Stone and wood shelves are the preferred selections of material for fireplace mantel shelves. Stone and wood shelves are fairly well-known these days and both have quite a history with its association to fireplaces.
The late Victorian age brought a mixture of types. In direct contrast to the Georgian, Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, the Victorian era avoided sameness and had a richness that appealed to all. It was customary to decorate mantels with plush velvet pelmets more than-mantels had numerous shelves and brackets and in some cases the whole mantelpiece was backed with a mirror – plate glass became trendy around this time. The late Victorians especially loved Jacobean architecture, with its rich profusion of Renaissance and medieval motifs.
In the picture beneath, you can see the piece of MDF that covers the entire back of the surround and goes directly around the firebox. It appears loose in the image for the reason that it is not yet secured to the legs. Eventually it would be secured using 1 1/4” building screws. The dimensions of the entire back are 48” wide by 46 1/2” tall. Like the beadboard, it too had to be cut to make way for the fireplace insert. There is a 22 1/2” wide by 19 1/2” tall rectangle cut out of the bottom to facilitate this.
Antique fireplace mantels come in various designs. They include the Victorian style also recognized as the European style. This style primarily involved the use of sculptures and is a perfect mixture of design, proportion and other information. It mainly depicted the European era and speaks of its glory. They are a fantastic option for any individual wishing to decorate their houses with a certain European era in thoughts.
I thought I would do a series of three posts, beginning with the Fireplace Mantel. Initially, decide if you are trying to produce a look that is formal or casual. If your mantel is in a sitting area that is hardly ever utilized, probably you want to go with some thing that is a little more formal-searching. If your fireplace is located in the household space, where the youngsters and guests frequently congregate, you can do one thing a tiny additional casual.
