• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Partner
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Southern Hospitality

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking, Fashion & Gardening

  • My Home
  • Categories
    • A+ Blogs
    • My Blog Story
    • Decorating
    • DIY/How-To
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • In the Kitchen
    • My Home Tours
    • Thrifting
    • Travel
  • DIY Gallery
  • Fashion
  • Feature Friday
  • Shop My Home
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

A Fall Mantel Makeover

October 2, 2013 By Rhoda 31 Comments

7 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

I’ve showed off my new Fall mantel makeover already, but I wanted to share more about how that came to be, so today’s post is all about where I got the mantel, the type wood it is, and how I stained it and got it ready to install.  I’ll share a whole separate post about the installation process. That was quite interesting!  My dad and I know our limitations and some projects are best left to the pros and installing my mantel was one of those jobs.

First things first.

raw wood for mantel from Southern Accents

My mantel is made from Douglas fir and came from a textile mill in Chicago, circa 1890’s.  Garlan from Southern Accents told me that some have paint on them and some don’t. They denailed the planks, cut them to specified length and make these mantels custom for individuals.  It runs $35 a linear foot and milling is extra.  I love having a bit of history hanging above my fireplace!  Southern Accents is in Cullman, AL and is a true treasure trove for old and vintage reclaimed wood and building supplies.  I first went there in 2010 and wrote a post about it, link above. If you are in the area, GO!

raw wood mantel

This gorgeous hunk of wood came to me like this. It weighs quite a bit but I managed to angle it up on the sawhorses to sand and stain it.

Douglas fir mantel

I began by sanding it all over with a belt sander (that I borrowed from my brother-in-law).  I just gave it a good going over with medium grit sandpaper to knock off the roughness.

stain

Then I used Mixwas Pre-Stain conditioner to open up the wood for staining.  I’ve heard this is a good idea when staining to insure that the stain penetrates more evenly.  I used Dark Walnut stain and already had this in my stash.

pre conditioner

Wipe on the Pre-Stain and let it dry, then you need to start staining within about 2 hours after that.

dark walnut stain

I used an old t-shirt rag to stain and just dipped and rubbed in the stain on the front, back and sides to cover it completely.

stained mantel

And it looked like this.  It looks much more blotchy in this pic than it does in real life.  I then gave it another sanding with the belt sander to smooth it out a bit more.  I touched up with Dark Walnut in just a few areas, but it didn’t need much.

stained mantel finished

The wood has lots of variations in color and it will take the stain a bit different.  It looks really red here, but in reality it’s a dark brown color.  The very last step I did was add a coat of Satin Poly by Minwax just to give it a little protection.  Not that it really needs it hanging above my fireplace, but it can’t hurt. Oh, and I did stain the ends, it just doesn’t look like it in this pic. Hard to take decent pics in the garage.

mantel installed

And here’s the mantel right after installation.  I couldn’t wait to play around with it.  So I’ve been doing just that.  Judging from a few comments, some of you weren’t big fans of my Fall mantel last week using all those blues and greens and yes, it didn’t look completely like Fall, but I had a little fun.  More busy than usual, it had lots going on so I left it for a few days, but because I needed to do another post for Lowes, I decided to change it up again and create another Fall mantel, again using what I have around the house.

Fall mantel

How about  a Fall mantel, round 2? That’s allowed, right?  You’ll see this mantel changing up many times going forward and it’s fun to use what I have to pull it together.

Fall mantel naturals

Classic and pretty, this time I used my white pottery pieces and they look really nice against the rock.  It’s a lot less busy too and this one is more my style for sure.

Fall mantel 2

The white pottery stands out against all that rock and this pretty landscape painting that I found at Woodstock Market will definitely be a fave of mine.  I knew when I spotted it that I would love it and I do.

moss and bird

A sweet natural bird is at home with the moss ribbon.

Fall mantel 3

Bringing in a pretty lichen covered branch adds a nice Fall touch, along with pinecones.

pinecones in bowl

A little dish of small pinecones says Fall.

Fall mantel 4

My urn with sticks and feathers is a great way to add texture for the season and the pierced dish holds a few dried hydrangeas.  I love the preserved boxwood wreath that came from Lowes.

Fall mantel 3

So, as much as I like a little glitz and glimmer on things brought in from nature, I like to use some of them in their natural state as well.  There’s room for both in decorating for the Holidays.

urn with pinecones
Dried hydrangeas are always beautiful to use with their soft colored petals.

Fall mantel 7

Sticks, feathers, pinecones, dried hydrangeas and grapevine balls, great combo for Fall.

I will admit, I like this one better too and I’m especially grateful to finally have a mantel to decorate!  It will be fun to change it for the seasons and I really think putting up a planked white wall above the mantel will be even more versatile for me.

Fall Badge Rectangle

Check out Lowes Creative Ideas Magazine app, visit Lowes on Facebook, and Lowes on Pinterest.

LCI App Promo Image

Are you on Instagram? If you want to see what I’m doing in real time, follow me on Instagram. You can see Lowes on Instagram as well. It’s a fun little snapshot of what is going on every day.

Disclosure: As a Lowes Creative blogger, I am sent gift cards to spend on projects and to blog about them. This post is sponsored by Lowes, but all ideas and projects are my own.

Related


Don't Miss a Post, join my list!

Filed Under: Decorating Ideas, Projects and How-To 31 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Becky in 'Bama says

    October 2, 2013 at 11:51 am

    Rhoda: looking at my own home, I am hardly in a position to criticize anyone’s decorating ideas, but I do like this mantle scape moreso than the other. I might tweak one thing: put the small white bowl with the pinecones on top of the black and white box, and put your beautiful glass cloche on the mantle with the bird under it. That way the picture would not be obscured and its weight would balance the right side to the left (as far as large scale objects) – that is unless the glass cloche is too wide at the base to fit the mantle. Just my opinion!! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Jeanne says

    October 2, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    Hi Rhoda,
    I love the way you explain and show your projects, step-by-step. It helps me with planning my own updates. I love the updated fall look of your mantel too. It really shows off the rocks and your new wood mantel of your fireplace.

    Reply
  3. [email protected] says

    October 2, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    I have decided you a mantel genius. Maybe even a mantel savant. When I saw last week’s mantel, my thought was, “Wow, I wish I could create a mantel like that.” When I saw this one, I had the same thought again. I’m out of the country right now, (France), but when I get home, I can’t wait to tackle my mantel. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  4. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    October 2, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Looks fabulous, Rhoda! I often tweak mine over a week or two after a major change… sometimes the first go-round just doesn’t feel quite right for whatever reason. Happy Wednesday!
    xo Heidi

    Reply
  5. Susan ~ Designs of Home says

    October 2, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    I love both of your fall mantle designs !
    This one, is rather stunning when my eyes go to the feather arrangement. All that tall natural loveliness ! And, I like the blue/greens the painting brings into the mix.

    Reply
  6. Sara says

    October 2, 2013 at 9:08 pm

    I have to say, I LOVED the first mantle, it was so unique and vivid. And either way, that wood is beautiful!

    Reply
  7. teresa says

    October 3, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    I appreciate both the mantles! I found the first one Autumnal in a different way and this one feels very classic with the light dishes popping against the stone. I really like the stone all the way up, but I’m sure the planking would look good so long as the colour isn’t too white and clashy with the stone. I find fireplaces to be very bossy! Your choices are always classic so I look forward to what you decide. I guess I just really like the way the stone sets off light coloured things.
    The mantel itself is amazing…just sent this post to a friend who’s making his own to show him the end result. Beautiful.

    Reply
  8. Trina @ Let's Just Build a House says

    October 17, 2013 at 11:59 am

    PERFECT! we still have to do ours, but i love that it has a bit of history with it as well. and you made it your own!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

Click Here

Click Here

Email Series
How to Decorate in
Classic Timeless Style
.....without breaking the bank!

House Renovation Journey!

Our Paint Colors

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header2

Featured here:

Better Homes and Gardens
Atlanta Magazine
Better Homes and Gardens

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Partner

Copyright © 2023 · Southern Hospitality · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

Get my FREE Email Series How to Decorate in Classic Timeless Style....without breaking the bank!
After years of decorating my own homes, I've learned a few tricks on how to create a classic home on a budget. Hope you'll join me!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.