We moved into our fixer-upper household about 15 years ago, intent on undertaking all the repairs and renovation ourselves. Right after eight or nine years of almost continuous perform, we decided to pick and pick which projects to do ourselves, and which to contract out to experts. One particular do-it-oneself project we tackled was our fireplace update.
Feeling overwhelmed with wood surfaces? Build a sense of balance by employing stone functions in your rustic atmosphere. Create a stone accent wall, backsplash, hearth or fireplace surround with stone veneer. If you are adept at tiling vertical surfaces, stone veneer items present a cost-efficient way to add the appear of genuine stone to any area.
When it comes to style, home owners have an complete spectrum from which to pick. Somebody with a log cabin might prefer a rough-hewn beam as a rustic mantel, and log fireplace mantels are also readily available. A person with a far more formal décor may possibly favor a fireplace mantel with intricate scrollwork. Other preferred styles consist of Early American, country French, Napoleon, Versailles, Louis XIV, standard, and contemporary. A carved statue surround and adjoining mantel are incredibly ornate pieces that frequently display lions’ heads, chariots, or Greek and Roman deities.
About the holidays, it really is conventional to light a fire, place on your most effective vacation sweater, have a cocktail, and sit/stand by the fire. It’s just the issue to do. On the other hand, if you have that one uncle or grandfather that likes to have a drink, stand by the fire and inform old family stories, he undoubtedly rests his drink on your fireplace mantel. If you have a wood fireplace mantel, then this activity can immediately start out to ruin its finish. The final factors you want are drink rings on your fireplace shelve. And if you let such activity to continue, before you know it, your mantel is riddled with rings from cocktails of holidays past.
Frequently speaking, fireplace mantels are obtainable in two principal types. The very first is the mantel shelf. With this style, a shelf sits above the fireplace. The other style is the fireplace surround mantel. In this case, the mantel and surround are joined collectively and have three sides. A single side extends above the fireplace, and the other two sides flank the fireplace itself, usually running from the base of the hearth up to the mantel shelf.