How do you picture your perfect home?
If someone asked me the same question, I'd say a house with wood flooring, heavy luxurious curtains, silk embroidered cushions, custom-made furniture and so on and so forth. This list however would quite incomplete without a fireplace with a traditional yet an elegant stone fireplace mantel.
A fireplace is a very important part of your entire home setup and can be the focal point of attraction of your house, provided it is done up properly. It is definitely the fireplace mantel that brings out the real beauty of your house and especially your fireplace. Just like a family photo is incomplete without the perfect photo frame, in the same way a fireplace is just a mere hole in the wall without the perfect mantel.
Fireplace mantels have been around for a very long time, dating way back to the period of renaissance in Italy. The most traditional designs were enthused by the Roman and Greek architecture. However, during the Edwardian era, the embroidered lavish Greek and Roman designs became much more subtle.
When I talk about fireplace mantels, I always stress on the word perfect. A fireplace with an improper mantel is as good as not having one at all. Therefore, it is very important that you choose the right mantel for your fireplace. Remember, a good mantel can not only enhance the look of your house but also increase its market value.
I personally feel that stone fireplace mantels add the maximum elegance to a house and hence prefer stone mantels more than any other kind. Having a stone mantel has one very big positive; that is, it can suit most decors unlike other mantels; therefore, setting up a stone mantel doesn't call for much change in your interior decor.
Moreover, setting up a stone fireplace mantel has many benefits; some of them are discussed below:
�� Safe: choosing the right mantel material is as important as choosing the right mantle design. There are many materials that have become popular over the years as fireplace mantel materials, like- wood, stone, etc. but I believe opting for stone mantels is the best thing to do. Stone is non-combustible unlike wood and therefore is much safer to use.
�� Durable: choosing your fireplace mantel material is entirely based on your own preference and your home decor. Yet, I suggest going for stone mantels as they are not only safer, but also far more durable than wood or cast stone.
�� Low maintenance. Setting up a stone fireplace mantel requires low maintenance compared to other mantels. Because it is stone, cleaning it is very easy and doesn't require regular cleaning.
Stone mantels are one of the most traditional fireplace mantel materials, which are still very much in use. Stone has been used as a material for fireplace mantels since way back as 16th century. Marble, limestone, and slate granite are by far the most popular kinds of stones used for fireplace mantels. Opting for these stones may be quite heavy for your pocket, but remember it is an investment that you make, as mentioned earlier these stones not only improve the look of your house but also increase its market value. Therefore, in case you have always imagined a beautiful and an elegant stone fireplace mantel as a part of your home interior decor, then I think it's time that you transform your imagination into reality.
By:Marcelo Oleas
