Rustic Cottage Summer Mantel

I did something I never thought I would do. In all my years I swore I would never add this to my home. I feel like I’m breaking my own cardinal rule for home decor. Can you guess what I’m talking about? Taxidermy. Yep, those large antlers that are the focal point of our formal living room. I still can’t believe it. The weirdest part is that I’m loving the new rustic vibe of our beach cottage.

I thought this would be a good time to share with y’all my formal living room all decked out with summer decor. And, ahem, share with you that piece of taxidermy that I really think blends well. Honestly, what do you think?

When I say my summer mantel, you are probably thinking, where is the summer decor?

As I was decorating this space (or rearranging, whatever you call it), something in me kept saying “less is more.” I kept adding decor here and there, but it never looked or felt right. Sometimes less IS really more.

So here is my summer mantel, decked out with this lovely elk skull mount (yikes, am I really writing this). I’m still shocked that I would write lovely AND elk skull mount in the same sentence.

Just in case you were curious and wanted to know where the elk mount came from, my husbands uncle killed it while on a hunting trip out west. That’s about all the details I know.

Rustic cottage summer mantel

If you are wondering about the DIY antique mantel, I’ve previously shared all the details on how I created it. I also shared a full post on how I created the birchwood fireplace insert for my faux mantel.