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Fireplace Mantels

Some fireplaces have mantles while others do not. The mantel usually serves two purposes: to improve the heating efficiency of your fireplace, and/or to change the dynamic of your room. Fireplace mantels actually originated in medieval times as hoods that projected over the grate to catch smoke.

Today’s fireplace is no longer used exclusively for heating a home (though it is still sometimes used this way). As a result, many people value their fireplaces as much for the decorative abilities as for their head-producing capabilities. Stemming from this, today’s fireplace mantels can be fairly ornate.

If your fireplace does not currently have a mantel, they can always be installed, and there are nearly as many mantel designs as there are personalities. Often these designs incorporate the architecture of two or more periods or cultures. By adding a new mantle or even updating your current one, you can significantly alter the makeup of any given room.

 

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