A master bedroom fireplace mantel that received a facelift.
Builder-Grade Blues
If your home came with a dull fireplace mantel, you may not have to rip it out and start over. You may be able to work with what you’ve got by just adding new moldings to the existing mantel box.
Underneath the moldings and appliques on this traditional style fireplace surround lurks the heart of a dull, generic, builder-grade fireplace surround.
I kept eyeing the fireplace while installing Donna’s crown molding, and at some point we decided to give it a facelift.
The box portion was fine, all it needed were the right moldings wrapped around it.
So I removed the original moldings and replaced them with:
- A proportionate mantel top with supporting bed molding
- Collar at the bottom of the frieze (panel molding)
- Paneled pilasters with proper plinths
- Applied high-resolution woodworking ornaments (see more ornaments here)
- Two coats of good Benjamin Moore paint (White Dove)
I used about $50.00 in new moldings and mdf flat-stock to upgrade this fireplace. The ornate appliques cost about $50.00 as well.
If you don’t like your original fireplace mantel, then consider giving it a facelift with simple moldings.
