antique fireplace mantel designs, wood mantel shelf, gas fireplace mantel, corner fireplace mantel

From the mid 1800’s into the early 1900’s, many nationalities of homesteaders had to adapt to growing families and farms. Additional buildings were needed for grain storage, animal barns, and summer kitchens.

As there was no electricity, all labor had to be accomplished with hand tools. More history can be seen here.

Virgin trees were felled with 1-2 man hand saws. Hand held tools like adzes, broadaxes and drawknives were used, along with extreme physical labor to square the trees into hewn timber beams for the structural frames.

These buildings were completely finished with wood - including the floor boards, roof structure, and even down to the wooden pegs used to hold the structural cross ties and diagonal timbers together.

A few of these old farms and buildings remain. They accent the broad sky and the rolling land. Many are meticulous works of art. Each one has its own character, artistic statement, and many stories to share.

*** How Best of Nature recreates Antique Wood Fireplace mantels ***


		Preparing for another life...


Antique Timber to be reused for mantels.		Timber Beam from 1870s - How notches and pegs can come to exist in the Best of Nature Mantels.

The below photographs illustrate the before and after sequence of how every wood fireplace mantel gets "another life". Click on photos for bigger picture.


Antique mantel prior to building Davy's mantel.		Davy's mantel after the second handcrafting and finishing.		Davy's fireplace mantel installed.

See more hand hewn timber mantels here.


Antique timber reclaimed - before second handcrafting for Benedict's mantel.		Benedict's mantel after second handcrafting and finishing.		Customer's photo of installed mantel and finished fireplace.

Mantel was made for a customer by replicating mantel seen on this webpage. Click here to see photo.		Hand hewn timber mantel - corbels and center filled notch added.



Hewn timber mantel with open notch and vertical peg (Heard's fireplace).		Filled Notches on each end, four pegs in center (Nelson's Fireplace)


Hand Hewn timber mantel with two filled notches.		Popular mantel design showing open notch in center and vertical pegs on ends.


Another popular mantel design - center filled notch and vertical peg placement on ends.		Hand hewn antique wood mantel with open notch.


Wood Mantel with original wood pegs (Postlewait's Fireplace)		Hewn Timber Mantel Shelf with filled offset notch and Pegs ( Dolezal's Fireplace)


Cedar Mantel with center filled notch and vertical pegs.		Mantel design with filled notches on ends, open notch in center.


Best of Nature Mantels are a nice accent for wood stoves!		Unique Fireplace design with lower and upper rustic mantels.

See more information and photos by clicking on Fireplace Mantel Designs which offers more mantel design ideas!

The Rustic Mantel Photo Gallery features many photographs from customers of log and timber mantles.

See More Rustic Mantels, and Hewn Timber Mantels for additional fireplace mantel pictures and other mantels to get many more ideas! Thank you for visiting our website and if you have any questions, call (906) 822-0112 or email info@countreeliving.com.

Copyright Note: Materials on this website may not be reproduced in any form without prior written approval from Countree Living / Best of Nature Mantels LLC.

Countree Living / Best of Nature Mantels LLC
438 Balsam Road; Crystal Falls, MI 49920 | Phone/Fax: (906) 822-0112
©2001-2009 Countree Living Log Furniture

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