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Fireplaces are designed with a number of features to include the hearth, surrounds, mantle, and even fireplace mantle shelves, which have become quite popular. When shopping around for fireplace mantle shelves, you will have a choice of various materials to include MDF, which is Medium Density Fiberboard, birch, and oak. While other materials are available, these are the most common.
One of the best choices for fireplace mantle shelves is the MDF. This hard-surfaced material is made from wood fibers. The benefits are affordability, as well as a surface that tends to resist scratches and dents. When considering birch fireplace mantle shelves, you will discover a number of options. Again, one of the favorites is a birch design that has beautiful, clear white pine moldings. With this, the shelves can be stained or painted to your personal preference. For okay, you again have several wonderful choices although red oak is a top choice. In addition to the various materials that you could choose for fireplace mantle shelves, you also have a variety of choices for finish. For instance, you might consider birch shelves with a deep, Early American finish. The richness of the dark finish is great for a traditional fireplace, as well as country or rustic. Now, if you prefer something more contemporary, birch with a gorgeous mahogany stain would be ideal. Oak fireplace mantle shelves with a clear polyurethane finish add a natural, honey color to the fireplace, which is chic and inviting. Another great possibility for fireplace mantle shelves is stone. Even though wood has been a longtime favorite, more and more people are interested in designs with stone. In medieval times, beautiful shelves were actually chiseled from walls made from stone. However, today most of the fireplace mantle shelves are made with a different type of stone such as granite, marble, and gorgeous limestone. The result is a lot of character and a timeless elegance that enhances any room. Typically, stone fireplace mantle shelves are a little more expensive than wood. For instance, you could purchase stone on the lower end of the price scale for around $500 to $700. On the other hand, if you were to purchase antique stone or expensive stone, a price of $2,000 is common. Now, if you want the look of stone but without paying the steep price, you have another option. With new technology and materials, you can choose a mock stone. The benefit to using replicated stone is that you get the same look and feel of natural stone without the high cost. For this reason, fireplace mantle shelves made from cast stone, as it is called, is taking the market by storm.
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