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For hundreds of years, fireplace mantels have been an integral architectural piece that fits above a fireplace.

The mantel is an ornamental facing around a fireplace; also called mantelpiece. In medieval times, it was built over a fireplace to catch the smoke, and at a later date, to the decorative framework, often carried up to the ceiling. For many centuries, mantels were the most ornamental and artistic piece of a room, but since fireplaces have grown smaller and modern methods of heating have been introduced, its artistic, as well as its practicality has grown less.

Fireplace mantels today come in all shapes and sizes, from brick, wood and marble, to full surround or just the fascias themselves, and look as decorative as you would like them. Mantels can serve as a display shelf as well, for pictures, trinkets and even Christmas stockings.

A full surround fireplace mantel is complete with the fascia and the surround encompassing your whole fireplace or the mantel fascia itself used in conjunction with existing surrounds, corbels or columns.

The earliest fireplace mantel known was to have been in the Kings House at Southampton, with Romanesque architecture in the joints carrying a segmental arch, a curved structure capable of spanning a space, while supporting significant weight, which is attributed to the first half of the 12th century.

Mantels are usually sanded and come ready to stain.

Fireplace mantels—projecting hoods that were built over a fireplace to catch the smoke—have been around since the 5th century and were quite large in stature; fireplace mantels were built mainly of oak and extended the whole width of the room, making it the most elaborate room in the house.

The largest mantel or chimneypiece, as it was originally called, is in the great hall of Palais Des Comtes in west central France; it is nearly 30-feet wide, having two intermediate supports to carry the hood; the stone flues are carried up to an immense window above.

Now, in modern times, fireplaces are smaller and not quite as embellished, as more methods of heating have become available. In fact, mantels are mainly used for placing pictures or trinkets, as a focal point for the room.

There are many wood fireplace mantels, made out of Lindenwood, a light, soft tan-like wood. The Floral Swag mantel, with Urn Surround, is hand-carved, with exceptional attention to detail and is carved in Lindenwood, as are all the fireplace mantels, and are ready to take home and paint or stain; the Fluting with Bellflower Drops Full Surround and the Shell with Country Flowers Full Surround.

Regarding the fascias alone, there’s the Center with Rosettes shelf; the Embraced Palmette shelf, the Rinceau Scrolls with Floral Basket Surround, with fine embellished detail and the Urn with Fluting.