Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Our New Living Room Mantel




We have lived in our home for 44 years.  I was in my 20's when we built our home.  Our children were one and four when we moved in.  It's hard to believe how quickly time has passed.  Now my babies have their own babies and their own homes.  We never thought this home would be the home we would stay in for this long.  I guess we are the type of folks that put down roots really deep.  Over the years we have been through many decorating stages.  We are quite lucky that our home was built when the standards were strong in the construction field.  Adding a large room to the back of our home really helped us make the decision to stay here. 

Our brick mason was a wonderful man who added many special touches to our home. He never complained when we asked him to build semi circular steps and brick planters on our patio or curved openings to our family room fireplace.  When it was time for him to build the living room fireplace he suggested a brick mantel that stepped down in the front.  What did I know?  It sounded fine with me at the time.  After all we had many other decisions to make.  Such as green appliances in the kitchen and blue tub and toilet in the bathroom and green toilet in the master bath. Yes, I really did choose those items.  I still live with some of those decisions!!  Remember the 70's?  The styles were really something then.




Well that brick mantel is something I really don't like.  Over the years there were many other places for our money to go.  So the brick mantel has taken a back seat to other improvements we wanted to make.  I've been looking for years at an option to make this mantel more to my liking.   Grayden is retired and has more time to do some of the improvements that his wife requests.  I am thrilled with the project we have been working on this month.

Years ago Grayden installed crown dentil moulding in our living room, dining room and hallway.  We wanted to use this same crown dentil molding in the new mantel.  Considering this mouding was made so many years ago we had problems finding a match.  After searching the internet and the local building supplies we came up empty.  Grayden suggested we check one more place that I knew would not have it.  Well, they didn't have it, but they ordered it for us!  Yay--we were set!

Here are the steps to our new mantel.  We all worked together to get to the finish line.  Thank you Grayden and Samuel.

First thing was building a flat top box to fit snugly on the brick mantel.




Then Grayden mitered the crown moulding and nailed it to the box.
  



Then it was attached to the brick mantel.




It was then ready to have the nail holes filled with wood filler and primed.




Samuel was a huge help with the small tedious painting around the dentils.  

The mantel has now had two coats of paint along with a primer.  I can't wait to decorate the new mantel, but I must allow the paint to cure.




I'm so happy with this style and I feel it looks more appropriate in our living room. Next I want to paint this fireplace screen. It's quite old.  I'm thinking black.  What do you think?
























40 comments:

  1. It looks wonderful. We too did a mantle project a few years ago and have been so happy with it. I would suggest black for the screen, but that's just my preference. Looks like your project team did a great job! And you have a story to tell about it!

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    1. Thank you, Dotsie. I remember your mantle project. I think when the weather warms up I'll be painting the fireplace screen black. The old brass is rubbing off and really needs some help. ♥

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  2. Avocado bathroom suites were all the rage, weren't they? Along with cocoa brown too! The decisions we made and lived with, as you say.
    The fireplace mantel is looking great ~ and you have two handy men to call upon now! Our cottage is built with a room long Cotswold stone fireplace, shelf, and television unit all in one, as was the fashion thirty odd years ago, and it matches the exterior front of the cottage ~ another fashionable trait of the day!
    ~~~ Deb xoxo

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    1. Thank you, Deb. Would you believe I used to have avocado green appliances in my kitchen as well? I've seen fireplaces with the television unit all in one piece. The pendulum swings in the decorating world. I think that's why I prefer traditional decor. It never seems to go out of style. Have a nice evening. xoxo ♥

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  3. How amazing it looks with the new mantle! Very well done and you're sure to get a lot more use out of it now.

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    1. Thank you, Sandra. It really looks completely different. I am so pleased with the results. ♥

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  4. Wow that looks so good and they did a wonderful job on it! This reminds me of our mantel when it was built. I had no idea how it was accomplished until I got to see our contractor build it. I felt this style was appropriate for our home too. I think the screen will look great in black. We plan to paint the bright brass on our fireplace to black. This home we live in was built in 1976 and had harvest gold accents along with oranges and browns. It took some doing but I got rid of 95% of it all. There's some vinyl flooring hiding under carpet in two closets with those colors. By the time my mom and dad remodeled in the 70's coppertone appliances had come in style so they went with that. I'm happy for you that you got your mantel that you probably always wanted!

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    1. Thank you, Liz. Now I can't imagine why it took us so long to make this improvement. I guess everything happens at the right time and I'm glad it is now! The 70's were an interesting era for decorating. We still have paneling in our finished basement that I would love to paint white one day. I think that will have to wait as pretty soon we will be out in the garden. Happy Spring. ♥

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  5. It looks absolutely fabulous, Martha Ellen. That is a long time to be in one place. Good for you. I have moved so many times I have lost count. My longest stay was a s child at my family home and I left that at 16. Life has been full of lots of changes for me. I do remember being so proud of avocado appliances! lol
    Hope you have have great night- xo Diana

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    1. Thank you, Diana. Avocado appliances were all the rage. What were we thinking? Sometimes I think we wouldn't have accumulated so much stuff if we had moved more often. Have a nice evening. xo ♥

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  6. What a great project! It looks marvelous! Nothing like teamwork...

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  7. Wow!! the mantle is looking incredible...

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  8. I love your new mantle, Martha Ellen! It is beautiful. I love the dentil molding. It is classic and perfect for your lovely traditional home. Your guys did a great job!

    Haha! Isn't it funny thinking about the decorating choices that we made back in the day? When I think back to our newlywed rental, I either cringe or laugh! :)

    Yes, I'd paint the fireplace screen black. I am planning on doing that to mine too.

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    1. Cheryl, I imagine if we had known it was going to be a relatively easy project we would have done this years ago. I do believe as soon as I can paint outside, I'll be tackling the fireplace screen. Have a nice day. ♥

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  9. Your new mantel is just beautiful, Martha Ellen! What a 'labor of love' that you will always treasure! Grayden did a wonderful job with the dentil molding and Samuel is a painter extraordinaire. Of course, you will have the most fun job of all ~ decorating your new mantel for each season! While the fire place warms your home, your lovely new mantel will warm your heart! So very happy for you, dear one! ♡

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    1. Thank you, dear Dawn. I can hardly wait to decorate our new mantel. Grayden and Samuel worked hard to get it all together. This was the perfect project for our cold March days. It won't be long before we turn our attention to gardening. Happy Spring, dear friend. ♥

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  10. Love the update Martha Ellen! There is nothing more fun to decorate than a mantel! Beautiful!

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    1. That's so true, Betsy. A spring time mantel will be fun to assemble. Have a lovely evening. ♥

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  11. What a difference the white mantle makes and how pretty it will be to decorate. I love your pretty Beatrix Potter things in your banner too. How pretty for Spring! Thank you so much for your prayers sweet lady. Hugs, Diane

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    1. Diane, that is so true. The white contrast is just what we needed. I'm thinking of you and your husband. Praying for better days ahead. ♥

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  12. Martha Ellen, I absolutely LOVE that mantel! What a beautiful job and it's so striking against your deep colored wall. I know what you mean about the 70s. I remember my mom's entry way had avocado and gold flocked wallpaper. LOL Kudos to you and your guys for a job well done on that mantel!

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    1. Judy, I think I remember that flocked paper from the 70's. My, my, how decor has changed. Thank you for sharing my joy of a new mantel. I hope Spring is right around the corner for you, my friend. We are still having chilly temperatures, but surely it will warm up soon. Have a nice evening. ♥

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  13. Your new living room mantel looks so charming, Martha Ellen. The crown moulding is pretty. And I really like the brick. My mom used to have a brick fireplace, and yours reminds me of hers. : ) How wonderful that Samuel was there helping with the project. It looks very nice. Now, you have to put all your lovelies on there to make it your own personal space.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Sheri, you are so kind. I can hardly wait to decorate our new mantel for spring. My husband loves brick. I personally would have painted it white, but he really doesn't like painted brick. But I am so thrilled with the new mantel to help with contrast. ♥

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  14. The need mantle looks so nice! I have a brick mantle too!

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    1. Thank you Pilar. I am so happy to have this project completed. ♥

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  15. It is lovely!!!
    Just perfect.
    And yes...I agree.
    Black for the screen. : )
    Yay you!!!

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    1. Thank you Billie Jo. I think everyone is in agreement on painting the screen black. Now I must wait for the weather to warm up so it can be done outside. ♥

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  16. Hi! I'm new to your blog and it is lovely! I really like the transformation on your fireplace :-) Looking forward to following along and getting to know you better. Have a wonderful week!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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    1. I'm so glad to welcome you, Jill. Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to getting to know you as well. Enjoy your week. ♥

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  17. Great job. Makes a great added addition.

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  18. What a beautiful mantle. I know you love it. Will be fun decorating.
    betsy

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  19. I LOVE your new mantel...so pretty and it will be such fun for you to decorate...2 other things I saw that I WANT...your pretty striped chair and Samuel's hair...:)
    Thank you so much for standing by us with your prayers and caring thru this scary and very hard time. You have given me encouragement and hope and just knowing you are praying for Bill makes my heavy heart a little lighter. THANK YOU.

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    1. BJ, Samuel has hair just like our daughter's- his mother. It's so thick and beautiful, unlike his grandfather's!
      I'm working on the mantle and hope to post a few pics of it decorated for Spring.
      Holding you close in prayer, dear one. ♥

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  20. Now that looks good to me ...
    I love mantels, you can change around your décor so easily.

    All the best Jan

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  21. Wow! You new mantel looks beautiful, Martha Ellen! Well done, Grayden and samuel. One of my fireplaces has no mantel and I keep thinking we need one.

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