Not Your Ordinary Mantel

Fireplace mantels can be more exciting than just your typical run-of-the-mill mantels. Why limit yourself to the ordinary, when you can make a dramatic statement by going the extra step. Take a look at this fireplace addition we built a few years back.

Usually in this situation most people just install a standard style mantel, which would be squeezed in-between the two windows. I never liked the look of seeing a mantel ledge crowding or even notched into the window casings.

We opted to go with these fluted pilasters instead. The two 1/2 columns at the fireplace are twice the depth of the two outer columns. They serve the purpose of trimming the fireplace surround, casing out the windows and allowing for a mantel shelf, all at the same time. I believe that bringing in and including both the windows in this fireplace millwork detail makes a dramatic statement and definitely adds alot of architectural interest to this master bedroom. We have taken what would have otherwise been, just another fireplace mantel, to something that gets remembered.

The actual mantel shelf is made from a build-up of several stock mouldings, and everything is topped off with a two-piece crown moulding which runs through-out the entire bedroom. This design also includes a recessed compartment for a TV and components over the fireplace. This was installed before flat screen TV's became the norm, and having large recessed cavities for CRT TV's was no longer necessary.

You can see a few more pictures and close-ups of this project in our photo albums, and we also have before & after pictures of this particular job on our Master Bedroom Fireplace - Before & After Page