A summer afternoon at an auction several months back resulted in me acquiring two antique fireplace mantels. As you can see in this BEFORE photograph, the center accent piece was missing, and it needed some work. So, while my daughter-in-law was visiting, we decided to refurbish this old mantel and give it some Cottage Chic looking upgrades. A quick trip to Lowe's, and we managed to find the perfect architectural accents pieces. A nice ornate piece for the center, and tiny rosette medallions for the two diamond side accents. Overly anxious, we could hardly wait until the glue dried and we could begin priming and painting the mantel. I'm a very messy painter, so drop cloths were put down and the brushes started whipping back and forth over this mantel dating back to the 1800's. Heavy and old, but perfect for our plans. So, the next day and we were back at it with the second coat. It wasn't very long before we were done, stood back and grinned at each other. After her visit was over and time to head back to Jacksonville, Florida, we loaded it in the bed of the truck, packed suitcases on top, and off she went.
Thank goodness Tristan, my grandson was able to help lift it, and take it into the house when she got home. Her newfound treasure now serves as a headboard in their bedroom, with plenty of room on the top of the mantel to begin adding decorative pieces such as candles, etc.
Now, surprisingly, both mantels were purchased for a total of $15.00. I would say that was a great day at that auction, wouldn't you? You can click on the photo of the finished mantel to enlarge so you can see the detail!
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