Glowing Style

CREATE A MANTEL THAT ATTRACTS ATTENTION TO MORE THAN JUST THE FIRE.

Fireplaces not only can provide cozy spots to warm up chilly nights, but they also are musthave design elements in living and great rooms, and even bedrooms and kitchens. If a hearth in your home needs a style update, try sprucing it up with a new mantel.Whether your taste is traditional or contemporary, the two examples here will spark your interest.


Classic Approach


In more spacious areas, a large fireplace with a raised hearth can become the focal point for a cozy gathering. Here, a new full-surround mantel frames a gas firebox. The mantel’s mission style is timeless, and the ivory color enhances its design. You can paint a mantel in any shade that coordinates with your decor.

1. Use classic tumbled-stone tiles to frame the firebox and to create a welcoming raised hearth.

2. Add a glaze, such as the light chocolate used here, to give the white paint a warm glow and to draw attention to the craftsmanship of the mantel.

3. Continue the mission style above the hearth by adding decorative moulding. Ours received the same treatment as the mantel—white paint topped with a chocolate-colored glaze—for a seamless look.




Play It Safe

Don’t forget these helpful tips from the Home Safety Council to keep everyone safe around
your home’s fireplace.

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and a carbon monoxide detector in at least one area. Test these devices once a month.
Open the flue completely before building a fire.
Store matches and lighters in a locked cabinet out of children’s reach.
Use a screen over the fireplace opening to prevent hot ash and sparks from escaping.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, use only dry, seasoned wood.
Keep decorations and accessories that could ignite far away from the fireplace.
Never leave a fire unattended.
Create a home escape plan, and be sure everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

List
• full-surround mantel (Foster, Franklin, Model W41P, special order)
• hearth and surround tile (4-inch, Rialto white, #115512)
• mantel paint (American Tradition by Valspar, Sawyer White #7002-16, semi-gloss)
• glaze (American Tradition by Valspar, mocha, #94825)
• ventless firebox (26-inch, Brookhill Natural Gas, #44471*) or liquid propane firebox (#44676*)
• 3 (8-foot-long) pieces of 1/4- x 3/4-inch screen moulding (#96377)
• 2 (8-foot-long) pieces of 5/8- x 31/4-inch fluted casing (#160965**)
• 1 (48-inch-square) sheet of 1/4-inch-thick birch plywood†
• 1 box 6d finishing nails
• 1 box (#17 x 1-inch) wire brads
• white grout


Make It Modern


This project is perfect for a renovation in a smaller space, such as a loft or a condo. With a contemporary look, the mantel reflects an urban lifestyle while featuring space-saving design elements, including a flat, sleek hearth.

1. This shelf is a simple, practical piece that easily can adapt with your room’s decor. Here, the copper fenceposts are used as accents that coordinate with the black and copper surround tile.

2. This electrical outlet provides a convenient power source and reduces unsightly cords from lamps or decorations.

3. A bright cobalt-blue tile surround adds a stylish punch of color to the fireplace.


Lumber*
• 2 (6-foot-long) 1 x 2s, poplar
• 2 (6-foot-long) 1 x 6s, pine
• 1 (8-foot-long) 1 x 8, pine
• 2 (8-foot-long) 1 x 10s, pine
• 1 (24-inch-square) sheet of 1/4-inch-thick birch plywood

Materials and hardware
• hearth and surround tile (2-inch, cobalt blue mosaic, #7882)
• accent tile (Emsir, black and copper, special order)
• fencepost point caps (4-inch, copper, #74378)
• black grout
• shelf paint (American Tradition by Valspar, Lincoln Cottage Black #4009-2, semi-gloss)
• ventless firebox (32-inch, Classic Electric, #219619*)
• 1 box 6d finishing nails
• 1 box (#18 x 3/4-inch) wire brads
• stainable wood filler
• wood glue

New Kitchen Now

Although she liked the basic layout of her kitchen, this homeowner desired a fresh look for the cabinetry. “I envisioned a design that had more character than my white cabinets, neutral floor, and tan walls,” she says. The homeowner also had stipulations—a limited budget and a before-the-holidays deadline. She chose an option called cabinet refacing, which saved her time and money. According to the refacing process, she applied a veneer to her existing cabinets and then replaced the doors and the drawer fronts to match the veneer. Another goal for the homeowner was to gain storage space. She added custom-built cabinets above her existing ones, making them extend to the ceiling, and she installed a pantry made with in-stock cabinets from Lowe’s. She refaced all of the additional cabinets so that the entire kitchen—new and old—would look uniform. Topped off by chic decorative touches and new appliances with a metallic-nickel finish, the kitchen is transformed into a brighter, more organized area for holiday entertaining.





Kitchen Solutions

1 In-cabinet organizers, such as this folding spice rack, solve many storage challenges.

2 New appliances, including this side-by-side refrigerator and freezer, have a sleek metallic-nickel finish that adds to the kitchen’s fresh look.

3 A champagne color with a mocha glaze was selected for the homeowner’s cabinet refacing project.

4 The backsplash, made up of 6-inch beige tiles, protects against splashes.

5 A new pantry, constructed from in-stock cabinetry and then refaced to match the rest of the cabinetry, houses canned goods and cookware. The turquoise wall color is offset by chocolate brown crown moulding.





1 The freestanding range features two ovens that can accommodate any large holiday meal. The new microwave/hood combination offers even cooking results as well as a stainless interior for easy cleanup.

2 The new dishwasher’s AquaSurge technology allows it to match the exact water pressure to the items in the load. The dishwasher also has a stain-resistant GraniteGrey interior tub and a SpeedClean cycle that washes and dries in one hour.

3 Featuring a water filtration system and optional cubed or crushed ice, the new refrigerator is perfect for large gatherings. The counter-depth racks can accommodate large items, such as an 18-inch platter.


Spotless Convenience

A new stainless steel pullout faucet and a hot-water dispenser add functionality to the kitchen’s updated look. Solid-surface countertops in a rich brown coordinate with the cabinetry moulding. Because the homeowner chose cabinet refacing instead of installing brandnew cabinets, the countertops could be measured immediately, without having to wait for new cabinetry to be ordered and installed.

CABINETRY
cabinet refacing (Quality Doors, DL Covington, Champagne with Mocha Glaze, special order)
pantry cabinets (white, #58744)
hardware (Amerock, satin nickel, #16062)
pull-down spice rack (Rubbermaid, #141670)
2-tray slider (ClosetMaid, #224073)

COUNTERTOPS AND BACKSPLASH
countertops (Corian, Suede, special order)
under-mounted sink (Corian, Bone, Model 850, special order)
backsplash tile (6-inch, American Olean, Avenida Desert Mist, #73667)
ivory grout

APPLIANCES
(Frigidaire Elements, metallic nickel)†

refrigerator (Model LECR23EFE, #33399)
dishwasher (Model LEDB500FEE, #243385)
gas range (Model LEGFM389FE, #243394)
microwave/hood combo (Model LEVM30FE, #243406)

FLOORING
plank hardwood (3-inch-wide, Pergo, Espresso, special order)

PLUMBING
faucet (Price Pfister, Contempra, stainless steel, #140398)
hot-water dispenser (In-Sink-Erator, #56432)
garbage disposal (In-Sink-Erator, Evolution Excel, #240431)

LIGHTING
3 recessed lights
9 under-mounted
cabinet lights
ceiling fixture (2-light, Portfolio, brushed steel, #20867)

PAINT
wall (American Tradition by Valspar, Lake Country #5003-5C, eggshell)
trim (American Tradition by Valspar, Sumatra Blend #2008-9A, semi-gloss)
ceiling (American Tradition by Valspar, Courtyard Tan #7002-13, flat)

MOULDING
crown moulding (35/8-inch)
window casing (31/4-inch)

ACCESSORIES
wood blinds (2-inch, Levolor, white, special order)

* Does not include labor costs or applicable taxes, which vary by market.
**Does not include lead time for special-order materials.
† Available by special order in some stores.