Complete your living area by accessorizing the room's focal point. As you turn your focus to the room's centerpiece you'll find that treatments for a fireplace mantel will work equally well for an entertainment center.
Books are terrific decorating items.
Books make a statement about you . . . You may take the paper covers off hardbound books to expose their original colors. Place them on the mantel with candles and plants. This breaks up that straight-plane mantel and creates a more pleasing feel. People are tempted to hang a mirror over a fireplace mantel, but that usually fails to reflect anything of interest.