Happy Monday, friends! I was going to share this with you on Friday, but at the last minute we decided to pop over to the lake house so it got put on hold. But Friday was the day our mantle was finally installed! Come check it out!
If you follow along regularly, you know this is how our fireplace looked when we bought the house nearly four years ago. It was interesting and unique, but still I longed for a mantle. (Especially since having our baby grandson and no place to hang his stocking at Christmas!) Plus, due to the gradual slope of the fabricated structure, it was impossible to hang anything on the wall above the fireplace. So after four Christmases with no mantle, I finally persuaded my husband, Brad, to pull the trigger and tackle this enormous project!
Right after the holidays, Brad agreed to remove the existing fireplace structure. It was a MESS. It was made of plaster of Paris and styrofoam. (To see more of the demolition process, click here: Fireplace Renovation in Progress!
We decided there was no turning back at this point so we visited a few showrooms in Charlotte, NC to search for just the right mantle. After talking with a few experts and showing them photos of our project, we chose Classic Stone Creations. They came out to our house to measure and decide on a design and color and came up with this rendering.
We had to pay 50% of the total cost up front. Then we waited for about 3 months. Now the wait is over!
Here is where we started Friday morning. The old structure had been removed and the space sheet rocked, patched and painted. At exactly 8:15 am the installation guys showed up!
First the installers placed the 2 inch hearth on the floor and attached it with adhesive. (It came in 3 pieces.) Then they attached the side filler panels.
The guys added a riser on each side then added the legs.
Aren’t the legs pretty? I love how chunky and curvy they are!
These guys really know their stuff! At every point they made sure everything was level and straight and used shims to get it just right.
Next came the piece that holds the decorative relief panel and the mantle rests on top.
Next up the mantle!
Finally, the installers glued in the relief panel and chalked all around all of the seams, etc. I think I counted 14 pieces all together but it all looks like one big surround. I admit, I’m in LOVE!
Here’s a close up of the relief panel. I think it’s so pretty with all of the details. They custom make each one using a mold and a concrete and fiberglass mixture. And I think the little imperfections add character.
A project like this is time consuming and expensive, but the end result leaves us wondering why we didn’t do it sooner? I can picture the mantle decorated for Christmas in my mind already! This year our grandson will be nearly 3 years old so it will be so much fun to watch the magic unfold before his eyes! And have his little stocking hanging right here. A quick before and after….
Well, now that the caulk and adhesive have dried it’s time to decorate the mantle! I’ll share what I pick soon, but meanwhile, I’m hauling out all the things to figure out what looks just right here. Perhaps it’s screaming for a new mirror? Just thinking out loud…. Thanks for stopping by and I hope y’all have a great week! Until next time! xoxo Dell
