Painting A Mantel Black...And 5 Other Ways To Use This Dramatic Color In Your Home

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Designers love black, whether it’s in clothing or home decor.  This classic color never seems to go out of style and is a staple of any wardrobe.  In home decorating, this bold color can be used in a number of ways to draw attention to details and accessories or add dramatic flair to walls to pieces of furniture.  Here are some ways to use black in your home:

-Paint a wall black and hang brightly colored prints, sculptures, or paintings.  Or paint a wall a light color and hang artwork in black frames for a uniform look.

-Decorate with black wrought iron such as a light fixture, railing for a staircase, or candlestick holders. Black wrought iron furniture looks beautiful on a screened porch or patio and it’s fun to accessorize with bright, cheerful colors.

-Paint your fireplace mantel black.  Whether you have a mantel shelf or a surround, a dramatic look can be created. This looks best if your fireplace is build out of a light colored material like marble or if your brick has been painted a light color.

--Paint end tables or a chair black.  Just a couple of black accents in a room should be enough to make a statement.  Remember, you can paint almost anything from an old brass lamp to a worn looking fireplace screen and get great results.

-Combine black with white for a classic look.  Black, white, and chrome make a timeless combination for a kitchen or bath.  Add a pop of color or just leave it alone.  Either way, it will make a statement.

-Fill a black cabinet with white dishes for a simple, sophisticated display.  

(Photo by Selamat Designs)

Christmas Decorating Ideas for a Fireplace

The fireplace is an important part of Christmas. It’s, of course, where Santa comes barreling down to leave all of his presents under the Christmas tree. To give Santa a great first impression of your home, and a beautiful focal point for guests, decorate it with these ideas.

Starting from Top to Bottom: The Mantel

The mantel is the first place you should start decorating. You can place pine needle garland across it with or without lighting wrapped around it. Most people will also place candelabra in the middle of the mantel that may or may not be lit on a special evening.

If possible, some homeowners will place a wreath just about the mantel using removable tape to the wall or brick to secure a hook to hang it on. The wreath often attracts people to the fireplace, which then leads them to look at the mantel and then the fireplace.

If you don’t already have a mirror above your mantel, this might be another option to consider. Just as you would place a wreath above the mantel, you can place a mirror, but with a much more secure set up. When you have the Christmas lights on, you’ll see them glisten in the mirror, which creates a beautiful ambiance.

Decorating the Fireplace

Underneath the mantel, many people will place a decorative fireplace cover. You can find Christmas themed ones, which greatly enhances the look of your fireplace.

If you are entertaining, you can remove the cover easily to light a fire. The fire is always a comforting, warm, and beautiful piece of décor for a cold, winter night.

If you are unable to light the fire due to medical issues or hazards, consider placing large candles in the fireplace. You can light the candles and create a look of fire.

You can also place candelabra in the fireplace, which holds candles in place when burning them for a long time.

A Christmas Hearth

The hearth is the bottom ledge of your fireplace. Some will be flush to the floor, while others will be raised. In either case, you can decorate it with standing decoration such as a small Christmas tree, nutcracker, or stuffed Santa.

You can also place a basket with wood inside of it to feed the fire as needed. Keep the logs arranged neatly to keep it as a useful decorative piece.

Warnings When Decorating a Fireplace

Always keep in mind that if you are lighting a fire in your fireplace that some decorations are flammable. Keep these decorations away from the fireplace.

Never place anything so close to the opening of the fireplace that can be set on fire when it sparks. Also, never leave a fire unattended, and if you have can’t extinguish your fire before leaving home, install a fireplace cover that ensures the fire stays within the fireplace.

By being safe and having fun decorating your fireplace, you’ll enjoy a peaceful and joyful holiday season in your beautiful home.

Marcelina Hardy wrote this guest post. While she loves the summer, as long as her air conditioning is working with Round Rock air conditioning repair and residential Austin AC audit, she’s also in love with her fireplace during the winter. Decorating it is her favorite Christmas activity, and she hopes you enjoy it just as much with her tips.

How Much Does a Fireplace Mantel Cost?

Are you planning to get a new fireplace mantel for your home? Well, it’s about time you should. Getting a new fireplace mantel will be a good investment especially if you look forward to spending winter and the cold months within the comforts of your home.

Fire mantels may cost as low as $200 to as high as $5,000. The cost depends on various factors though. For example, you have to consider the size, style, color, design, availability and quality of materials used, and location or transportation costs for shipment or delivery.

You also have to consider the functionality of the fireplace mantel. Will this be used as a corner fireplace mantel? Or will it be a cabinet? Will it be suitable for an electric or gas or wood fireplace?

Materials used for fireplace mantels are wood, stone, and marble, among others. Nevertheless, all of these materials come in a variety of sizes and colors. They can either be standard or custom-made depending on your needs. Usually, wood and stone fireplace mantels are cheaper compared to those made of marble. This is because marble fireplace mantels are more durable and they are designed more intricately compared to these two materials. Marble, unlike wood, is also fire-resistant which makes it more expensive.

Usually wood fireplace mantels are created from oak, mape, and poplar. They are also made from timber like Douglas fir, hemlock, and pine. The cost ranges as low as $200 to as high as much as $1,000. On average, timber fireplace mantels cost around $500. The more intricate the design, the more expensive it costs.

Aside from wood, fireplace mantels also come from stone. Stone is also fire resistant making it useful for gas and wood fireplaces. They are also available in different colors, textures, and finishes. Such finishes include polished, honed, and natural ones. Natural finishes are the cheapest in this range of fireplace mantels. Prices are as low as $1,299 to as much as $3,800.

Finally, good quality fireplace mantels are made of marble. As mentioned earlier, marble mantels are the most Expensive range because of their durability. Plus, they can also fit in various fireplace sizes. The designs are also More difficult to create because they are carefully carved. Like stone fireplace mantels, marble fireplace mantels also come in different hues- classic black and white, beige, green, red, pink, and other shades as requested by the customer. Marble fireplace mantels range between $3,200 to $4,000.

Now that you have an idea of how much a fireplace mantel costs, why not start saving for it now? It will definitely be worth your money.

This is a guest post written by the writer of HowMuchIsIt.org, a website that states the price of just about anything.

Fireplace Mantel Shelves An Easy Makeover

Fireplace shelves are often a solution for homeowners when it comes to dressing up a brick or stone fireplace opening. Used to hold decorative items like pictures and vases, fireplace shelves can be the finishing touch to an otherwise empty fireplace opening without the hassle of installing side frames or the expense of a full fireplace mantel. 

Intro to Fireplace Mantel Shelves 

When you think of a fireplace mantel, typically you envision a complete wooden frame built around the top and sides of a fireplace opening. That''s where fireplace shelves differ from traditional fireplace mantels. 

"A fireplace shelf is just the top of the mantel?just a shelf," explains Georgia fireplace mantel manufacturer Park Pigott. "There aren''t any sides to it." 

Reasons for choosing fireplace shelves differ. Some prefer a minimal invasion into a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, or don''t want to detract from a masonry or brick fireplace. Cost and effort can also make the final determination: sometimes, it''s just cheaper to buy fireplace shelves and doesn''t take as long to replace or install. 

Fireplace Mantel Shelves: Styles and Sizes 

While there are no "standard" sizes for fireplace shelves, Pigott says there are sizes that seem to be the most popular. 

"The normal widths for fireplace shelves are five, six, seven inches," he explains. "The depth is usually 10 inches, with the whole box being about nine inches tall." 

Styles for fireplace shelves vary just as much as the sizes. Of the woods used to make fireplace shelves, Pigott says quarter sawn oak, heart pine, mahogany and cherry are his top sellers. Poplar is popular for those who like to dress up plain wood with a coat of paint, as is Asian choi, a tightly pressed wood similar to American white oak. Other options for fireplace shelves include bare, unfinished styles to hand-carved ornamental pieces with elaborate designs for the shelves and brackets. 

Uses for Fireplace Mantel Shelves 

Stuck on what to put on a fireplace shelf? Don''t want the usual picture frame or candle cluster? A variety of home decorating publications reveal a trend toward the unusual when it comes to dressing up fireplace shelves. For instance, a set of beautiful book-ends and a few, classic books make a stately statement in a formal room. A beaded wreath made from unusual material makes a classic, understated declaration, while clustering different objects of similar color or size (say, a set of tall, tubular vases or odd trinkets that have only a color in common) look stunningly abstract in uneven groupings on fireplace shelves. 

Measuring for Fireplace Mantel Shelves 

When selecting fireplace shelves, remember that measuring is a different experience for replacement shelves than it is for new fireplace shelves. If you''re replacing an existing shelf, measure the current shelf''s width and depth and the width of the fireplace opening. If you''re buying a new fireplace shelf to center on a fireplace that''s never had one, measure the width of the brick, masonry or sheetrock surrounding one side of the fireplace opening and the width of the fireplace opening. 


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