Before & After: A Simple (& Temporary!) Modern Mantel Update to a Stone Fireplace
Renters and those not willing to make permanent changes to their stone fireplaces, rejoice! There is a way to meld your modern sensibilities with an outdated fireplace that might feature a material that overwhelms. Lidy came up with a simple and chic DIY way to add a modern feel to her stone fireplace.
From Lidy:
Our fireplace was a little outdated and it had no mantel. Although I was perfectly content with that, I debated how we could modernize it just a bit. My husband and I discussed possibly painting the stone white or black, but it seemed so permanent and you always run the risk of losing the personality of your home. The problem was, the stone was just too much, especially after we painted our living room white!
Then it dawned on me that we could just build a custom mantel. We decided to design a modern and minimal mantel, keeping it as simple as possible. We created a facade, but it’s really hollow and obviously not permanently attached.
Because it’s not securely attached, we made a simple solution of placing eye hooks to stabilize the mantel to the wall. This would ensure the mantel wouldn’t fall and possibly hurt one of our kids! We also added a piece of solid Douglas Fur wood to the top of the mantel to soften the overall look and give it more flow.
I love how it turned out! It changes the look of the entire room – it feels more modern, but without losing that original stone. It’s essentially the best of both worlds. It softens the overall look of the living room and creates a more inviting and warm environment. Best part is, I now have a fun little space to decorate for the holidays!
Disclaimer: If you decide to build a custom facade for your fireplace, be aware that it could be a possible fire hazard. Refer to the manual for your fireplace for specification of how far combustibles have to be away from the fireplace opening. Because it’s easy to detach, simply remove when burning a fire!
Thank you Lidy! See how they did it on Lidy’s blog.