For the last 15 years we had a Stone fireplace with no mantel – for at least ten of those years I was told that we needed a mantel… it never happened. We bought the farm and it just so happened that both houses have stone fireplaces with no mantels. It was made very clear to me that I would not get away with ignoring her comments this time. Unfortunately for me, stone and concrete fireplaces are not the best surfaces for installing a mantel… Guess the total cost – it will be at the end – don’t cheat!
Jean got the Corbels at an antique store and refinished them – the support wood was a piece of wood from an old school house that Gene, our electrician, gave us. The facing wood is from the barn and matches the barn-wood on the support beam, exhaust hood and display shelves.
Total Cost: about $40 including the drill bits… when we looked at costs for a mantel in our house in Vegas, the wood alone was hundreds of dollars.