Saturday, December 19, 2015

A Guide To Decorating Rustic Fireplace Mantels

By Nancy Harris


There many ways to festoon a place. Decorating a fireplace with antique works made from wood, stone and art usually guarantees you a classy masterpiece in the beautification. When the cold sets in, surely, nothing beats the warmth and comforting glow that a hearth illuminates in a room. Rustic fireplace mantels should therefore be a combination of warmth, beauty, and style that reflects an individuals taste and character.

Since the main aim is to have a rustic feeling, old seasoned timber is one the best way to achieve it. Naturally, the wood looks tough and rough from the patterns and the cuttings made. When polished, the wood is preserved but leaves the look intact. Therefore, it makes the hearth mantle look old achieving the desired look.

Earthly looks on bricks and stone usually reflect old age. Therefore, making a fire place mantel out of brick or stone makes it look aged. The patterns and designed of stone or bricks used too hugely affects the feel and look of a place. A stone or brick laid mantle tends to have a rustic feel and touch.

Pictures and art have sentimental value to everyone. They also have an aura to change the mood to a place. Therefore, wall hangings like pictures and art usually transforms a hearth from a post modern to a pre-modern hearth . A hanging of old pictures and art have an effect of making a fireplace more natural and aged.

The mantel color and painting technique can be helpful in making a fireplace be rustic in the look. By using different types of paint color like vintage red stained oak and a rough painting technique gives the mantle a more traditional look. Once polished, the wood or wall would reflect an old age that is more rough and tough.

Ornaments and sculptures are also very important on the decoration of the mantle. Old looking sculptures and collectible ornaments can be useful into making a fire-place look rustic. Ornaments can be shells while sculptures can be made of wood carvings or metal sculptures. Depending on the era the sculptures display is from, the hearth will end up to be seemingly that old too. Example, a Viking axe or shield would invoke the times the Vikings lived.

Theme settings too can have a place greatly transformed. When one decorates a mantle with farm pictures, tools or animals, it makes them look rustic. This could include carvings on the stone or wood that has specific meanings, like wild animals. Such paints or shape of the mantel would greatly influence look and feel. Wild life themes tend to be more natural to eyes.

No matter the decoration, one should not feel closed in to not expressing his or her own personal choices and preferences. Since decoration is a matter of personal sense of style, experimentation is allowed. But keenness should be observed to avoid overdoing and cluttering the mantle. Simple is always best to achieve sophistication and elegance to antiques.




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