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DIY Floating Fireplace Mantel | Faux Beam

Erin Longfellow

I updated our fireplace!

We bought a fixer-upper, and this is my first official interior project (got it up just in time for stockings!). This DIY Floating Fireplace Mantel is an easy, quick update with big results.

The previous owners installed the hardware and a much darker wood mantel. The dark wood isn’t our vibe for this house and on top of that, it wasn’t built very well. Luckily I didn’t have to replace the hardware and only had to build the faux beam. The light wood of this new mantel is so much more our style than the dark vibes that were here before.

Before….

And after! So much lighter and updated.

I built the mantel to look like a solid wood beam. I mitered the joints, which means to put a 45 degree angle on the joints so they join without obvious seams. I also cut the wood so the grain is continuous from piece to piece.

However, those details are not necessary! You could definitely butt the pieces up next to each other and not bother with continuous grain. It would still look fabulous and would be an even easier build!

The only thing I didn’t cover was installing the floating hardware because my fireplace already had it installed. However, I’ve found a good tutorial for you here: https://youtu.be/4hsXFhxS8fc

Because it is Christmas time, I wanted to hang stockings but not damage the wood with nails, etc. My solution was command strips! They are strong, clear, and they are mostly invisible when the stockings are hung. But mostly, they leave no trace behind when I’m ready to remove them.

I usually put all of my project tutorials on my YouTube channel, but this project was fully documented on Instagram. Check out my DIY Mantel highlight bubble on Instagram for the build!

Find it here:

Things I used in the project:

This is the first of many home renovations to come! Stay tuned…..

If you liked this project and want to stay up to date with what I’m building, then be sure to sign up for my emailed newsletter and you’ll get an email when I post something new.

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