Wood Fireplace Mantel

            Wood fireplace mantels were originally designed to prevent a fireplace’s smoke from escaping into the room. However, as the fireplace became the social center of pre-television homes, wood fireplace mantels became more decorative and ornamental.

            Interior designers have decorated wood fireplace mantels in many ways. Carving has always been a prime choice for customizing wood fireplace mantels, and molding the edges of a wood fireplace mantel is one way to provide an elegant look to a fireplace. Sculpture is also appropriate for a wood fireplace mantel, and several palaces have statues and reliefs carved into their fireplaces. Some wood fireplace mantels serve as an elaborate frame for a portrait.

           In the present day, entertainment centers have usurped fireplaces as the centerpiece of a room. However, the increased popularity of gas and electric fireplaces have made wood fireplace mantels very practical. The purpose of a fireplace in modern times is to define the architecture of a room by acting as its focal point. As such, wood fireplace mantels are almost purely a work of art. High-end wood fireplace mantels may be made out of oak, walnut or cherry, while low-end mantels may be made out of chip board, covered with a thin finish.