Help Design Our Mantel!
 

Hi everyone!

My dad's offered to build us a mantel for the fireplace in our new home. He said I just need to send a design and dimensions, and he'll do the rest.

I took a gander online, but nothing really sticks out for us.

So, if any of you creative types out there would love to help design our mantel, we'd love to see/read your suggestions and ideas! Or, if you find a picture/link of something cool, please post it!

We're looking for something that's not too plain, and not too fancy. Something that might be found in a "Middle Earth/Hobbit" house, and in dark wood, or faux finish. The opening needs to be 4-feet wide by 3-feet tall for a gas fireplace.

Thanks. :)

How fun! Your inspiration is great. After all, who is a better host than Bilbo Baggins? Who has a more comfortable life? Only Mr. Badger from The Wind and the Willows comes close, IMO. I'm really loving this inspiration. Genius!

I was thinking you'd need a stone surround, not granite (too cold, hard, modern) until I saw this one. Does that at least come close to your vision? Or is it too angular and Victorian?

Best wishes for this project. I can't wait to see what it looks like! You are going to be posting pics, right?

How about something like this?

Inspiration?

Or....

I know!
Put mouse ears all over it.
Then it could be a Mickey mantel.


:D

Ouch.

T: first and foremost, can you post a pic of the current fireplace?

Here is what to do with the Fireplace:

While looking for stuff, I found this Rotating Fireplace of Glass and Steel

Loving the ideas so far! Keep 'em coming! Except for that rotating thing. :p

We'll probably decide on a few different ones and then do a composite of sorts.

Here's the fireplace in its current state:



Since it's a rental property, we can't alter the face of it - just build around it. Otherwise, I would have LOVED the one JWBear posted. That's gorgeous!

The tiki one is fun, but a wee bit too big for the living room. ;) And, we're keeping tiki confined to the dining room still. We're trying to go more Middle Earth with the living room.

Ooooh, Goonie!!! :eek:

We looooooooove that!

That's a concept... remember our tree of life from the wedding? My dad could always burn it onto a small piece of wood to be mounted in the center. Hmmmm.