Fireplace Mantel Designs

           Since fireplaces are the focal point of a room, the art of fireplace mantel design is extremely important. Fireplace mantel designs can be large and elaborate, as in Renaissance palaces, or sleek and subtle, as in modern houses.

            Renaissance fireplace mantel designs were extremely elaborate. The Palais de Justice at Burges has an oak overmantel that spans the length of the wall, carved with life-size statues of the royal family of Spain. The Italian style of fireplace mantel decoration that followed, on the other hand, was extremely simplistic, in fact blending into the walls of the room.

            One of the major aspects of fireplace mantel design is the material used to create the mantel. Stone mantels provide a sense of stateliness and an unmistakable presence. Marble, granite and limestone are among the primary materials for stone fireplace mantel design. Fine woods, on the other hand, convey a sense of subtlety and sleekness. Cherry, oak and walnut are all good selections of woods for fireplace mantel design.

            Many fireplace mantel designers incorporate sculpture and carving into the design. Statues of figures are not uncommon, as are animals and fruits. Moldings and brackets are even more common, and the quality of the sculpture can define a fireplace mantel design as much as the material itself.