One of the big decisions is whether you want a painted or a natural wood appearance. For painted finishes, you can use medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which is sold in large sheets, or you can use boards of poplar or pine. If you prefer a natural wood mantle, you may want to try and match other wood surfaces in the house, such as hardwood floors, window and door trim or furniture. White oak would be a good choice in almost any home, while knotty pine would be a nice choice for a somewhat rustic design. To cut costs and expand your design opportunities, you could use oak boards for the borders and shelf of your mantle, and oak-veneer plywood to fill in the spaces in between. Keep in mind, though, that when using plywood you need to think about how you will cover the edges. Straight edges can be covered with solid wood or molding, while curved edges are best covered with thin strips of matching veneer.

Plan Ahead

For inspiration, look for photographs of mantles in home design magazines, study mantles in houses you visit, and look at the manufactured mantles available. Don't be surprised if every one of them looks different in some way. Try to gather some inspiration regarding proper proportion and decorative touches.

Measure your fireplace opening and sketch it to scale on a piece of graph paper. To the drawing, add the existing surround (usually brick or tile) and the mantleshelf, if you have one. Draw lines to indicate the required minimum clearances between the fireplace opening and any combustible materials, and then begin sketching ideas for your new mantle. If you have a skimpy mantleshelf that you want to expand, try to arrange your new plans to work around it rather than assume that you have to remove it. Removal can cause some damage to the surrounding surfaces, while leaving the shelf in place may provide you with a good surface for attaching the new shelf.