DIY Project - Fireplace Mantel

If this is your first time here, you may not realize that Quince Cottage is our brand spanking new home. Now there are LOTS of things to like about "new". We lived in a c. 1903 Craftsman Foursquare for ten years, and believe me, we know that old homes, charming as they are, can be, er, "cranky". We could tell you stories about exploding radiators, a leaking roof, and the floor-sanding disaster that led to a 911 call. Maybe some other time...
What old homes have, and new homes often lack, is character. Character shows up in a home's unique elements, those finely crafted, or even naively-crafted but nonetheless charming, details. There's the indisputable sense that the building has a longish history. How do you make a new subdivision house look as though it wasn't born yesterday? By "aging" it artificially, that's how.
Case in point: our fireplace mantel.
We were really pleased with the way our shiplap turned out. (If you missed that post, you can find it here). That really helped give our house the look of an old farmhouse. However, all that rustic loveliness made our crisp, snowy white fireplace surround look glaringly out of place.
A little while back we toured the Johnston County Parade of Homes and we saw a real, genuine old mantel installed in a new house. It looked fabulous! Here it is...

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

That piece of paper hanging there shows the old North Carolina plantation the mantel came from. Unfortunately, the house was being razed, but at least a part of it will live on and be treasured by a succeeding generations of home-owners.

It seemed silly-stupid to spend money and effort removing a perfectly good, traditionally shaped mantel, just to replace it with a beat up antique one.
So, given that Ron had just done a fabulous job with refinishing during the Barn Door Project , I "suggested" he employ those same skills on the mantel.

Here's what he did.

1. Tape anything around the fireplace you don't actually want to get "antiqued". Paint streaky marks and coat most edges of the mantel with brown acrylic paint (he used craft paint in a dark umber). Looks really ugly, right? Don't worry, everything will be okay.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Closeup © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

2. Once the paint is dry, go over the brown paint with a candle, esp. the very edges (the candle is unlit, of course, it's the wax you want). Don't completely cover the brown paint, just some of it. Whatever the wax covers won't accept the next layer of paint.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

3. Paint over everything with a creamy white paint. We used "Milk" Paint by Sherwin Williams.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

4. Once the paint is dry, use a cloth and rub really hard over the areas painted brown. You may need to use your fingernail (covered by the cloth) to really get down to the brown for that "chipped" appearance).

Closeup © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

5. Use a small brush to apply a thin coat of brown stain. Ron used Min-Wax Special Walnut. Make sure to get in creases and crevices for an enhanced aged effect. Quickly wipe off excess with a rag. Work in sections so that most of the brown paint comes right off.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

6. Use paste wax to give everything a protective coating. Apply and buff with a soft rag.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's a closeup of the finished effect. Yup, all done with paint, brushes, a rag, a candle, stain, and paste wax. Ron's gotten really good at this, don't you think? He's already at work on a Top Secret Project! Don't worry, you'll get to see it eventually.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

So, now all that's left is decorating. That's MY favorite part.

Ta-daaaa!!!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

This mantel is a perfect example of  rustic + opulent = FABULOUS! Here at Quince Cottage, that's what we're all about.
Oh, and of course, no post would be complete without a picture of an adorable terrier. All that hard work on the fireplace was exhausting!

Buster © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet