As cooler months draw closer, having a fireplace mantel might be just what your home needs. Fireplace mantles can truly enhance the design style of any home, especially considering just how many different styles there are available.
Mantles have been a a primary part of homes for centuries. From providing warmth to acting as the best prom photo location, fireplaces and mantles will forever be a symbol of home. From elaborate designs that extend to the ceiling, to a simple shelf that caps a fireplace to hang your stockings, your mantel can be made to match your personality and home design.
First, here are some of the most popular materials chosen today to create mantels:
- Metal
- Wood
- Stone
- Marble
- Granite
Each of these materials can be designed to fit your dream home’s desires. You can combine materials, you can have different techniques applied to them, or you can blend different colors. The possibilities really are endless!
Your mantel can achieve a lot of different things, too. It can blend in with your home, or it can stand out. It can be decorated or it can be a decoration all on its own. With so many different ways you can make your mantle your own, here are our top 10 mantel styles that you may be able to get some inspiration from:
- Nature Inspired
- These mantels look like the name suggests. Made out of natural, raw materials like rough stones and natural wood. Some mantels have a combination of the two, featuring a stone wall and a wood shelf.
- Modern Farmhouse
- These mantels are your most common mantels as they are typically simple, solid colored, and the fireplace itself is more of the center of attention. They’re also made out of natural, or sometimes artificial wood.
- Rustic
- Rustic fireplace mantles are typically made out of darker woods and sometimes dark colored stones. The wood can have a burn effect added to them to give the mantle an aged look.
- Floating
- This type of mantel features a floating shelf above a fireplace. This simple design allows for a variety of materials to choose from, and gives freedom to add more shelves if desired.
- Mirrors
- Mirror mantles have a mirror wall above the fireplace. The mirror can be ornately framed, or have frosted designs, or even broken up into sections.
- Driftwood
- If you’re a fan of the beach, this may be the mantle for you. Using specifically cut pieces of driftwood, and a white or off white wood shelving, can make your home feel like summer all year round.
- Panorama
- If you’re interested in a very long fireplace, a panorama fireplace is a great choice. These mantles can be more than 50” wide, and give you more shelf space to decorate.
- Window
- Window inspired mantles are fun in that they include an old or aged window as the cover of the fireplace, and features matching wood to frame the mantle.
- Bold Hearth
- This type of mantle features a large area in front of a fireplace, leaving room for more decorations or even possible seating.
- Colonial
- Colonial mantles tend to combine a few different materials to give a classic, clean look. Often granite or marble will surround the fireplace, while wood frames the entire mantle and acts as the shelf.
No matter what style or materials you decide to go with, give us a call today. Let Fortin help you design and install a custom fireplace to create a new focal point in your living room