Thursday, August 18, 2011

Our new mantel

The living room mantel is the focal point of our main living area. You see it as soon as you come in the front door - here it is decked out for spring back in March:
0313greenmantel
The problem is, the "wall" above the mantel was just a sheet of foam over the brick, which goes from floor to ceiling. We discovered this when we tried to hang a picture and made a huge hole instead.

We decided to tear down the foam and put up some sheetrock instead - at the same time, I really hated the current mantel, so my husband graciously built me a new one :D

Below is the 2x4 that is nailed to the brick wall - the mantel is attached to this and it serves as support.
0814mantel

Checking to make sure the fit is perfect.
0814mantel4

Applying wood putty to the rough edges and nail holes:
0814mantel2

Our oldest was a very big help!
0814mantel6

Painting the sheetrock to match the rest of the walls - we chose to paint the new mantel and frame in a dark chocolate brown:
0814mantel8
The rich brown is a very close match to our TV console, coordinates with the large IKEA picture above, and is a good addition to our warm-toned living room.

Here is our new mantel area dressed up with some vintage Paris pictures and pretty flowers:
0814mantel91
I LOVE this area, it looks brighter, cleaner and so much nicer - hope you enjoyed our little project!

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3 comments:

chris said...

The mantle turned out so well. I also love the picture you have above it...what great perspective to contemplate every day.

podso said...

Definitely improved ..you did a nice job and it is a warm and inviting area! Nice for dad to have a helper!

Sommer said...

You must be so pleased! It turned out beautifully! Please stop by and share this at my VIP party today... http://designergarden.blogspot.com/2011/08/vip-party-24.html