Adding a "faux mantel" to a room creates a focal piece and is an easy and affordable way to create the look and feel of a fireplace! Want to make your own? Here's how Hopewell designer Caprice Chisholm created the look at our brand new Onix show home in Mahogany:
First, source a vintage mantle - it's as easy as heading out to the country side, antique stores, farm sales or Kijiji to find the perfect piece.
Next, remove any dirt, nails, or paint. Now for the fun! For many of our DIY paint projects, we use a Canadian product called “Fat Paint”. In this project we used Warm White, Clear Wax and Dark Wax.
- First thoroughly apply the warm white chalk paint to all surfaces of the fireplace surround. This was done using a regular 3” paint brush (this project took 2 coats).
- Once the paint was completely dried, take a fine sandpaper block to smooth out any rough surfaces. After a light sanding is complete, wipe with a damp cloth to remove any chalk dust.
- Apply clear wax over entire surface of paint.
- We wanted to enhance the moulding detail and add depth for a worn vintage vibe. To do this, we took a thin paintbrush and applied a dark wax to all the grooves and details (Note: when using dark wax, a little goes a long way).
- Once all groves have been traced with the dark wax, take a rag and start to rub the areas lightly, this will spread the evenly into the deeper grooves of the wood working. The more wax you apply the dark the grooves will become. For more of a distressed look, use a darker wax.
- Then be patient – let the wax cure for at least 6 hours.
Now you're ready to securely fasten the mantle to your wall, and decorate it with candles, lanterns or whatever best suits your space.