Our commitment to enhancing our home, especially during the festive season, recently culminated in a highly anticipated DIY project: building a bespoke fireplace mantel for our bedroom. As hinted in our previous holiday decorating insights, the primary motivation for this endeavor was straightforward – establishing a charming spot to hang our children’s Christmas stockings. We’re thrilled to report that this goal has been beautifully accomplished, proving that sometimes, the simplest aspirations lead to the most satisfying home transformations.
While the idea of building a fireplace mantel primarily for holiday stockings might seem whimsical, it provided the perfect impetus to tackle a long-standing item on our home improvement list. Completing this project ahead of schedule has brought an immense sense of accomplishment and coziness to our bedroom, proving that sometimes, a deadline – even a festive one – is all you need.
To truly appreciate the transformation, let’s cast our minds back to the “before.” When we first moved into this home, the fireplace presented a rather stark and uninviting appearance:
For an even broader perspective, here’s a snapshot of the room right after we moved in. The makeshift curtains fashioned from packing blankets are a nostalgic reminder of those early, chaotic days of settling into our new space. It’s hard to believe how far this area has come!
Comparing those images to its current state, it’s incredibly satisfying to see the evolution:
Sherry initiated the fireplace’s revival over the summer, undertaking a meticulous refresh. This involved carefully scraping and repainting the existing black metal surround, followed by brightening the interior brick with a fresh coat of paint. In a delightful and unexpected twist, she then introduced unique crystal “logs” into the non-functional fireplace, a detail that truly adds a touch of modern elegance and intrigue. You can delve deeper into her process and the choice of crystal logs here. This foundational work significantly improved the fireplace’s aesthetic, bringing it to this point:
While the view was undoubtedly much improved, we still craved more architectural dimension and a proper mantel. Crucially, we needed a solution to seamlessly cover the somewhat unfinished transition from the metal edge to the drywall. Tackling this as a DIY project was particularly exciting for us, as it marks our third fireplace surround endeavor. We’ve honed our skills over the years, learning something new with each build. Our very first fireplace makeover, almost eight years ago in our second home, involved covering an old brick mantel and installing a chic marble tile surround. You can admire its final look here. A few years later, for our previous home, we constructed an entirely new mantel, cleverly utilizing remnants of a marble countertop to create a stunning surround:
We absolutely adored the outcome of both previous fireplace projects. However, approaching this third fireplace, our design sensibility had evolved. For our current, more contemporary home (you can explore its exterior here and here), we envisioned something distinctly modern. Lately, we’ve found ourselves gravitating towards clean lines and streamlined silhouettes in our decor choices, perhaps influenced by the relaxed beach house vibe of our Florida home, or simply a desire to shift from over a decade of traditional design.
This fresh perspective led us to seek out modern fireplace inspiration. Examples like this sleek design and this minimalist aesthetic immediately resonated with our vision, feeling like a perfect fit for our space. With a clear direction established, our next challenge was to devise an execution strategy that would be relatively easy and quick, ensuring our bedroom wouldn’t be a prolonged construction zone. The final design of our modern fireplace mantel was ultimately a spontaneous creation, born from observing the various wood and molding options available at the hardware store. It’s one of our favorite planning techniques: laying out different pieces of wood in various combinations directly on the store floor until a visually appealing and functional design emerges.
During this iterative process, I consistently sent Sherry photos of each potential option, like the one above, to ensure we were aligned on the design. The great news is that the straightforward design we ultimately settled on is something you could easily recreate over a single weekend! And the best part? The total material cost was an incredibly budget-friendly $105!
As depicted in the image above, the completed mantel features an identical profile on all three visible sides, resembling an inverted ‘U’ shape – a descriptor we frequently used during its construction. We meticulously deliberated over various thicknesses and depths, ultimately deciding on a 9-inch width for all three sides of the ‘U’ and a 4-inch depth along the outside edge. This specific depth was chosen to ensure the mantel projected minimally into the room, maintaining a sleek and unobtrusive presence. The core of its construction involves a cleverly designed “hidden brace” securely fastened to the wall, which is then elegantly trimmed out to achieve the final, refined appearance. You can gain a clearer understanding of this internal structure by examining the cross-section diagram below, which I created using some scrap pieces.
The construction utilizes readily available lumber: basic 1×2-inch, 1×3-inch, 1×4-inch, 1×6-inch, and 1×8-inch boards, as clearly labeled in the diagram. The only “decorative” element is a simple, inexpensive piece of inside corner molding, easily found at any hardware store. For the hidden brace components, raw common boards are perfectly acceptable since they will not be visible. However, I opted for primed boards for all visible elements, mainly because my local store was out of unprimed 1×2-inch common boards at the time. Honestly, the most challenging aspect of the entire project was the initial mathematical planning. Ensuring the hidden brace was positioned precisely to achieve our desired finished mantel location – with a specific amount of exposed drywall and black metal around it – required careful measurement and calculation. It might be subtle in some photos, particularly the straight-on shots, but we intentionally left a small margin of drywall and baseboard visible on each outer edge of the fireplace, rather than extending the mantel fully corner-to-corner.
This deliberate design choice creates a beautifully clean wall corner that transitions smoothly with the continuous baseboard, then elegantly terminates into our new mantel. The result is a subtle, dimensional effect, with just a hint of drywall exposed on either side of the fireplace column’s front. The real triumph is that our meticulous measurements paid off, delivering an outcome exactly as we had envisioned.
Here’s a concise, step-by-step breakdown of how this modern fireplace mantel came to life, designed for any DIY enthusiast looking to replicate the transformation.
Step 1: Construct The Base Of Your Brace
Our first action involved carefully removing the existing baseboard, as we planned to reattach a portion of it later. Following this, we began constructing the foundational brace. This brace consists of three pieces of 1×6-inch common board, assembled into the inverted ‘U’ shape previously mentioned, serving as the hidden core of the mantel.
I joined the top piece to the two side pieces using pocket holes for a strong, concealed connection. However, given that this entire structure will be hidden, the specific joining method isn’t critical. For simplicity, you could just attach each piece individually and securely to the wall. The most important aspect is to ensure all boards are perfectly level and square before any permanent attachment to the wall.
Step 2: Trim Out Your Brace
With the main brace firmly secured to the wall, the next step was to “trim it out” using 1×2-inch boards along both its inside and outside edges. This crucial step is what provides the necessary projection, allowing your mantel to extend gracefully from the wall, thereby creating the desirable depth and dimension we aimed for. As mentioned, we selected a 4-inch depth for our mantel. Should you prefer a deeper profile, simply use thicker wood for these border pieces.
These border pieces will be completely hidden from view, so their aesthetic perfection is not a concern. There’s no need for intricate mitered corners here; feel free to utilize scrap wood pieces for this part of the build. Similarly, primed boards aren’t essential unless, like me, that’s what’s readily available. For maximum stability, we used a combination of wood glue and our nail gun to attach these pieces to the wooden brace, ensuring a robust and lasting hold.
With these two steps, the concealed structural components of the mantel are complete. Now, we move on to crafting the visible elements that will define its modern aesthetic.
Step 3: Add Your Face Panels
Even though these subsequent parts will be prominently visible, the installation process remains quite similar to the brace construction. We began by meticulously making mitered cuts to achieve crisp, perfectly finished corners and seamless angled joints wherever two boards met. The initial step was to attach two 1×8-inch primed boards to each side of the brace, forming the vertical elements of our modern fireplace surround.
Again, we relied on a combination of wood glue and nails to firmly secure all the pieces together. This pairing is consistently effective for creating a durable bond, as nails alone can sometimes lead to cracking or loosening over time. While my wood gluing might not have been the neatest job below, it certainly did the trick!
Next, we carefully measured and cut the top piece, designed to span across and connect the two vertical boards, completing that elegant (and yes, we’ll say it together) upside-down U shape that forms the essence of our modern mantel.
It’s worth noting, as illustrated in the cross-section graphic, that our 1×8-inch face panel was slightly wider than the brace underneath, creating a subtle overhang (notice the left side in the diagram below). This isn’t an issue, but it’s important to account for it in your measurements and ensure consistency in which side it overhangs – we chose the inside edge. Since the brace remains completely unseen, this detail primarily serves as a guide for nail placement and to achieve a perfectly centered finished result.
Step 4: Trim Out The Edges To Your Liking
With the flat face panels securely in place, we proceeded to trim out the sides once more, mirroring the technique we applied to the brace. For the outside edge, we selected a 1×4-inch board, which effectively added an extra layer of depth to the mantel’s profile. Again, precise mitered cuts were essential here to ensure clean edges and seamless corners, avoiding any exposed raw wood.
Here’s how the mantel looked after the outside 1×4-inch trim pieces were added, showcasing the growing dimension:
Subsequently, we framed the inside edge with a slightly narrower 1×3-inch primed board. This 1×3-inch piece was strategically positioned to overhang the face panel just enough, creating a subtle yet distinct border.
Given that the 1×4-inch board on the outside edge projected even further, we opted to enhance this outer detail with a very simple inside corner molding. We were mindful not to add anything too ornate, as our aim was to maintain a modern aesthetic without leaning too heavily towards a traditional look. This subtle molding provided just the right amount of refined detail.
Step 5: Finish Off The Bottom Edge
As we embarked on this fireplace project, the approach to the bottom, open end of our ‘U’ shaped surround remained undecided. Often, in DIY, it’s best to let the structure take shape before experimenting with various trim options. After test-fitting a few scrap pieces, we ultimately decided to reattach the original baseboard, cutting it precisely to fit between the new surround. This choice provided a clean and cohesive finish.
Since the baseboard was being attached to metal rather than drywall or wood, we used caulk as a light-duty adhesive in the absence of stronger options. This secured it sufficiently. And speaking of caulk…
Step 6: Spackle, Caulk, and Paint!
The final, transformative steps involved filling all nail holes with spackle, meticulously caulking every seam for a flawless finish, and then applying paint. We used Sherwin-Williams Pure White, the same semi-gloss finish we apply to all our interior trim, which you can read more about here. This final layer of paint brought the entire project together, creating a seamless and polished look.
As I mentioned, we deliberately kept our fireplace depth relatively slim, prioritizing a discreet projection from the wall. This design choice maintains a sleek aesthetic. However, if you desire a more pronounced profile, you could easily achieve the same beautiful front appearance by simply utilizing deeper trim pieces. This flexibility allows for customization to suit different room dimensions and personal preferences.
Our chosen slim profile ensures that our comfortable fireside chairs, along with our festive Christmas tree, don’t encroach further into the bedroom’s valuable floor space, maintaining an open and inviting atmosphere. It’s a subtle yet impactful detail that contributes significantly to the room’s overall flow and functionality.
On a related note, Sherry and I might need to retract our previous aversion to bedrooms with sitting areas! These chairs initially found a temporary home here during a kitchen renovation, but we quickly discovered ourselves using them constantly. Now, they’ve become a permanent and beloved fixture in our bedroom. This shift in habit likely stems from our bedroom being on the main level, leading to much more frequent use throughout the day. In our last house, the bedroom was primarily a retreat at the end of the night, whereas here, it’s an integrated part of our daily living. In fact, Sherry has conducted numerous work-related Zoom calls from these chairs, a definite upgrade from her previous Zoom-in-bed routine! (Now that we have a headboard, it’s more visibly a bed, but more on that exciting update in a moment.)
While the initial impetus for this project was undoubtedly Christmas stockings, we made sure to capture a photograph that showcases how the fireplace will look for the remaining eleven months of the year, perfect for our House Tour page. For this shot, we simply moved the Christmas tree out of frame and removed the stockings. Looking ahead, we still plan to integrate built-in cabinets on either side of the fireplace. Envision these cabinets seamlessly extending to the floor with baseboard running beneath them, replacing the current dark gap from their legs.
While we eagerly anticipate that clean, streamlined aesthetic in the coming year, for now, we’re fully embracing the festive charm of this holiday-decorated version. And for those curious about our stocking-hanging method, we employ our tried-and-true white cup hook solution, a simple yet effective trick.
Just as we did in our previous home, we screwed two small cup hooks into the underside of the mantel. Come January, these hooks are easily removed and stored inside the stockings themselves in a small Ziploc bag, leaving virtually unnoticeable tiny holes. Sherry will soon be sharing a video demonstration of this method on InstaStories for a visual guide. Additionally, we made a minor but significant change inside the fireplace, a concept we initially resisted! We finally decided to try it, and it now makes achieving that cozy fireplace glow incredibly effortless, eliminating the need to bend over. Plus, it provides complete peace of mind, ensuring zero risk of stockings catching fire anytime soon – always a welcome bonus!
You can actually observe this thoughtful change in action in Sherry’s brief video, which you can view here on YouTube. In it, she demonstrates the convenience of our chosen solution, showcasing the exact products we used to achieve this hassle-free fireplace glow. As an added bonus, the video offers a quick sneak peek at our newly transformed bedroom patio, complete with a freshly painted fence and a cozy s’mores pit surrounded by chairs.
On a somewhat related note, while discussing updates in our bedroom, we’re thrilled to announce that we finally have a headboard! After months of indecision about the perfect choice, we decided to embrace the mantra of “good enough” over “perfect” and purchased a surprising contender: a *kid’s headboard* for our master bedroom.
It’s no secret that we have a soft spot for creamy linen headboards, and this time, we were particularly drawn to a design featuring a French seam (a term Sherry taught me, as I used to call it a knife-edge). This detail offers a more casual and relaxed feel, a departure from the more tailored edges of our previous headboard. Coincidentally, Target offered a Queen-sized Pillowfort headboard in a color called “talc,” which, to our delight, was the exact same hue as our headboard in our last home. Are we simply creatures of habit? (Note: That specific headboard has since been discontinued, but we’ve linked a similar replacement for your convenience.)
The headboard took a few weeks to arrive, but once it did, installation was incredibly straightforward. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed no longer leaning against the bare wall while unwinding with Netflix in the evenings. I probably should get around to hanging that mirror a bit higher, but between building a fireplace and, well, a touch of laziness, it’s still on the to-do list!
Here’s a wider perspective of the entire wall, showcasing a harmonious blend of neutrals, Sherry’s beloved huge pink pillow, and, of course, the indispensable salt lamp. This lamp, along with our nightstands, is connected to a smart plug – nothing beats the thrill of asking Alexa to turn off the bedroom lights while simultaneously pointing a remote at the fireplace, feeling like a true technology wizard in our cozy sanctuary. This seamless integration of comfort and convenience truly makes our bedroom a haven.
For a detailed look at the initial design and inspiration behind our bedroom’s transformation, you can find all the specifics in this post from July. We also shared how we ingeniously added much-needed storage on either side of the fireplace, though we still have plans to fully integrate these units. If you missed our festive holiday decorating post, which features more captivating shots of the Christmas tree and various charming bottle brush trees, you can indulge in that photography extravaganza here. We also recently updated our current house tour page and our Before & After page, offering fresh content for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned for Sherry’s upcoming video on InstaStories, where she’ll meticulously detail our stocking-and-cup-hook method – it promises to be absolutely fascinating!
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