Mantel Makeover

We decided to paint the mantel over our fireplace white so that it better matches our newly painted white trim in the living room, and to help it stand out more as part of the focal point.  Before, the wood just blended in.

 (Wood trim, mantel & fireplace on day one.)

(After painting the trim and the wall, but it still blends in.)

(Making the mantel pop with white.)

The brackets under the mantel are an old-fashioned style that look like something a kid made in wood shop class, so instead of pronouncing them with white we painted them dark gray to blend in with the rock and shadows.  It gives the mantel more of a "floating shelf" effect.

(Ugly brackets blend in as dark gray.)

Now, we just have to figure out a way to modernize the face of the fireplace itself.