Asked on Aug 18, 2014

What to do with rustic mantel?

Debbie
by Debbie
We are remodeling our main floor. We have painted all the trim work white to match our new white cabinets. The floor is stained with the color "coffee". Everything blends well until you get to our fireplace mantel.
I need suggestions!
It looks like a railway tie.
It's very rough and has a brick piece sticking our to "hold" it up.
  13 answers
  • Shantell Gregg Marx Shantell Gregg Marx on Aug 19, 2014
    With the color of the walls, and you said white trim, if you painted the brick white, a dark stain on the mantle would look awesome! Good luck
  • Hannah V Hannah V on Aug 19, 2014
    Here's a bunch of mantel inspiration! http://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=mantel switch it up with some fun decorations!
  • Donna Byram Donna Byram on Aug 20, 2014
    You could reface the mantel with a board on top and cover the front and ends with wide molding. Also if you don't want to reface, you could sand it down to get rid of the roughness and stain it to match your floor or paint it white to go with your trim.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Aug 20, 2014
    If you don't want to paint the brick, swap out the mantle with a more decorative one painted white to match. Maybe one with a bit of molding on it!
  • Myrna Myrna on Oct 28, 2014
    remove the mantel for a clean and interesting brick wall
  • Kelly lemire Kelly lemire on Oct 28, 2014
    paint it to look like river rock or marble, put standing columns at each end so that it looks like the columns are supporting it,
  • Jane Jane on Oct 29, 2014
    I had one of these mantels. I took it down and sanded it with coarse, medium and then fine sand paper (a belt sander or orbital sander would work best), then I stained it to match my cabinets and put a couple coats of poly on it.
  • Sheryll S Sheryll S on Oct 30, 2014
    Be careful about painting it white.... it might make your brick and or grout look dingeey. I am grieving over what to do with mine too.
  • Christina Christina on Dec 30, 2014
    You can box in the mantle with smooth wood if you want to trim it so that it looks more traditional.
  • Country Design Home Country Design Home on Jan 24, 2015
    I would have to say that I would frame the brick in some thick molding, then paint the entire thing white except the beam. I would sand down the beam a bit and then darken and wax or poly it to give it a polished sheen. If the beam isn't deep enough, then add another shelf on top of it with a beveled edge so the beam becomes the support and then mantel rests on top of it.
  • LibrarianTellsAll LibrarianTellsAll on Feb 04, 2015
    I like the color you used on the walls. Are you opposed to painted brick? I'd paint the brick AND mantle the same white paint color you used on the trim and cabinets. Like you said, the mantle looks like a railway tie, so I'd make it blend in with the fireplace as much as possible.
  • Greg Greg on Nov 08, 2015
    What the best way to place the bricks holding up the mantel if you already have a brick wall
  • Bar822173 Bar822173 on Sep 22, 2016
    I too would recommend that you frame it in wood painted white and add some stock architectural moulding to give it some more visual interest and a touch of formality. I would do the same with the brick supports providing your local code permits wood to be within close proximity to your fireplace opening. It appears that you do have clearance. Make then look more like corbels.