensibilities, not a set of rules. So choose things you love and arrange them with intention.

To that point, start with a set of elements grounded in your overall design aesthetic. Then swap or add in other pieces seasonally. This time of year, not everything needs to shout spring. A few branches or blooms, something in a brighter color, or a bit of whimsy are enough.

This restraint also applies to surfaces as a whole. You might find it strange to hear me say this, because you know I love my things. But don’t forget empty space. It lets things breathe and allows your favorite objects to shine. It also leaves room, importantly, to set a drink down.

Symmetry has its place, but asymmetry creates more energy and interest. Mix them up in your home.

When going for asymmetry, keep balance in mind—something with height on one side of the mantel and weight on the other, for example. Two small things on the coffee table balanced by one large thing. Sometimes you need to fiddle with it for a while, but your eye will rest easily when you get it right.

Give your arrangement structure by corralling items in baskets, trays, or platters, or raising them up on books.

Use a mix of soft, hard, and organic shapes. A round bowl. A rectangular book. A piece of coral.

Vary the height of objects to create movement. I don’t know if it’s because I’m left-handed or because we read from left to right, but I always like to have the tallest item on the mantel on the left side. It just feels right to me.

Play with texture. For spring, the mantel is all rough—stone, rope, old wood, worn book covers, and shells—with one pop of smooth, shiny ceramic that acts like a bright exclamation point. The coffee table, conversely, is mostly smooth, with its glass top and ceramics. Subtle texture is brought in through the plant and flowers, as well as the mixture of blue and white patterns. And the entire arrangement is grounded by the warm vintage Turkish rug which you can see through the glass.

Arrange with care, but don’t overthink it. Flowers plunked in a vase. A collection of pottery jumbled together on a platter. Rope casually draped over a painting. A beach find plopped on the mantel. A book open for browsing on a table. Relaxed moments like these make a room feel at ease.

And lastly, though I said I wasn’t going to dictate rules, I always think there should be at least one live thing—flowers (faux are fine as long as they look real), a plant, branches. Plus a candle for ambiance.

Pillows and Slipcovers

May means it’s time to bring out the blue and white striped slipcover for the loveseat. It immediately gives the room a breezy summertime feel.

And of course, if you change the slipcover, you must change the pillows too. (It’s one of those “if you give a mouse a cookie” situations…) So I went through my collection of covers and picked a variety of patterns and sizes in shades of dark blue and beige. As with my flat surface arrangements, nothing is overly styled—just my usual mix and barely-match.

These pillows are actually just temporary. I’ve picked out fabrics from Spoonflower to make new covers. I’ve been waiting for a sale to hit “purchase,” and just noticed they’re offering up to 25% off sitewide through May 5.

For now, though, they feel fresh and remind me that warmer days are ahead.

This Week Into Next

I had a great trip to Minnesota!

Sweet Mira’s first birthday party—at home in the backyard—came off without a hitch, despite morning rain. Mira made her Mim happy by wearing her birthday crown almost the entire time, and she was on the verge of tears only momentarily as the large group sang “Happy Birthday.” She is crawling now and into everything, especially if it’s in a basket or box.

James, at 3, is pure delight. He starts each morning with the enthusiasm and energy that only a toddler can muster and somehow manages to carry it through the day. It gives me energy too.

Leah and I squeezed in a girls’ dinner at Hyacinth, which was delicious. Highly recommend if you are in St. Paul.

This weekend, I have a couple of sewing projects for the mudroom that I might try to get done. Or maybe I’ll go out in search of a few more fish moulds to add to my wall.

On Monday, Maddie and Cisco are getting their spring grooming, so the photos in this post will be the last of Maddie’s woolly-mammoth look until next year.

I have so enjoyed my visits with family and friends over the past month, but I’m happy to have a stretch of time at home to look forward to now.

And then, a new granddaughter, due in just a couple of weeks. Life is full right now, and I am soaking it all in.

Happy May!