I’ve never lived anywhere a fireplace before. It was always on the would-be-nice list, never a requirement. But whoa, having a mantel is awesome! A place in the house, just for pretty things. Pretty things, like these wonderfully weird antique perfume/apothecary bottles.
(Any idea what they are exactly?)
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32 responses to “Having a Mantel is the BEST”
Mantels are amazing! There are SO many options, and holiday decorating will be so fun with a mantel. Our house has 8, which I used to think was cool, but now I think it’s a little overwhelming!!
It does sound a little overwhelming!
They kind of look like cocktail shakers. Where did you get them?
There are some really little ones, so I don’t think they’re cocktail shakers. They do look like they could be, if they were scaled up!
Hi Nicole, this is my first time ever leaving a comment here but I just love your style!! My husband built a fireplace for our bedroom early this year and not because we need one which we don’t since we live in South Florida but it’s always been one of those would be nice things to have. I just love it and it just adds tons of charm to any room plus I am having fun decorating. It’s the little things that make us happy!!!
Nice husband! Enjoy decorating the mantel. It’s a lot of silly fun, isn’t it?
Loving it! I know they have the jars inside, but they almost look like they could be old-school weights (you know, for counting money on a balance scale?)
I don’t know what those jars are, but I do know that anything brass is fabulous. Just think of the holiday fun you’ll have with a mantel.
Our musuem has some, they are perfume bottle. Covers for protection from breakage & from light (to avoid evaporation)
Suspicions confirmed! Thank you. Brandon thought that maybe they were for rich ladies to use while traveling, so that the bottles didn’t break, but I hadn’t thought about the light/evaporation protection aspect.
Other than awesome?
Hmm, they look like old-school acid bottles used in chemistry labs. But I’ve never seen any with gold plated covers before.
Those are so appealing.
Love that painting! The colors are great!
Gold resists acids which may be why it was used on the bottles. It has been a really long time since my chem classes but I was trying to find something about its stability.
A mantle really is a nice place to make a statement. I love frequently changing out my mantle depending on the holiday, season, and event.
Gold is a noble metal meaning it is very stable and does not ionize easily. (Oxidation, corrosion)
Those are definitely chemical (not perfume) storage bottles, with the covers to protect light-labile chemicals from room light. I have an enormous collection of them that I’ve gathered from university labs I’ve worked in, as they get decommissioned due to safety concerns. I love them, but would strongly urge you not to ever use them for anything food related – without knowing exactly what kind of chemical residue may remain in them, it’s impossible to be sure you’ve cleaned them properly to make them safe.
I’ve no plans to put anything inside — I just think they’re beautiful.
I love mine, too! Great find!
Mantels are so much fun. We had one at our last home but this one sadly doesn’t have one. The art on the mantel is just lovely.
And three cheers for a cool mantle used to display art rather than a flat screen:)
Laura
House envy
No judgement on people that like the TV above a fireplace (it can look fine when done well), it’s just not for me.
many congrats on your GORGEOUS new house. what fun to decorate!
would you please share where you found your colorful painting/print? it’s really lovely… thank you!
It’s by Emily Rickard. It used to hang in the living room of the last house.
Those bottles are so cool!
We lived in homes with fireplaces off-and-on growing up and I HATE them. They’re dealbreakers in mine and my husband’s homes. I’m usually hot and we live in south GA so fires aren’t that practical and then they just take up wall space. Add where the focal point is “supposed to be” – supposed to be on this unused behemoth! I hate things that dictate where furniture HAS to be, instead of where it really will work best for us and the room. We’ve lived with some great period fireplaces – 1910, 1890 – and newer ones – brick 80s monsters – and I can definitively say if we don’t have to have them, we won’t.
My rant, mind you, is not to imply that yours aren’t gorgeous though! (Because they are!)
That makes perfect sense. Chicago winters are cold, so a fireplace makes sense, but I can see how it might seem strange to focus all of your attention on an essentially unused portion of the house in warmer climes.
Gorgeous! (Loving the art as well). And in answer to your final question…happiness. That’s what they are exactly! *heart flutter* *lopsided grin*
You win!
Love the painting! Can I ask where that is from? I think I might ‘need’ a similar one. Ha!
It’s by Emily Rickard. Her Etsy shop is closed for vacation right now, but she usually sells prints of the painting!
Wonderful. Thanks!!