I wanted to do another quick post about our new mantle. In case you can't tell we are a little obsessed with this addition to the room!
We wanted for the mantle to look a little rustic and thought that a beam would compliment the room more than a carved out mantle. First, we considered using a solid piece of wood, but the price of what we had in mind was a bit of a turn off even after considering that Lowell would be finishing and installing it himself.
Luckily, Lowell and his dad quickly came up with a solution and built this seamless "box" that resembles a beam. Lowell sanded and stained the mantle with an oil based stain. The mantle sticks out about six inches and is the perfect size to display vases, frames, etc. The beauty of the "faux" beam is that it was quite simple to anchor and hang up on the fireplace since it doesn't really weigh that much.
The construction on this piece is seamless and even looking up close it is impossible to see where the pieces line up and the only thing that gives it away is the grain on the wood on both of the ends (shown above). I know first hand that this thing is solid. I bumped my head on it a few weeks ago and had a huge bump for a few days!
Linked to:
The Lettered Cottage,
The Delectable Home
