Stone Fireplace Mantels
Most fireplace mantels are wood beam style. And that style can create a beautiful and homey feel for that fireplace. There is something about the look and feel of wood to make a fireplace contribute a lot of warmth to the room. But there is good reason to consider changing your mantle to cut stone because it will introduce another layer of meaning and decorating style to the run of the mill fireplace design.
Using stone for the mantle gives your fireplace a look of history as though your fireplace was part of an ancient structure. When you think of Stonehenge or some other ancient stone artifice, that is the look that a stone mantel suggests. It gives your fireplace a mysterious almost magical feel. And seeing that huge piece of stone suspended above the ground attached to your fireplace wall adds to the sensation that something otherworldly and magical is going on.
There are a lot of fabrications of stone that you can go with but the problem with fabrications is they both look and feel like fake stone. You will notice that one of the first instincts your guests will have when they enter your home and see that stone mantel over your fireplace will be to touch it and explore its texture. Stone has that affect on people. So to put up a fake stone piece that has more of the feel of a Hollywood prop is disappointing to your guests which destroys the impact and impression you were going for.
Cast stone is probably the best bet to use when you decide to make the change from a wood mantel to a stone piece. This kind of stone was fabricated to look and feel like real stone but at must less of a cost. It is an amalgam of stone and concrete and one of the primary ingredients is limestone. But the texture and performance of cut stone does such a good job representing a cut slab of pure stone that it has become a popular choice for fireplace remodeling projects for years.
Along with an ancient feel, stone brings a new elegance to your fireplace that can be a great addition to a room that you wish to remodel to become a formal reception room or to just give that room greater class and sophistication. In fact, a stone mantel makes such a powerful statement that you will see people respond to it immediately when they walk into the room and begin to behave in a more refined way simply because the fireplace sends that quiet message.
Oddly enough even though a stone mantel sends that message of upscale living and elegance, it is also an intimate substance that will add to the warmth and the personality of the fireplace. People will feel at ease in the presence of the quiet strength of that mantel. So do not worry that the new mantel will create a cold or impersonal feel to your room. You will find that the opposite will be the case and the fireplace room will be one of greater fellowship, community and bonding partly because of the atmosphere created by that elegant stone mantel.