A decorative electric fireplace is always a sight to behold in any interior space. Aside from its ability to provide warmth during cold seasons, this fire feature’s aesthetics adds a touch of class to its visual appeal. While the simulated fire and music are often considered as the main accents of this furnishing, its mantel is another factor that makes it stand out from the rest of the fixtures around the home. However, as purchasing a new mantel could be pretty expensive, making your own could save you more bucks that you could use for other things.

Before we start with the steps on how to make a mantel for your electric fireplace heater, it would be more appropriate to identify what mantel is. Basically, a mantel is a shelf-like fixture attached to the wall, sitting on top of the fireplace opening. This fixture is integrated in order to widen the space where the fireplace would be situated, and also serves as a decorative feature for the fireplace. Such piece is usually separate from the fireplace but can also be directly connected to the fire feature.

While you have the option to purchase the mantel of your electric fireplace heater, customizing your mantel is a good way to add character to your fire feature. By constructing your own mantel, you would be able to create a unique fixture based from your chosen concept or theme. Although this might be a bit hard to accomplish, your efforts would surely pay off as this project is way cheaper than actually buying a pre-made mantel. To cap off your mantel project you should have the following materials: saw, nail gun, crown molding, wood glue, router, level, wooden boards and paint.

Measure your fireplace and mark the location where you will place your fireplace mantel. Be sure to add at 3/4 of an inch to the measurements you made so as to properly accommodate the thickness of the boards that you will use. Don’t forget to use a level when marking the location of your mantel in order to avoid squiggly lines. After doing the measurements, do your mantel design in accordance to your desired theme and scale down the dimensions of your mantel based from the measurements you did for your fireplace.

Create the legs of your fireplace mantel by using three boards in order to form a semi-box on the wall. Cut the side and front pieces of each leg and secure them together by gluing and nailing. Attach the box to the wall by securing the sides of the legs to the wall with nails. To decorate your mantel legs, install crown moldings around the sides of the legs.

Now that your fireplace mantel legs are already in place, the next thing to do is to create the top and shelf of the mantel from a frieze board, and then secure it at the top of the mantel legs. To ensure that the mantel shelf and top are strong, nail them to the wall and place crown moldings around its sides for decoration. To achieve smoother edges, use a router to scrap of tiny particles on the edge of your mantel. Then, paint it according to your desired color scheme to complement the interiors of your home.

You want to accentuate your boring electric fireplace heater but you don’t really know where to start? You might want to try your hands on customizing your fireplace mantel. By doing your own mantel, you would surely achieve the look that you want for your fireplace. Changing the mantel of your electric fireplace heater would require more than just DIY expertise, so it would be preferable to ask tips from professionals before you proceed doing things yourself.

It cannot be denied that kids are bundles of energy.Wherever the action goes, they are also there. Hence, it is imperative for them to have their own spacious bedrooms at home where they can enjoy during daytime and sleep at night. Because of this it is important that they have functional kids bedroom furniture that could keep up with them. This is when kids loft bed could be of use.

A kids loft bed is a high rise bed, but unlike the kid bed bunks this bed does not have a lower cradle. Because the lower portion of the loft bed is intentionally left open, parents can place other furnishings like a study table and a chair to make it the study area of their kids, or if two children are sharing the same bedroom, parents can simply make the lower portion another sleeping space. Employing a loft bed in your children’s room is a definite means to maximize available space. This bed optimizes space so well that the kids can have wider area that they can use for studying and playing.

When you finally decided to pick a raised loft bed for kids, try to put your children’s safety on the top of your list; among the safety features that you should consider when you are to purchase a loft bed includes weight limits, safety mattress, and the sturdiness of the stilts, rails and ladder. Most loft bunks are not capable of handling weights that are beyond 200 pounds, and due to this it is necessary for you to inquire first about the weight carrying capabilities of the bed before buying it. Safety mattresses should be tied tightly to the rail and should have strong foundations for safety reasons; also be attentive of the mattress size to avoid gaps and sliding from the platform. Likewise, be aware of the sturdiness of the bed stilts, handrails, and ladder because these features of the bunk serves as the foundations for your children to use whenever they are going up or down the bed, and will ensure that such bedroom furnishing will not collapse with their weights.

If you still feel uncomfortable using a loft bed or fun kids bunk bed for your children’s bedroom, why not try using a trundle bed instead? Just like the loft bed, the trundle is efficient in saving space and can grow up with your children. A trundle cradle appears like a single bed, but it contains two bunks in which one bed is smaller than the other. Most trundle bunks have retractable second bed, which in turn allows the smaller bed to be placed beneath the main bed for further space utilization.

For sure you and your children will appreciate the additional mattress found in the trundle bed as well as the convenience it provides, which your children can use for a longer period. The retracting bottom bed of the trundle is perfect whenever your children host sleepovers and get together. Some trundle bunks available today comes with rolling wheels which means they can be moved to any part of the house. Other popular design for trundle bunks include the ones that have a pop-up feature which gives extra storage for your children’s stuffs.

Other than the trundle and loft bunks, you can also go for the highly functional storage bed. Admit it or not, when children grow they have the tendency to buy and accumulate extra stuffs that more often than not makes the room look messy. A storage bunk is a good solution for this clutter issue because as its name connotes it have drawers where your kids can put their things. With a storage bunk in their room, not only do you provide them the comfort to sleep well, but more importantly they will learn how to keep and take care of their personal belongings.

Space and functionality are common issues that parents often face when designing their children’s bedroom. Because of this, it is important to invest on bedroom furniture that will not only save space, but will last long. Kids loft bed is the perfect solution for these issues as it is functional, saves up space, and can endure your kids as they age. Trundle beds for kids and storage bed are also viable bed options as they can be alternatives for loft bed.

A fireplace, whether a wood-burning hearth or faux fireplace, always plays a significant role in making the home appear cozier and comfortable. Aside from lending warmth, it is also a feature that could instantly energize the appearance of a plain wall. Although the fireplace in itself is already an interior decoration to behold, it still offers a whole lot of styling possibilities that you could take advantage of anytime of the year. You could actually begin with this styling project by refurbishing the mantle of your fire feature.

Just like any other designing projects, decorating your faux fireplace mantle is a pretty exciting past time. Since there are no boundaries as to what you could do to your mantle, you have to be creative and playful enough with your design choices in order to integrate your personal style to your project. Before you start with this endeavor however, there are two basic principles that you have to keep in mind: balance and proportion. It would also be wise to try several arrangements to make comparisons as to which looks best with your mantle before you actually do something permanent like placing paintings or portraits.

One of the most widely used tricks that interior decorators often employ to highlight a faux fireplace mantle is the so-called ‘three plus one scheme.’ You could apply this to your mantle by choosing three related objects that are not too varied in size and height such as candles, picture frames or pots. On one side of your mantle, group these three items together, but rather than lining them like soldiers, try to use a layering technique wherein one object is overlapping the other or one item is tucked behind the other item. For the remaining ‘one’ of this design trick, make use of a large object that is at least twice as tall or heavy as the three items and then place it on the other end of your fireplace mantle to achieve balance. The large object that you choose must have something in common with the three other objects you used or mimics the color, texture or shape of one or two of the objects found on the other end of your mantle.

For an antique fireplace mantle, try using your collection of silver picture frames to maintain the old-fashion appearance of your fire feature. Group some of these objects together on one end of your mantle and then balance it with differing sizes of candles or pots on the other side. Good alternatives for framed pictures are bowls or vases with interesting shapes, or those that pick the hue of your mantle or the artwork above the mantle. With this option, remember not to over-put items on your mantle because it will look cluttered.

Another design option that you could integrate on your antique fireplace mantle is to create a so-called mono mantle. This design scheme would permit you to use a monochrome color for the objects that you would place on your mantle. For instance, all-cream bowls or vases will pop out against a dark-colored fireplace wall or if you have a clear white wall, try using all-black bowls and vases for a classier edge. Another modification for this design theme is to use crystal accessories on the mantle and add overhead lights for a dramatic finish, or in place of lights you could use a mirror on the wall behind to achieve a contemporary looking fireplace.

If you have a wood fireplace mantle, one of the best means to make it the focal point of your room is by decorating it with indoor plants. A wood mantle ornamented with plants is a decorative and cost-efficient means to bring the beauty of nature inside your home. If outdoor light does not pass through your mantle to sustain the growth of plants, it is suggested to use succulent or bromeliad plants. You could also go for ornamental grasses to add height and visual interest to your fireplace mantle. If you would be using this design option, it is important to choose plants that have attractive stems and leaves because they would be the ones to shape the overall appearance of your mantle.

Revamping the appearance of your fireplace mantle is very easy. It only requires creativity on your part. If you have a faux fireplace, place pots of varying sizes on one end of your mantle and balance this with a big object on the other end. For an antique fireplace mantle, use your collections but try not to over-do this to avoid a cluttered look. If you have a wood fireplace mantle, the best thing to do is to ‘go green.’