Happy December, dear friends! I hope today’s post will offer you some design inspiration as well, not just a glimpse into the madness of my methods. When it comes to decorating, I tend to develop micro-obsessions – mostly about color and interior architectural details – and our living room fireplace has been a recurring thought in our renovation efforts. Our fireplace – I don’t think I’ve given this much attention to any other architectural change in our house so far. As little and as insignificant this may seem to most people (normal people), getting the fireplace mantel right has been very important to me.
With images of Early American fireplaces in mind, I started tweaking the mantel soon after we moved in.
My inspiration: Design by G.P. Schafer Architect, Photographed by Eric Piasecki
First, we removed the Greek Revival style dentil molding supporting the mantel shelf and played around with different, simpler trim designs.
September 2019
January 2022
Next, we tried to improve the visual scale of the fireplace compared to the rest of the room. To give you an idea: the living room is 15ft wide and the fireplace eats up a massive 6ft 6in of that width.
To make the fireplace visually smaller – I decided to envelop the room in a single color. One color & finish everywhere makes the room “feel” more spacious, and the addition of the two small windows on either side of the fireplace helps carry the eye out into the garden (and my neighbor’s driveway).
April 2023
November 2023
Now, after four-and-a-half years of periodic tweaks, I think I’m finally done and happy with the outcome 🙂 This latest and final change is a minute detail that most people probably won’t even notice, yet it has been one of my clumsiest (and most satisfying, since I did it all by myself) DIY project to date. I added a 3/4-inch square strip of wood right below the mantel shelf (if you squint, you can actually see it in the image below) and this tiny addition has completely changed the look of the fireplace, don’t you agree? 🙂
It was a simple update, really, but I have been incredibly distracted lately and everything went wrong, from the first nail to the application of the paint (right formula, wrong base, so a highly noticeable difference in color). I was also a bit rusty with my power tools and it took me half an hour to unlock the blade of my miter saw.
Then, I used the wrong trim, in the wrong place, and with the wrong pressure on the air compressor, so I had to deal with a bunch of nails that hadn’t fully sunk into the trim. Finally, I dropped a carving tool and nearly sliced off my pinky toe. Ay-ay-ay!
But with all these fumbles and my unusually high levels of clumsiness, I’m happy to say that the mistakes have been fixed, I still have all my toes, and the fireplace chapter is finally “done”! Here’s a progress shot of the living room, taken last winter:
November 2022
And here it is now… What a difference a year can make!
November 2023
Now I can move on and pick something else to obsess over 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you a fun weekend!
It’s lovely. Love everything about it😊
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Thank you so much, Loretta!
The mantle turned out fabulous but the whole room is cozy and beautiful.
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Thank you, Maureen!
Perfect! Completely agree… the trim is exactly what the mantle needed.
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Thank you, J J! Happy Holidays
It’s so beautiful! I’m glad all your toes are in tact. 🙂
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Thanks, Sheena! Me too! 🙂
I just love your living room, Eva! You’ve changed it from a ho-hum room to a spectacular gathering place. Adding the windows and natural woven shades was genius, and redoing the fireplace mantel and adding the ceiling beams, sconces, and vertical paneling really added period authenticity. Painting everything that awesome sage green was also a wise choice.
I totally understand your obsession with small details! I’m always tweaking things–drives my husband crazy! Oh well….
Merry Christmas!
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Thank you so much for the king words, Diana! Merry Christmas!
What a lovely room!
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Thanks, Melonie!
Looks phenomenal!
I love all of the details you made, changed, etc. it is all in the details and I love that you have the knowledge and talent to figure out exactly what that means. Now about your carpentry, well….. the final product does not at all show your process. I also love your honesty. As someone else said, you turned a nice room into a warm cozy inviting space that looks like it was always that way.
Very impressed. Happy Holidays.
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Thank you, Lynn! Happy Holidays!
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Thank you, David!
It’s perfect, Eva! Love to see this transformation.
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Thank you, Betsy!
What a difference! It’s beautiful.
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Thank you, Deb!
Looks great! 🤍❄️🤍🕊️
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Thank you, Melissa!
It’s wonderful! And it’s also wonderful that you pay so much attention to detail — if only everyone took such pride in their homes…. The whole room is so incredibly cozy and welcoming – just love it.
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Thank you, Linda!
Thank you for sharing!!! This looks beautiful. Not only does it look beautiful, it also looks to be very practical and inviting. Definitely a room that will get lots of use, draws you in and where you will just feel better walking into it because it will make you feel calm and happy – surrounded by beauty! Hope you enjoy it for many years to come!
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Thank you so much, Sylvie!