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Mantels are one of those funny things: you really don’t need them (or the fireplace below them, actually) but if you buy a house that has one, it becomes a decorating focal point. For almost 40 years I lived quite well without a mantel, but once I acquired one, I suddenly had the chance to do all those things with it I’d seen in magazines. Some ideas have worked better than others, but I’ll share some of them and perhaps you can also add your own.

We probably all have vague memories of grandparents’ old houses with a big mirror on top of the fireplace; in my relative’s case, they also had some knickknacks on their mantel. I don’t think they varied them from year to year (except, perhaps to add Christmas decorations every December) but it seemed to me that their mantel was rather under-appreciated. So, since I first received my mantel in the month of November, I decided to place all of my Thanksgiving pilgrims and turkeys along its length, like little soldiers in formation. Nope; that didn’t look right at all. A little rearranging showed that many mantel piece items look much better-and more important-with groupings. Another finding was that seasonal items seem to gain panache when also grouped with candles that pick up the main colors. Whether you plan on lighting them or not, a group of pink candles against your white walls, in the midst of pastel Easter flowers and bunnies, looks so much better than standing on their own at the far ends of the mantel. In fact, anything at the far reaches of the ledge looks rather lonely, even if your pattern is symmetrical; it’s much more harmonious to leave a bit of space between a decoration and the end of the mantel.

What if you aren’t interested in the traditional candles, statues and knickknacks on your mantel? There are countless options that still look classic, elegant or whimsical, depending on your mood and/or general décor. Model ships, small baskets filled with flowers or greenery, small plants, glass vases filled with sea shells, colored stones or marbles, bud vases, ginger jars, small boxes, plates, bowls, wooden sculptures and personal collections add zest to any boring mantel.

Right now, in the center of my mantel is a pink and white flower arrangement in a pink wicker vase that my daughter made in tech-ed. It’s flanked on either side by three brass candleholders holding white candles, next to a grouping of photos in similar white and pink frames. It’s symmetrical over all, but because I’ve placed the individual items differently, there is a difference between the two sides which I like.

In the past, I’ve truly loved the look of many mantel arrangements, but the longest I’ve kept any has been about two months-after that, I feel a change is due. One of my favorites happened to be at Christmas, when I placed small trees (trimmed with red bows and gold and white ribbons), at either end. With a display of red and white candles in high brass candlesticks in the center, and surrounded by swags of pine boughs, the look was cheery and could be easily adapted for Valentine’s Day by removing the trees and boughs and adding vases of red, white and pink roses.

Some folks like to add paintings or other art above their mantel, as I have, but the colors may clash with your mantelpiece choices-so if such a thing bothers you, be discriminating. Luckily, my prints have enough colors so I don’t have too much of a problem, but you can picture how autumn décor may conflict against a background painting filled with pink pastels, especially if that’s the first thing you see upon entering a family or living room.

Probably the worst thing a person could do with their mantel is to leave it totally empty, or stick one solitary small object in the center. Look around for prized possessions that match your room décor, trial different placements, and keep what appeals.

If you make good use of your luck in having a mantel, you will be rewarded by the lift it gives you every time you walk into the room and gaze upon it.

Do you own any “oriental” rugs? I like to refer to those intricate and colorful creations as “oriental”, even though their home may be only as far east as New York. In fact, I’m annoyed by those who feel that, unless such a rug is dozens of year old and thousands of dollars, it shouldn’t be referred to by that name.

When I had my first apartment at age 23, I bought a lovely black and gold oriental rug at a retail store for what was a lot of money to me back then. One night, I a date took me home, and he looked at the rug and actually sneered, “That’s not a real oriental rug.” Needless to say, he didn’t visit long, and never again. As years went by, I bought another one but after even more years (and a few cats clawing at them), I cut the fringes off. The way I saw it, the rugs were pretty old by, and I figured the change may help. They looked OK, but I moved them upstairs and thus began a period without any oriental rugs on the main floor.

But I suffered from oriental rug withdrawal. So, you can’t blame me when, while at a home supply outlet to buy light bulbs, I spied another beautiful black-background creation and snatched it up. Again, it didn’t come from the Far East, but it was good enough for me. (By this time, my other two rugs were long gone, and I saw this one as the second generation.) My first thought was to put it under my dining room table on the hardwood floor, but it wasn’t quite large enough. Then I put it in the foyer, but hated the thought of everyone wiping their shoes on it. Placing it under the kitchen table wouldn’t work, either, since I have rolling chairs. So, I decided to rebel against Design 101 and lay it on top of my existing Berber carpet in the family room, with a large, round, wicker coffee table on top. The primary colors are perfect with the room, and the black background stabilizes the entire setting. (I never liked that Berber anyway.) My point here is that if you fall in love with an oriental rug, don’t feel that you can’t buy it just because you have no open, uncarpeted space. It obviously isn’t necessary when you already have carpeting, but if it adds something to the space, and you like looking at it, so what?

With a colorful oriental rug, it’s obviously best to have neutral colors of furniture and paint, or a monochromatic match of furniture and paint in a color that’s found in the rug. (How soothing would it be to always see a red, blue and gold rug against a gold couch, blue armchairs, and yellow walls? Even though the main colors are duplicated, it’s still a hodge podge.) Neutral colors will allow you to add accessories in the same colors found in the rug for cohesiveness.

Also, patterns can be used with even “busy” oriental designs, if they’re small and not too colorful. If you just can’t part with your flowered sofa, you can invest in plain furniture covers for about $100. Or, you can look for a rug that’s minimal in design, but possessing the same colors as your couch, and be analytical about the rest of the room. For example, my couch and love seat are a turquoise, pink and gold tapestry print and I’ve a turquoise armchair, black entertainment area, and light gold walls. The rug, as mentioned, is black, with scrolls of turquoise, pink and gold. I have no pillows other than those that match my set; my lamps candlesticks, vases, etc. are brass or very neutral, and my tables are natural wicker. My rug still commands attention, but in harmony with everything else.

If you’d like oriental carpets in your kitchen but hate the price, here’s another tip: go to a home supply outlet and check out long oriental runners, then cut in half or thirds with heavy-duty shears or knives. You won’t have fringes, but you’ll still have a luxurious look.

It may take some time and planning, but I’m sure you can achieve success in your goal of enjoying oriental elegance.

If you’re like most people, you may not realize which details to consider when it comes to décor, so perhaps this will help.

First, forget the idea that if something is good, more has to be better. On the contrary, too many knickknacks, or too much of any one thing, is detrimental. No one item should overtake any room. That means one of three things: either create small groups of your collectibles and keep rotating them throughout the year, get rid of what no longer has meaning, or try to place like items in a group, to decrease the appearance of their number. Don’t forget to leave some “blank” space around, with nothing on a few feet of shelf space, or a corner left fairly open; the eye will need some place on which to rest where it’s not inundated with viewing numerous small items.

Next, consider cohesiveness among your belongings. It’s all well and good to have eclectic taste, but try to go for a basic theme in each room, whether it’s color, style, material, etc. For example, you may try to use all wicker furniture, tables, baskets and such in one area, or transfer all of your green pillows to a room with predominant green hues. This serves two purposes: it immediately offers a more restful and organized image to a space, and makes it appear that a good deal of thought went into the individual purchases.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, regardless of your color scheme, it’s always necessary to have just a few touches of black and white in any room. This does not mean a white couch or black coffee table; this purpose can be served by using stark white candles, white silk flowers, an ebony vase, black picture frames-you get the idea. These two “colors” serve like salt and pepper in food; they add just a hint of spice. Black will seem to stabilize the area while white adds a spark. You may also find that employing shiny metal, in moderation, adds just that glint that you may need, such as copper wall decorations, brass votives, shiny silver statuettes-whatever catches the light can add a great deal with a minor investment. Some designers feel that at least one mirror should be used in a room to reflect back lighting; just make sure it’s not so high that the average person’s head gets chopped off at the bottom. These few details make the most of any color theme.

Speaking of color, some people like maintain a one hued palette, while others prefer to use two or three colors. Obviously, this is a personal preference, but remember that no one is forcing you to keep the same look forever. If you like a monochromatic décor, fine, but every so often, jazz it up with small contrasting accessories, like pillows, vases, throws, rugs, candy dishes, etc. If your room is currently based on, say, blue, yellow and green, take out, or replace one of the colors every so often for a whole new look. (Don’t forget flowers or plants; they add color while contributing to the very necessary feeling of bringing nature indoors.) With some thought, you can even obtain a very fun and colorful look from a fairly basic room without spending a lot of money. For example, say you have a room in blues and whites. You could incorporate aqua and green, with perhaps a touch of yellow. These colors may already exist in other rugs, lamps, pillows, blankets, picture mats, or candles. Look for inexpensive prints displaying those same colors in tropical undersea life or beachscapes. Add a dish or vase filled with seashells, perhaps some family pictures from a seashore vacation, a few other beach or nautical accessories, and voila! You’ve got a new room with a definite feeling of creative design. (Of course, this means taking out the stuff in other colors that was in the room in the first place, but the beauty of decorating is that nothing is cast in stone forever.)

It is always exhilarating to have new surroundings, especially when it’s still home sweet home. You just need to keep an eye on details.