When we saw “non-working” fireplace listed in real estate ads, we used to think “What good is that?”. Then we lost our space with a working fireplace and took the mantle with us; we realized just how great a non-working fireplace i.e. a mantle, can be. Depending on what it looks like and how it is embellished, it can be a wonderful element in a room. Witness the surprising treatment of the ornate fireplace above, its interior clad with bold geometric paint or paper.
Over the years, we’ve collected a number of clever ways of ramping up the impact of a mantle without a fire…
…from turning a non-working fireplace into art...
…or displaying various forms of faux fire...
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…or sort-of fire…
…to using a mantle as display…
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