Our little rental is completely builder grade. That means there was no money or thought put into extra things like hardware, lighting or God forbid, a simple mantel.
I appreciate the hole over the fireplace for the TV. It's a great space saver in a house with a tiny living/family room. But this was a major eyesore. I solved the hideousness of the naked television with shutters but now, as Christmas approaches my desire for a mantel was becoming overbearing.
I started looking for something mantel-ly and my guidelines were as follows:
*it must be inexpensive
{I spent a total of $40}
*it must be something I would use again
{I can use these in any room of my house if we ever move}
*it must be easy
{my husband wanted to build a mantle--love him, but that's not easy}
*it must be temporary
{you know, because we are renting}
And one of you smart readers actually left me a comment months ago suggesting a shelf from Hobby Lobby. Thank you! That's exactly what I did.
There's a little gap between the two shelves--these were the longest shelves that Hobby Lobby carried. My man got that gleam in his eyes and assured me that he could trim off that top part on each side and butt both shelves up together. But, this would break my rule of wanting to be able to use them again when we move so I just stuck some black paper behind them to make the gap less obvious. Yes, I graduated from the Sanford and Son Skool of Design.
What an improvement for such a small cost. Now, I'm all ready for our next post: the long awaited wild and crazy Christmas garland!
Do you have a mantel or mantle?
I've got some freshly made tassels for sale! They are the perfect Christmas gift!
A Renter's Mantel
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119 comments:
It looks wonderful! I'm looking forward to see your Xmas mantle decor! Have a great week! Vanessa
Very nice! No mantle here sadly. :(
I have a pretty solid entertainment center so I guess I kind of use the top of that as a type of mantle.
Perfect. This might be a solution to my super skinny mantle dilema!
(Once you've got a little something something on the mantle that just so happens to partially cover that little gap no one will ever be able to tell.)
Awesome idea.
Brilliant! Looks wonderful.
That is a fabulous idea....turned out GREAT! My fireplace is on a wall where the whole thing is made of brick, the fireplace is just bumped out a bit but the same bricks..YUCK! My mantle is just a ledge of brick. I want to have my hubby make me a wooden mantle...I think it would look so much better than it does now.
Great solution to a temporary (rental) problem! But about that gap... can you bridge it with a strip of black electrical tape? It's stretchy and flexy enough that it should conform to the curves and crevices and it's sticky enough to adhere even if only a little bit touches the metal (those shelves are metal right?).
Love your blog! Isn't it way more satisfying to rig something great for only $40 than to pay $400 for something anybody could buy?
good job & very creative :) Love it :)
My mantle is brick. It's the same brick that the hearth is made from, and it goes up around the fireplace "hole" and then makes a mantle. I never thought I'd like a brick mantle, but I do like this one quite a bit. Except it's not possible (or at least not practical) to nail things in like you would a wood mantle.
I like it though.
Your solution is a good one.
Woot! Love it. I think it fantastic. Now I want to spray paint my non-fake mantle black.
ooo...black electrical tape--Tracey's idea. You should totally do that. Sanford would approve. Maybe they'd ask you back to do the commencement speech at the Sanford and Son Skool of Design.
I'm impressed--and laughing out loud at the Sanford and Son refernece.
Looks great! You are very creative!
Great hearth here, but neither a mantel nor a mantle. I don't mind if your dh makes me one, though. I don't mind at all.
When a piece of your greenery oh-so-casually drapes over the gap in the front, it won't be there anymore.
Good job as usual!
You did good.
we don't have a mantel at this point in our house, but have thought about adding gas logs at some point, and if we do that, will add a mantel...great ideas - thanks for sharing!
Good for you, girl! It looks fantastic! Very practical and very pretty. You rawk like a hawk!
It looks fantastic! We do not have a fireplace in our home, so I use the tall book shelf as a mantle. Still have not pulled out Christmas items, maybe soon! :O)
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne
ps. You have the best solutions!
Looks terrific! I bought one of the same shelves (at half price!) and painted it creamy white and then put rub and buff over the embossed part. I'll post a pic on my blog tomorrow.
I love how you solved this issue. It looks great!
Suzanne
What a great fix! I LOVE having a mantel. I use it every season and every holiday as a focal point for decorating. Can't wait to see your pics of that wild and crazy garland!
Kathy
It looks great! Can't wait to see it all prettied up for Christmas!
love it, love it, love it. As usual...
It looks awesome! I laughed so hard about the Sanford and Son school of design, but you didn't use duct tape, so I don't think you quite make it. Can't wait for the Christmas garland!
oh, nester. i have been waiting and waiting for your Christmas garland post. Hurry! My mantle is begging you :)
Great idea, Nester! For five long years in south Florida, I lived not only sans a mantle ... but sans a fireplace! It vexed me every Christmas, but I found a few different creative ways to hang the stockings. I'm so happy to be back in a home with a mantle ... and a fireplace!
Looks great! You've got such a creative brain.
I've got two mantels...one is a corner fireplace. Both are faux...but oh so lovely.
sister,
I am so changing that to skool.
Look great, I love the shutters! Ironically, this year we're renting too and we have a mantle! Never had one and I'm looking forward to going crazy with it ;)
What a great idea!!!! Love it!!
Love it! How creative. I am also currently renting and don't have a fireplace...waaaaa
Lisa
Fabulous solution! I don't have a mantle and want one but don't even have a blank wall unless we rearrange our entertainment armoire. We have a full wall of windows which makes it really hard to arrange the living room. Frustrating!
well, mantle! i have those samr shelves, love em. cant wait to see this year's garland.
Such a great idea! LOVE IT!
My dear it looks so great. I need a mantle, I want a mantle. I also need a surround and hearth since we moved into this house that isn't finished. I might have to go check out hob lob. Mimi
I have a mantel and mantle, but no man...tell yours he's missed here....hee hee
ok, ok, I have a man, but I was attempting humor - didn't really work. :) But he is missed by all those other men.
I don't have a mantle, but I wish I did because I think they are stunning! Maybe one day. I think it turned out lovely.
We don't have a mantel either, even though we have a nice rock fireplace. No mantel! Nice. Maybe in our new place! :-)
Great job, looks way better! RAWKING mantel! xoxo
We picked up an antique mantel at an estate sale or at a junque store long ago for cheeeep. It has survived a house fire and numerous Christmases. (Yep, the fire started in the fireplace...)
hmmm. I'm thinking it needs a garland now.
We have a stacked stone fireplace with a wooden mantle. I like it even more now that I've painted the wall above it chocolate brown.
I love your shelves as a mantle.
No mantle here. No fireplace even. Some houses here in FL don't come with a good ol' fashioned fireplace. Miss having one though. But that did make a great improvement in your living room! Good thinking!
What a great mantle idea!! Yes, our home has a mantle, which I love! Our very 1st house didn't though, so I hung stockings from our armoire. Love the Sanford & Son reference...except now I have the theme song ditty running through my head :)!
Fantastic! What a great idea! I love the shutters to cover the television. Enjoy decorating your new "mantel" for the holidays!
Wow! What a transformation! Great job:)
Woohoo! I was wondering if the shelf idea would work! Now I know how to solve that problem! Thanks Nester. Great shelf(s) you picked out too.
Girlfriend, I am the valedictorian of the Sanford and Son Skool of Design. Because I cannot make my stuff work. Smart idea. We don't have any fireplaces (and probably need them more in the klondike Rocky Mountains), but maybe I'll have to make a mantel on the wall, in a totally random spot that will raise eyebrows and make people not question my valedictorianism.
By the way, what a nice husband. I wish mine would get gleams in his eyes that resulted in NICE home improvements.
I have one of those shelves! I got the ugly red one, spray-painted it black and then white, and then distressed the heck out of it. It'll hang above the whirlpool tub in the master bath after we paint.
ohhh!! Nester, I love this idea! :) You and Hubs did a great job! I have been drooling over these shelves for a long time, I LOVE them! :)
HA! Sanford & Son Skool of Design! :) LMBO!
We don't have a mantle either....I love this suggestion! Next time we are near a HLobby we'll have to check out the shelves!
HAHAHA!! This is AWESOME! I have those shelves in the 'off white' version! Mine are actually on the wall, but we are moving, again (yes, we just moved here in MAY) at the end of the year. In the new house, we have a hole, over the fireplace, for the TV but NO MANTEL! I'm SO stealing this idea!!
Now to find some shutters!
my mantle was boring, track house, country brown. I have always dreamed of a white mantle with brick surround. My man painted the wood white and it looks sooo much better. Im trying to figure out how to put (glue, cement) brick over the fake, flat marble. Told home depot guy my idea of glueing faux brick and he mentioned something about being flamable? whatever....:)
Looks good. Can't wait to see it dolled up for Christmas! I have a chunky mantle and it's fun to change it up. I would be sad if I didn't have one!
we have a mantle. probably the fugliest unfinished raw, give you a splinter thing i've ever seen...
why yes, we rent.
I have seen these shelves in HL and love them! Such an awesome idea to use them as a mantel! You need to get your Christmas decorating going 'cause I am ready for it!!! No pressure or anything.
Ha! I think I peed my pants when you said you graduated from Sanford & Son Design University. The mantel looks fab! Am waiting with bated (I can't spell) breath for the yummy, delicious, wicked awesome garland!!!
Do you really get to read all of the comments? Wow, I've been stalking your blog for like a month now...where have I been?! I had no idea you were a renter. That gives me such hope for our place! Your mantle and shutter are awesome!
I would love a mantle, especially for christmas. How nice it would be to hang stockings, garlands and little christmas delights but sadly I am lacking in both mantle and fireplace! I live in a 1960's house which was obviously built with modern families in mind! It has no chimney or room for a fireplace so we just have bare white radiators instead of a lovely crackling fire to gather round! However, we will be spending christmas day with friends who have a roasty toasty woodburner in their living room! But for now I have to pretend my bookshelves and TV stand are mantles! A poor substitute indeed!
Wow! You never cease to amaze me.
Melanie
team chilton--yes, I'm reading all of these comments! I got up 10 minutes early so I could read em! It's my reward for doing the post!
And allissa made me laugh and have to go visit her with her "fugly" reference.
Aubry, as usual keeps me laughing and
Kristi!!! I met this weekend!
I love how so many of you have those shelves and already painted them a different color! You went to S&SSD too!
And if you have no mantel, don't worry--we'll find a place for you to put that garland!
Yeah Nester, you've done it again. Amazing, beautiful, real life decorating that we can all afford.
Are those shutters hung or do they just lean?
What a wonderful idea - and one I never would've thought of. Can't wait to get started on the garland!
Looks Great!! I did the same thing in my townhome to create a mantle focal point. I actually cleaned all the autumn stuff off my mantle over the weekend in preparation for this fabulous garland mantle from you!!
We have a double sided fireplace. One side didn't have a mantle. I desperately wanted a mantle but no $$. I got our mantle shelf from freecycle! A freecyler had started priming a shelf but didn't get around to finishing the job. After priming and painting the shelf black it looks great! This is what it looks like now: http://pamomofseven.blogspot.com/2008/07/megans-room-redo.html
And thanks to reading your posts about *mistreatments* I was able to make a valance for our HUGE window in the dining room (was our living room). I found two conference sized velcro table cloths for $9.99 each at a thrift store. My husband was quite skeptical at first. I am thrilled to have window treatments on that window after living here almost five years. Thanks for the inspiration! http://pamomofseven.blogspot.com/2008/08/curtains-decorative-and-functional.html
ingenious...i personally hate the big hole where the tv goes and, also, slapped some shutters up there to hide it. can't wait to see the garland!
You & hubby are good.
Looks great.
Great idea! It makes me crazy when builders don't bother with mantels. My parents had a house with two fireplaces and no mantels. I guess that was supposed to be the new trend. It frustrated her every Christmas when she couldn't do any mantel displays.
I do have a mantel on mine, thank goodness, or I'd be making my husband do something similar to this! They make a big difference.
The Sanford and Son School of Design. I've always wanted to go to SSSD!!! :) The project is great. And I'm totally inspired by all of your thrift. I just bartered a HUGE hardwood desk from a neighbor - $20 and truffles. :) Now I'm going to start transforming an upstairs bedroom into an office/stuff room. Can't wait. I'll be archiving you a lot.
Great idea! I love the paper trick too! Honestly, I like it much better than many I have seen by nonrenters. LOL. It has such personality!
What a great job! It does wonders for that wall! I love the shutters! :) Can't wait to see the garland!
Great mantle! Can't you just hang a tassle over that middle area?
That's a great idea! One of my homes has that cutout over the fireplace for a television. I know that it's convenient, but I'm with you--it's an eyesore! Good job!
Great fix! And honey, you may say you have graduated from the Sanford and Son School of Design, but you certainly do good work and have fun in the process! BRAVO!
Sheila :-)
Tracy--
the shutters used to hang--by big ugly nails because they are just plastic shutters but, with the mantle mantel I can now just lean them!
NESTER! You are so creative...!! Oh, my.
I have a mantle. The fireplace is in the dining room. I'd rather have it in the den or living room though!
Can't wait to see what you do for Christmas decor!!
I never would have known that it wasn't a "real" mantle if you hadn't told me! I LOVE your ideas!
You are my home decor hero! It looks fabulous.
Oh, how I wish I had done this in our previous home. You are so creative. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us!
I currently have nothing, but I too have one of those little shelves I'm going to be putting up. I hate to tell you though, mine was much cheaper than yours, b/c my sister was getting rid of these shelves and she gave them to me (they had never been used and were a yucky pine color, so the project cost me one can of black spray paint)... you have inspired me to get my rear in gear and put the shelf up tonight when I get home. Can't wait to go through your garland tutorial! Considering what I've put up in the past, I'm gonna need a whole lot of help. My barn star is waiting though!
So creative!
I've been a good girl... I've been collecting ribbons-n-such to go into my xmas garland. I'm ready and waiting for the tutorial!
If you get a chance, I've got some fun eye candy this week for holiday table ideas.
Hugs!
I have those same shelves. I put one over each doorway in my kitchen, looks like a great piece of molding up there. I get lot's of compliments.
~Angie~
Ohhhh! Nester does it again!!! I know you haven't seen my blog lately...and I have been such a bad poster, but I have been soooo sick since we got back from the cruise to see our son get married!!! WooHoo!!!
But I have a mantel dilemma, too...I hate mine!!! Glad to at least HAVE one, but I hate the color....go see me, and look for it, and if you have any suggestions, please dooooo feel free to share with me!
Oh...as for the crack....did you not claim/start the whole POOPIE thing??? LOL! Shove a piece of FAUX IVY in the hole and give it that "old world" feel...Oh, I am soooo bad!!! Gotta love me!
Wow! That is fantastic. What a great look AND color!
Great idea! I am excitedly awaiting the Christmas garland post!!
What a great idea! I love those shutters.
Just think! When you place your beautiful garland over the mantle no one will be the wiser that there is a small gap. :)
Great fix, super cute!I'm attempting my hand at your Ragamuffin garland!!!
I love it. Those shelves are just perfect there!
I don't have a mantle at all. I would love to have one, even if it was just feux. I want to say that I while looking for houses back a couple of summers ago, we noticed the trend in the newer homes with the open space for the tv over the fire place. My husband and I turned down every home that had that in their living area. Although, now wow! What a difference the shutters make!
That looks so nice! Very creative!
I love it!! especially the shutters to hide the TV, I need one of those too!
Great Fix!!
My husband built us a gigantic mantle. It's 14 or 16 inches deep (I forget) & every year I look forward to decorating it.
i'm dying to see the mantle post and decorate my neglected mantle!!!! christmas...here we come.
I absolutely can't wait to hear about the garland!
Your mantle looks fabulous!
Fireplaces and mantles are two of my favorite things in a home. Hubby and I were lucky enough to get an apartment with both! I can't wait to see the Christmas garland and how you decide to decorate your nifty mantle for the holidays.
I had a mantle once. Then when we took it down and covered the brick with rock, someone failed to mention to me that the mantle needs to be put on before the rock goes on. So now I am mantleless. :(
That crack/divide/gap/whatever you want to call it looks like a perfect place to make your garland drape right over! I guess that doesn't solve the problem after Christmas. Hang a tassel there maybe? :P
That crack/divide/gap/whatever you want to call it looks like a perfect place to make your garland drape right over! I guess that doesn't solve the problem after Christmas. Hang a tassel there maybe? :P
Oh, wow. Thank you so much. I really cannot say thank you enough. We're a military family who is currently renting. Re-usable, affordable decor is one of my utmost priorities. Our current house has a double sided fireplace and no mantel. I've gone through two Christmases without one, and it's such a travesty! I don't know WHY the shelf idea never crossed my mind!!! Question, though: is it sturdy enough to hang stockings on? I guess when "Santa" fills them he could always set them on the floor below Christmas morning.
THANK YOU!!!
You are so cleaver! I am very impressed. I am looking forward to seeing your Christmas decorations. Hugs, Bobbi Jo
What a super duper idea...love it!!!
Your rug is great, too!
-sandy toes
Your space looks great nice job hubby.
I Googled and found out how to make tassels, can't wait to try my hand at one.
Awesome mantle idea. I dont' even have a fireplace, but I am going to use my tv cabinet with ledge as my "mantle". I am ready for the Christmas greenery swag instructions!
Karol :0)
....who is busy drawing your nest!
I almost wish I didn't have a real mantle so that I could go to Hobby Lobby and whip that together. Very Cute.
I love those metal mantel/shelves....I have one in my house and I love it!!! I already bought a TASSLE FROM YOU FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT! I am so excited to get it!!! :))))) WOO HOO..I bought the reindeer..big reindeer.LOVE YA
kyley
Love they way it turned out! I have the same insets in my home in the living-room and master-bedroom, I've mentioned to my husband that I want to do the same thing with shutters. Now I can show him what you've done! Thanks!
Looks like home. The Habitat Restores have some great buys and unique finds for projects like this too. Add a can of spray paint and you've got it made!
I think your mantle is an absolute blast! It's fun, I can just tell.
I need/want a mantle in my den...haven't gotten one yet. Maybe I'll give myself one for Christmas.
Love it!!
Great Idea!
Tracey
I love love love your shutters! Oh my heck what a great solution!
Yes, I have a builder grade house, too (but yours is cuter, mine is 25 years old). I *do* have a mantle, but it's just terrible. The fireplace is not centered on the short wall, but the mantle *is.* Awful, awful visual predicament, but I haven't changed it yet (going on 3 years). I just don't know what to do with it. Wish I could attach a picture...I'd love your ideas.
three words...
Victorian Mantle Cloth - you can even t have a tasseled one! The cloth will cover the gap and you can change it according to your tastes, seasons or holidays!
You can even sew one out of remnant material from your local fabric store.
i've got another idea for a mantle -a large birch log! this would be so perfect for your christmas garland, too-which looks great, btw!
-kristen
What a beautiful living room! It reminds me of a living room I saw in France that I adored.
I have to ask, did you monogram the pillow yourself? And, if so, by machine or by hand?
WOW! And love that lush garland! You are SO talented.
I am going to have to do this for this year. Our new home has a gas log and I can't afford to 'pimp' out the fireplace appropriately so I am gonna 'fake it' for now! I have a few mantle's in mind, but they are pricey.
Love your idea and I actually adore the idea of hiding the TV and might consider that for a later date, too and hide it with a painting or something! :-/
BEAUTIFUL! Do you mind sharing where you find all of the super-cute toppers for your tassels? Not that I am trying to make my own tassels but for decorating in general. Thank you!
I love that! I can just picture my cat jumping up there to get the feathers and pulling the entire thing down. ha!
Sanford & Son Skool of Design :) LOL! Seriously, I love your mantel solution . . . and the shutters. You are a good outter-of-the-boxer-thinker :)
Just found your blog through Simply Dandy. I'm hooked. I especially like this post as our house also has a fireplace with the TV insert directly above it. It doesn't have a mantel but I've always wanted to try to put one up. Might just try something similar - I'm also loving your shutters. :)
Hahahaha! "The Sanford and Son Skool of Design" that's my Alma Mater too! Nice job :)
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