How to Make a Wood Beam Mantel
by
Dee M
When we moved into our house, the fireplace did not have a mantel. I love to decorate mantels for every season, so we built a simple shelf and added moulding around the sides. But it just never looked quite right. So, we redid the whole thing and built a gorgeous wood beam mantel that finally fits our home's style.
I love the look of reclaimed barnwood mantels, but I don't have access to any of the materials. So we did the next best thing and purchased a 4x6 wood post from our local Home Depot. we also had to take down the moulding that was already there.
The original shelf rested on steel brackets that my husband had set into the drywall, so we decided to use them for the new mantel. He did have to cut out the beam to make it fit better.
Then, he sanded the beam and stained it. We started out with a lighter pine color, but I didn't like it at all, so we went with deep walnut color, and I'm so happy we changed it!
I love how it really goes with the style of the house now, and the dark color pops against the lighter color of the wall. You can see more details and pictures on the blog.
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