Mantel Pieces: The New Book from The Sunday Times Best Selling Author of the Wolf Hall Trilogy

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See our image gallery for a representation of how the different coloured oils will look on your oak beam. Please bear in mind that the grain and colour of each piece of wood is different so this is a rough guide only. The fireplace no longer really needed a place in homes anymore but it remained: this could have been partly a sentimental attachment to the fire, or because people were so fond of their mantelpieces as the decorative centre of the room. We do not pre-drill beams as customers will need to ensure that fixings are secured to the wall are in the correct place. In the eighteenth century, the architects returned to the Inigo Jones classic type, but influenced by the French work of Louis XIV. and XV. Figure sculpture, generally represented by graceful figures on each side, which assisted to carry the shelf, was introduced, and the over-mantel developed into an elaborate frame for the family portrait over the chimneypiece. Towards the close of the eighteenth century the designs of the Adam Brothers superseded all others, and a century later they came again into fashion. The Adam mantels are in wood enriched with ornament, cast in molds, sometimes copied from the carved wood decoration of old times. [1] The history of carved mantels is a fundamental element in the history of western art. Every element of European sculpture can be seen on great mantels. Many of the historically noted sculptors of the past i.e. Augustus St. Gaudens designed and carved magnificent mantels, some of which can be found on display in the world's great museums. Exactly as the facade of a building is distinguished by its design, proportion, and detail so it is with fine mantels. The attention to carved detail is what defines a great mantel.

Mantels or fireplace mantels can be the focus of custom interior decoration. A mantel traditionally offers a unique opportunity for the architect/designer to create a personal statement unique to the room they are creating. Historically the mantel defines the architectural style of the interior decor, whether it be traditional i.e. Classic, Renaissance, Italian, French, American, Victorian, Gothic etc. The television replaced the fireplace as the focal point of the British living room. Many new TV sets were quite deep, so people instinctively started displaying their ornaments on top. Later, TV display units encouraged this practice. All of our oak is PEFC certified, meaning that it is sustainably sourced, and the forest management is environmentally appropriate, economically viable and socially beneficial management for present and future generations. Please refer to imperial sizes (inches and feet) for accurate lengths and cross-sections. Metric dimensions provide an approximate translation.

Marble Fireplace Surrounds

The choice of material for the mantel includes such rich materials as marble, limestone, granite, or fine woods. Certainly the most luxurious of materials is marble. In the past only the finest of rare colored and white marbles were used. Today many of those fine materials are no longer available, however many other beautiful materials can be found worldwide. The defining element of a great mantel is the design and workmanship.

The author is, of course, quite brilliant on the Tudors and the various iterations of Henry VIII, from strapping young prince (“Hooray Henry”), through pious apostate (“Holy Henry”) to tyrannical Bluebeard (“Horrid Henry”). But she also argues persuasively that the ageing and increasingly irascible king fits the picture for McLeod syndrome, the symptoms of which include progressive muscular weakness in the lower body, depression, paranoia, and an erosion of personality – which would make the tragedy of his reign “not a moral but a biological tragedy, inscribed on the body”. In his later years Henry suffered from osteomyelitis, an infection in the bone of the leg. ‘Historians,’ says Mantel writes, ‘and, I’m afraid, doctors, underestimate what chronic pain can do to sour the temper and wear away both the personality and the intellect.’ This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( October 2017) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Wooden Mantelpieces

Fireplace mantel of a marble slab atop decorative stonework, at Arlington House Parisian chimneypiece, circa 1775-1785, Carrara marble with gilt bronze, height: 111.4 cm (43¾"), width: 169.5 cm (66¾"), depth: 41.9 cm (16½"), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)

Styles [ edit ] Neoclassical design of a chimneypiece with Ionic columns, and a frieze with cornice, from 1745-1796, pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash over graphite, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City) Our solid oak beam range of fireplaces and mantelpieces have each been handworked and are available air-dried in a variety of sizes and finishes.The fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a fire grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and can include elaborate designs extending to the ceiling. Mantelpiece is now the general term for the jambs, mantel shelf, and external accessories of a fireplace. For many centuries, the chimneypiece was the most ornamental and most artistic feature of a room, but as fireplaces have become smaller, and modern methods of heating have been introduced, its artistic as well as its practical significance has lessened. [1] The absence of mantelpieces in post-war British homes leaves a big question mark in the room: the top of the telly and the ornamental shelf step into the breach because we still crave that single, defining horizontal display space. Here, a harmonious – and playful – living room fireplace has been created using the colors on the coffee table as the center point, pulling tones out to feature within the floral arrangement on the mantelpiece and art above. How do I decorate my mantel? Up until the 20th century and the invention of mechanized contained heating systems, rooms were heated by an open or central fire. A modern fireplace usually serves as an element to enhance the grandeur of an interior space rather than as a heat source. Today, fireplaces of varying quality, materials and style are available worldwide. The fireplace mantels of today often incorporate the architecture of two or more periods or cultures.