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Fireplace Mantels

The fireplace mantel is one of the most marked places in our home where we share what is important to us with our friends and all who enter the home.  The mantel itself reflects our taste and style, as the mantel you choose will be one of a huge variety available in today’s market, often ready to install with simple instructions, enabling the homeowner to easily assemble and attach the mantel to the fireplace.  When installation work finishes, decorating of the mantel begins.  We place meaningful family photographs and artwork atop the mantel.  We specially decorate our mantels for winter holidays, reflecting our cultures.  Thus, mantels become the most personal part of the entire fireplace – your artistic license lies here to make your fireplace truly unique.

Fireplace mantels come in such a variety; you will find styles varying from carved classic wood, art deco, country rustic, and all the types that fall in between.  So whether you are choosing a mantel for your new fireplace or replacing an old one, you will surely find the one that suits what you have in mind.  No matter what the style, the best mantels available are solidly constructed and made of quality materials.  Upon making your choice, it is time to install the mantel.  Many times, mantels are quite simple to self-install, and do not require special installment.  Exceptions to this rule are mantels made from marble and stone.  Mantels can arrive unfinished and primed for paint, or ready for installation.  Some homeowners enjoy painting designs directly on their mantle, adding a very original touch to their fireplace.

Upon mantel installation, we come to the most personal side of mantels: what will sit on and hang above them.  Mantels gain importance because we display what is important to us on them, namely our pictures, paintings, candleholders, small plants, and vases, among others.  A painting leaned on the mantel gives a relaxed feel, while a mirror hung just above will frame the reflection of the room and furniture facing the fireplace.  An idea for illumination atop your mantel is to add candlestick style lamps, which, occupying minimal space, add an admirable amount of light, highlighting the decor.

Mantels have even become a member of the holiday season.  Many families opt to take winter family portraits with the decorated mantel as a backdrop.  Holidays bring special meaning to the mantel, when it holds the collection of holiday greetings we have received.  The stockings hanging on Christmas Eve bring such joy to the kids, while a menorah atop the mantel brings a solemnity to the fireplace.  It is not hard to see that a fireplace lacking a mantel often looks incomplete.

Fireplace mantels prove to be much more than just the support for your art.  A mantel frames the hearth, adding lines of delineation to the entire picture of the fireplace.  The attention that a mantel will draw to the fireplace creates a focal point that is the pride of a room.  The mantel is not limited to decorative purposes, but has a practical purpose as well.  Surrounding the opening of a fireplace, the mantel will help direct smoke up into the chimney.  Thus, bringing us to the point: our fireplace mantels serve a purpose while looking good!

For more information, helpful tips, and product options, check out our Fireplace Mantel And Shelf Resource Center.