When it comes to creating a fireplace there are two main areas that need to be considered. The first is choosing an appropriate fire. The second is choosing a mantle to frame the fire and set the tone for the room. Choosing an appropriate fireplace mantle is critical because you want the fire to be the center of the focus, not the actual mantle. The surroundings should primarily act as a tool to complete the area and disguise any installation deficiencies.

There is no doubt that an open fire is the heart of a room. Whether the fire is there for practical purposes or simply for effect, you will want to ensure that the area immediately surrounding the fire is looking its best because all your visitors will be paying extra interest to the area. The best way of ensuring it looks its best is to install a fireplace mantle piece.

Wooden mantels are extremely popular for all types of homes, especially period style homes. They are characteristic of a time when families spent a large amount of time sitting around the fire in the evenings. The dark, intricately carved mantels are a throwback to Old English homes.

These carved pieces are not as popular today as in the past as many people prefer to stay away from dark colors in decorating. Wooden mantle pieces that can be given various treatments however, are still proving popular with home renovators. They are the most cost effective, readily obtainable and versatile mantels available on the market.

Fireplace mantle pieces are also manufactured in a range of other materials including marble and tile. Marble mantles unfortunately still suffer from the stigma associated with some poor craftsmanship and connections of marble with the highly affluent.

As a result, many people overlook this material even as a possibility. In reality marble can be a very attractive, hard wearing and cost effective surface to use as a surround. More and more people are choosing marble although it is still most prominent in modern, formal settings.

Another common practice is to use bricks to build your mantle and render this outside with concrete or plaster. This is a particularly inviting proposition for people who choose to install a built-in fire place and make a feature wall of the area.

Rendering the outside means that you can then have any color that you choose for your mantle. For those more creative there is the potential to build in display areas into the wall. In some instances people also choose to place a faux mantle over the fire. This is done more to define the actual fire area rather than act as the focal point itself.

Any renovation to a fireplace requires a suitable mantle piece to complement the fire. Whether you settle for a plain wooden mantle, a carved focal point or a rendered finish to blend in with the rest of your decor, the mantle surrounds the fire and sets the tone for the room.