Are you sick of toying with a hundred and one fireplace ideas for improving your fireplace? Well, perhaps you should consider a wooden mantel because after all, that's exactly what they're designed to do, not to mention the fact that some of them are absolutely exquisite. Of course, even a fireplace on its own is an amazing feature in any home but let's face it, add a wooden mantel into the equation and the improvement can be quite dramatic. Any fireplace idea you are considering needs to include a wooden mantel.
Interestingly enough, not many people seem to be aware of the fact that mantels actually add value to a property as well, in addition to adding character. Of course, while you may become overwhelmed with the vast amount of choice you have, finding the ideal mantel shouldn't pose much of a problem at all. In fact, home decor magazines are a great place to start looking for ideas and for helping you to decide whether you want a stone mantel or a wooden mantel. Both kinds are of course equally stunning although wooden mantels tend to be far more popular for adding that special touch to a fireplace.
Let's face it, when you mention a fireplace inside the home, most people immediately think of a warm cosy place with crackling sounds and dancing flames and while most people associate a fireplace with cold winter nights, a fireplace need not only look beautiful in the winter. The great thing about wooden mantels is that they add luxurious beauty, not only to the fireplace itself, but also to the entire room and there's no need for you to wait for winter to arrive before you start decorating.
There are simply far too many ideas for decorating wooden mantels for me to mention here, but the trick is to use items or features which will set it off nicely. While family photos in attractive frames with some flowers always go well, a variety of antique pieces can look absolutely splendid as well, providing of course that they vary in shape and size. Even a few candles add a certain touch of elegance when chosen thoughtfully.
To a great extent, a wooden fireplace mantel becomes the centerpiece of the room and of course, one should decorate it accordingly. The best advice anyone could give you, is that you allow your imagination to run wild. Your goal should simply be to use items which match the style of wooden mantel you have.
While it may seem obvious, one should never use flammable items to decorate a wooden mantel, or any shelf near a fireplace for that matter. Even though items such as woven baskets with dried flower petals are safe enough, as are candles or wooden picture frames, many people feel they would rather not take any chances and choose not to stand anything at all on their mantel. In this case, you can always decorate the area around the mantel by standing a large statue on either side of it for example. Large animal carvings are just one option that always looks good but of course the possibilities are endless.
At the end of the day, your wooden mantel will look spectacular, whether you decide to decorate it or not. While it can be very rewarding decorating a mantel, the mantel in itself is already a decoration, and one which will lend your living room a certain charm for longer than you may imagine.
By:Peter Sicoli
| 