Project - Faux Mantel

It's taken me a while to get to posting this project. I was waiting for my Brother in Law to bring me some birch logs from Idaho. I really wanted birch for the wood box and Houston just couldn't supply that for me (Thanks Gabe for slipping them in your suitcase!).  It has driven me crazy for the last 3 years that we've lived here that our house doesn't have a mantel.  This is South Texas so I clearly don't NEED a fireplace but when it's time to hang our stockings for Christmas I had no place to put them. As I was searching for bed plans for the boys' room I came across plans for the faux mantel.  I loved it right away.  Just behind me is our grand piano which has hogged the attention in this room.  Having the mantel on the opposite wall really anchors that side of the room.

You might wonder if I wish there was an actual gas or electric fireplace in the hole... Not really.  I looked into some wall mount electric fireplaces and found a couple that would fit the space but they have bad reviews and are not pretty. So for now I'm happy keeping it faux.

Once we made the cuts this project went together so fast with our finish nailer and a few screws. Caleb cut the base molding out so I could mount the mantel flush with the wall. I painted it with the same paint as the trim and caulked around the edges.  It looks like it was always there. 

In a week I will get to put it to the true stocking test. I'm pretty excited about that!!