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If you're looking to give your mantel a new look, consider using paint. Because most mantels are centerpieces for rooms, paint can transform the way your room looks and feels. Some of these techniques require you to follow manufacturer's instructions, while others do not. Explore ideas to decide which is best for your mantel. Once you decide on a style, creating the look will be a pleasure you can enjoy long afterward.
Reacting in opposition to the excessive curves and embellishments of Victorian furniture, a new style of architecture and furniture evolved during the early 1900s, the Arts and Crafts movement. The movement's simplistic and utilitarian design elements were incorporated into homes and furniture--including fireplace mantels--during this era. Simple lines, natural resources and pride in craftsmanship were displayed in 20th century Arts and Crafts fireplace mantels.
Fireplaces are desirable features in a home because they lend to the ambiance of the home and create a focal point in rooms. Burning a fire, whether a wood or gas fire, is not always practical, especially if you live in a warm climate or have a home with small children. You can still achieve the effect of a warm, glowing fire with a candle stand inserted in the fireplace cavity.
A built-in fireplace and mantel provide instant architectural detail to your home. They dress a room and provide a focal point for decorating. They make a room feel cozier, warmer and more inviting. With a little planning, you can design a fireplace and mantel that perfectly reflect your personality and design style.
Focus all eyes on the mantel as you decorate it for display. Bring in the items you love and showcase your personality, or delight the senses with the sweet smells of flowers. Balance the proportions of the items on both sides to give symmetry to your mantel design and bring in accent colors of the room with the pieces you choose.
The fireplace mantel is often the focal point of a room, so most homeowners give a lot of thought to fireplace decor. Use the mantel to display your favorite family photos, ornaments or pieces of art, and don't forget to decorate inside the fireplace. Don't leave the wall above the fireplace or chimney breast blank, because this is often one of the first areas people notice. Choose decorations that either complement or contrast with the room's theme and colors so the fireplace doesn't look out of place.
When choosing the proper type of wood for a rustic mantel over a stone fireplace, consider the style, color and existing wood fixtures in the home. Many types of wood will give a rustic feel to a fireplace, and many different stains to give you the color and finish you desire. Here are some options for determining which type of wood will work best for your rustic mantel above a stone fireplace.
Fireplaces tend to become major focal points in living spaces and, although they are beautiful and can serve a purpose in heating your home, they can be difficult to incorporate into a decorating scheme. Whether your fireplace is centered within a large hearth, is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling stone or has a bulky mantel, there are many ideas for decorating above your fireplace.
An empty fireplace mantel can leave a room feeling stark and boring. Placing a few items on the mantel can add warmth and character to the entire room. Although there is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing items for the mantel, you must consider the size of the mantel, anything hanging above the fireplace and the decor of the rest of the room.
A fireplace usually has a large amount of wall space above it. You can cobble the area with stones, fill it with brick, add a mirror or opt for eye-catching artwork. The fire in the fireplace is the center of attention when it is blazing, but when there is no fire, you can draw attention to the fireplace area with art. Choose art that is large and provocative.
The fireplace is as much a part of the room as the furniture and accessories, and should be decorated with just as much care. This especially holds true when the fireplace is in the corner. Rather than add clutter to the mantel and the surrounding area, take your time and select objects that you would like to draw attention to. It's simple to make your fireplace custom and a focal point in the room.
An empty fireplace mantel can make a whole room look desolate. The typical solution of lining up framed photographs can feel off-balance, as the scale of the fireplace can dwarf the collection. Learn how to design a fireplace mantel that adds dynamism to your living space and can even solve design problems. Think of the mantel as an opportunity to bring as much energy into the room as the fire itself and investigate inventive mantel solutions that can spark your own.
Candles are an inexpensive and effective way to make your fireplace seem even warmer and cozier. Too many candles, however, and your mantel might look just as "on fire" as the fireplace itself. Keep the focus on the fire below by carefully choosing and arranging your candles so as to not outdo the actual fireplace. Consider enhancing the candles with other decorative items that will balance out the mantel and help make your fireplace the rightful focal point of the room.
Create a homey, warm glow with rustic fireplace decor in your home. Family and friends will feel comfortable gathering around the fireplace when you design with comfort, function, mood and rustic style in mind. Many of the rustic fireplace designs incorporate natural products, such as stone, wood and metal, as well as antiques that transform the fireplace into the room's centerpiece.
A fireplace mantel is the shelf on the wall space directly above the fireplace. It can be made of any material and usually displays family pictures, knickknacks and conversation pieces. Fireplace trim can be either permanent or a movable decoration.
A corner mantel provides triangular space in the corner of the room that needs to be filled. A mantel is a good place to store and display items, but the triangular space can seem like an awkward area at first glance. Many different options exist when you are thinking about decorating a corner mantel place, so choose those options that will suit your home the best.
A mantel anchors the fireplace as the focal point of the room and draws the eye toward one of the coziest spots in your home. A rough wood mantel conveys a charming, warm and cozy feel to the entire room. You have a lot of options when choosing a rough wood mantel. The materials you choose for the mantel, the way its finished and its installation are all variables in choosing the right mantel.
A fireplace seems incomplete without a mantel and decorations. A mantel, the shelf mounted above the fireplace opening and running across its entire length, gives a fireplace its unique style. When the fireplace is in a corner at a diagonal, the right mantel can turn it into a focal point. Keep the mantel in the same style as the other fireplace elements. Choose a traditional mantel for an elegant fireplace and a rustic mantel for a huge stone fireplace.
A fireplace mantel is a staple of cozy, sophisticated room decor. A mantel provides a place to display family photos and treasures and lends warmth and elegance to a room, but if you are lacking a mantel, don't despair. You can easily recreate the charm and appeal of a traditional mantel with some artful and unexpected treatments that shine all on their own.
Rock fireplaces provide attractive focal points in family rooms and even formal living rooms. When rock fireplaces are combined with original mantels made from materials such as driftwood, rock or old railroad ties, the effect is stunning. Regardless of what type of mantel your rock fireplace has, decorate it with some of your favorite decorative objects to bring out its beauty.
Do-it-yourself stone mantels can save you a lot money. Your biggest concern will involve sourcing the stone for the project. If you already have stone architectural elements in your home, start by locating the source of that stonework, perhaps by talking to the mason who worked on your home. Sourcing your stone from the same location could produce a mantel that matches the rest of the home's stone elements. If you don't know the original source of stone or mason, you can consult a stone fabricator or quarry company to find the type of stone you want to create your…
Though any fireplace adds warmth and romance to a room, the design of a fireplace mantel can be adapted to suit several design styles. Elaborate column mantels complement the elegance of Victorian designs, while well-balanced monochromatic mantels add stylish simplicity to a contemporary mantel. From the mantel materials to the mantel decor, your fireplace mantel design contributes to the cohesive style of your entire interior space.
Fireplaces add warm ambiance and romantic charm to a living room or master bedroom, but a poorly designed mantel and hearth area serves as a distracting eyesore rather than an aesthetic centerpiece. Whether your style is country and rustic-inspired or bold and urban contemporary, a well-executed mantel and hearth space will add cohesion to your design and value to your home.
Making your own fireplace mantel offers the opportunity to save money. Use new materials or incorporate reclaimed materials in your homemade fireplace mantel design. It is exciting to know when you finish building your mantel, you will produce a centerpiece for family memories, not just at holidays, but at any time of year.
When decorating your home for the fall season, do not forget to decorate the fireplace mantel. Fall colors complement a fire's natural color and beauty. Incorporate reds, oranges and yellows when decorating your fireplace mantel. If your home contains more than one fireplace with a mantel, decorate every fireplace mantel in the home.
As a focal point in any room with a fireplace, a fireplace mantel offers great decorating potential. While a fireplace itself imbues the room it's in with a certain grace, a well-decorated mantel can make a specific stylistic statement. Fireplace mantels can be used for both decoration and to display art or photos, making them aesthetically pleasing as well as useful.
Wood mantels enhance the visual appeal of a fireplace by framing the fireplace nook and providing a shelf surface to display other decorations such as picture frames and vases. The benefit of using wood for a fireplace mantel is its transformability because it is easily shaped and colored. Wood works well with a variety of other materials such as brick and granite so it is easy to install a wood mantel around an existing fireplace.
Many modern homes feature fireplaces in the family room, living room and sometimes even in the bedroom. Contemporary homes, which range from comfortable, high-end designs to sleek, streamlined designs, typically have contemporary fireplaces as well. If you are planning a remodel or are designing your dream contemporary home, you’ll have many types of fireplace mantels and designs to choose from.
Traditionally, the presence of a fireplace in your home was a sign of rustic decor. With more and more designers creating sleek and contemporary fireplaces and mantels, however, creating a fireplace and mantel that seem truly bucolic can sometimes require more planning. There are certain elements that you can include in your fireplace mantel, though, that will guarantee that it goes with a rustic decor.
A distinctive mantel can be the focal point of a room, or it can just blend in with the rest of the décor. You can utilize the different types of mantels available and choose from a variety of materials to create a mantel that fits your room perfectly.
A fireplace in the home can provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. A mantel also be both practical and pleasing to the eye. Wood is a popular mantel material choice, for its timelessness and versatility, and offers several design options, in a variety of price points and styles.
Decorating your fireplace's mantel using a country theme can create a welcoming look that pulls your room together. Mantels are an ideal place to decorate because many living rooms revolve around the fireplace. This makes the fireplace mantel a visible space that any home guest will see.
A fireplace mantel can become the centerpiece of a room with the right embellishments. Use the space to display a single object or a collection of beloved items. Create a holiday display or choose a theme you'll enjoy year-round. Be cautious when choosing materials and planning your theme because some materials may be flammable, advises Log Mantels.
Wood mantels provide an opportunity for versatile design options. In general, fireplaces are focal points in a space and because mantels are located at eye-level, their importance as a creative design element increases. Ideas for wood mantels includes styles from rustic to modern.
The mantel is often the focal point of a room. Since all eyes are naturally drawn toward it when entering a room, enhance its beauty by adding complementary decorative accents to the mantel and surrounding space. A few ways to make use of this area is through seasonal decor, artifacts that reflect your personal interests and a summer theme. Go with what you like; you never know where you will find inspiration for mantel decor.
If your fireplace looks outdated and you want to update it to a more contemporary style, consider replacing the mantel. This will add an immediate freshness without the cost of upgrading the entire fireplace surround. Granite mantels are an option that complement many fireplaces and decors. They are durable and long-lasting, making them a great investment, so be sure to choose a color and style that will suit your taste for many years.
When the wood of your salvage-yard fireplace mantel or the one that is already in your home is damaged or has been painted and repainted, forgo the stripping and wood staining and choose a painted mantel of your own design. Whatever you decide, the choice of color will influence selections for the furniture and the walls surrounding the mantel.
Turn a plain fireplace mantel into a festive holiday decoration by adorning the area with seasonal colors and embellishments. Whether you're decorating the area for New Year's Day, Christmas or occasions in between, incorporate objects into the mantel arrangement to lend a nostalgic and meaningful touch. The decked-out fireplace will become not only a focal point for the room, but also a lively conversation starter when you host a holiday gathering.
If your fireplace is in need of a bit of a touching up, you can create a stunning focal point for your room by updating an old block mantel or creating a new one. Typically constructed of three of more blocks of common building materials, such as brick or concrete, block mantels have a smooth contemporary look that make a bold impression.
The mantel is usually the focal point of a room. Mantels offer a homeowner an opportunity to display items in a decorative way at the focus of the entire room. There are many ways to decorate a mantel, depending on your design style, personal preference and room purpose.
A creative mantel display makes the fireplace an attractive focal point in your home. You can redecorate the mantel as often as you like. Use it as a showcase for fresh flowers, artwork, family photos or collectibles for most of the year, and then transform it into a central part of your Christmas décor with the addition of greenery and colorful holiday accessories.
Whether you're looking for a simple, clean, contemporary look or a more elaborate and traditional design, the right fireplace mantel and surround can set the tone of your entire room. The area between the fireplace opening and the mantel, the surround gives you space to jazz up a simple mantel or tone down a more ornate piece.
Decorating your home can be a lot of fun, as well as a lot of work. You may have a vision of what you want and desire in your final look, however, making your home into that vision can be frustrating. A fireplace is a beautiful addition to the home and is often the focal point of the living room. Once you have decorated your fireplace mantel, you may be stumped about what to place above it. There are several types of things that you can use to decorate above the fireplace mantel.
Place mantels can often help support the current design of a room or can be the center of attention. Your place mantel is an opportunity for you to personalize the design of the room and welcome visitors into your home. Place mantels are great places to shift the theme of the room as the seasons and holidays change throughout the year.
While arrangements of pine cones or a collection of dolls populate many fireplace mantels, some people prefer a more updated style. Give your mantel decor a makeover by using paint, architectural elements, art, lighting and accessories with contemporary style. Whether you prefer a minimalist approach or something more funky, personalize your mantel decor by integrating a favorite artwork, souvenir from world travels, DIY project or family heirloom.
Wood fireplace mantels can be a major part of any room's decor, especially if the design and finish stand out from other colors and furnishings around it. There are two specific types of fireplace surrounds: the standing mantel and the shelf mantel, both of which can be finished to match any theme, style and taste.
Fireplace mantels are as traditional as mom and apple pie. Without them we would have no place to hang our Christmas stockings or display that big award. The mantel is also the perfect place to mount that heirloom fire arm or the trophy fish from your big trip. Fireplace mantels come in two styles: free floating or shelf only, and full surround with support panels on either side of the firebox connected to the mantel shelf.
Few things are as warm and as welcoming as candles upon a fireplace mantle. If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace with a mantle, you have a number of options available to create a candle display that both lights and delights.
Fireplaces have an important role in any decor, and they're enhanced greatly when framed by a suitable mantel. A fireplace mantel can be defined as the shelf that goes over the top of a fireplace, or the shelf and matching framework that goes around the whole fireplace. A mantel can soften the look of a brick fireplace, and add a decorative touch to suit a room designed in a particular style.
A fireplace and mantel design is usually the focal point of a room. Use a mantel to further define the shape of the fireplace or as a place to highlight special objects, photos or artwork. Create unusual designs by updating an existing fireplace design, ordering a brand new one to install, or by recycling an idea from a favorite design or decorative period.
As the focal point of any room, a fireplace offers decorative potential, and painting the mantel is one way to enhance it. Bring fresh color to a dull-looking mantel with painting techniques that make cold winter nights in front of your fireplace a lot more interesting.
Painting a fireplace mantel is easy and will improve the appearance of your room without breaking your budget. Looking through magazines for ideas is a great way to start. Local hardware stores often have free classes dedicated to painting projects, and they can provide small samples as well. Remember that you can always repaint, so don't be afraid to experiment with different colors and techniques.
A mantel, whether large or small, showcases works of art, collections and seasonal decorations. To create a cohesive living space, it is important to consider the existing design of the room. If the room that holds the mantel is decorated in retro style, for instance, it would not be appropriate to place French country items on your mantel. This will throw off the look of the room. If you have a large mantel, consider placing a favorite collection of items together. But be careful not to clutter up the space.
