A DIY fireplace mantel makeover for a very narrow mantel, using a piece of pine. An easy project to make room for a big screen tv in a small living room.
We are moving right along with our projects. I still have 500 going at once, and my house is currently a disaster zone, but we are making progress.
It's slow but it is progress.
Today is all about our DIY fireplace mantel. I haven't shown this side of the living room very much because it was just ugly.
We had to do a rough modification on the mantel when we moved in so our tv would fit.
We have finally finished this one and I'm so ready to share.
The tv placement was a huge discussion between the hubs and me when we first moved in (although every project seems to be a huge discussion). 😉
The previous owners had a tv on a small stand next to the fireplace but it just wouldn't work for us.
We did throw around the idea of hanging it on the wall above the fireplace but the hubs didn't want to do that. With no other choice we had to go with the tv on the mantel.
The only problem...and it's a big one...was that the mantel was too narrow for the tv.
Unable to come up with a simple solution, we used a rough cut piece of plywood that was wide enough for our tv to sit on the existing mantel.
Since this is the only spot in this room for a tv, we were going to have to make this work.
This is what it looked like for 6 months while we searched for an inexpensive solution.
Not pretty but real life.
In the end we decided to try to beef up the mantel with a wider and longer, solid piece of reclaimed wood. The goal was to make it look like it was always there while giving our tv a place to live.
We didn't need fancy moldings or corbels, we just wanted to preserve the original look and keep it simple.
I looked everywhere to find a piece of budget-friendly, solid reclaimed wood that was thick enough, long enough and wide enough.
Everywhere we went, we looked.
After a few months we knew that if we were going to get a thick solid piece, it would have to be new wood from a lumber yard.
Definitely more money than we had planned on spending but it was our only option left.
With a new plan I went searching our local lumber yard.
I found a beautiful piece of white pine, exactly what we needed. It seemed thick enough so it wouldn't warp (fingers crossed) and wide enough for our tv.
How much does it cost to redo a fireplace mantel?
The cost was a bit more than I wanted to spend but the lumber yard planed and smoothed it out for us which meant less work.
In the end it was well worth the $91 we shelled out.
Since it was cut to size, we just had to attach it to the existing mantel using some well placed screws from underneath. No ugly screw holes to fill and it's very secure.
I caulked, primed and painted, with leftover trim paint.
Now the new mantel looks like it's always been here.
Plus the big screen tv fits perfectly.
I still don't love the tv sitting on the fireplace mantel, but when you have a small house with limited space, you make do.
Finn's favorite pillow in his favorite spot. I think he loves the fireplace.
We may have finished the mantel but the rest of the fireplace is still a work in progress.
It's one of the 500 projects I'm currently working on in our small living room.
I think we accomplished our goal with our new DIY fireplace mantel.
Have you ever built your own mantel?
Catch up on a few of our other fireplace projects...
How to Paint a Brick Fireplace
DIY Fireplace Screen with Birch Slices
Susan Hair says
How did you hide all the power cords and cables? I despise looking at those things and will almost go to the ends of the earth to hide them!!
Kristi says
I don't like them either Susan. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find an easy fix. We have a basement and open space next to the chimney so we were able to drill a hole in the wall and snake the wires through there. Hubs hooked up an outlet for the wires so everything is safe.
Phyllis Pardee says
Having same dilemma at our new house. LR Is small, fireplace current "focal point" tv sitting on small cabinet to left...hate it! Feel TV too high to comfortably watch if on mantle...LR is 16 by 16 with front door and 2 other doorways with cutout to see into kitchen! I have GOT to have solution!!! Thanks for posting yours!
Kristi says
I hear you Phyllis. Our living room has been a huge challenge. It's not the space of my dreams but you can only do so much. I'm not a fan of the tv on the mantel but have you tried yours up there to see if you are comfortable watching it. The only plus is that you can watch a fire and tv at the same time.;)
Good luck with your room. I'm working on ours now so I'll be sharing more.
Debbie H says
I have the same question Susan has, How did you hide the cords? No I do not like TV on fireplace but like you said, in a small house not much choice. I do not have a fireplace so I am struggling to find an attractive alternative to the ughly TV stand from the 90s I am currently forced to use. Thanks for sharing this DIY. Most decorators and DIY do not address TV placement.
Kristi says
I'll share the same answer I gave Susan... Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find an easy fix. We have a basement and open space next to the chimney so we were able to drill a hole in the wall and snake the wires through there. Hubs hooked up an outlet for the wires so everything is safe.
I've had those tv stands too and I wasn't a fan. We used an old dresser in the last house, that I found on Craigslist, and I loved the extra storage. Maybe something like that would be a good solution for you.
Margaret Robinson says
Hi --- What a lot of work for the new mantle and it looks beautiful. However, I agree with SH. We've got a large screen TV I our bedroom and all the cords are in the wall. The Comcast box is in the glass console below the TV and you really don't see it because it's with a lot antique pieces. I would have thought your husband would have like not having all those cords showing and it's really quite an "easy" project for someone to do. My husband helped with this project and he too did not want wires showing.
We've done the same thing with a dual lighting system in our guest bedroom and it looks sooooo much better than having wires showing.
Kristi says
Yes, our cords are in the wall. Fortunately we had open space next to the chimney, down in the basement, so we were able to easily snake the wires down to an outlet my husband installed. Now I'd like to get rid of the box but that won't be happening anytime soon. 🙂
Pat M says
I don't like a tv above a fireplace either, but you do what you have to do and I think it's better than taking up limited space with a tv stand. Like most of the others, I wondered how you hid all the wires without going behind the wall. If you came up with a good idea, please let me know.
I do like the double thickness mantle - it adds some "heft" to what was kind of a puny piece of wood. Good idea and well worth the cost.
Kristi says
You're so right Pat, it is better than having it on a tv stand. 🙂
We were able to snake the wires down the wall to the basement. There's an open space next to the chimney so it was an easy fix for us. Sorry I don't have another solution for you. We tried to figure something else out, so we didn't have to drill a hole in the wall, but there was no good solution.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!
Karen Baumgardner says
If you can build some bookcases on either side, a tv can live there at just about any height you want, and with the new thin tv's, they don't have to be all that deep. If that isn't an option, I personally prefer my tv in a cabinet/armoire I can close. However, for those with no other options, one of the enclosure cabinets that hang over the tv and slide to open look great. I believe Ballard has them, and there are tutorials on how to make them floating around on the internet. They can even be made out of foam core board, painted or decoupaged, and just lifted off when you want to watch the tv - it appears as if you have a beautiful picture there.
Kristi says
Thanks so much for those great ideas, Karen. Our room is tiny so bookcases won't work, the same goes for an armoire. I think we've found a good solution for now and I'm happy with the way it looks (far better than before 😉 ).
Brenda Lane says
Brenda, Florida
I don't like a TV over the fireplace either, but we have to do what we have to do. I guess I would remove the chair to the left of the fireplace and find some sort of a cabinet that would accommodate the TV with storage under it to hold the box and wires. Just a thought. Have a great week.
Kristi says
You're right Brenda. We have to do what we have to do. Thanks for the suggestion but a bookcase won't work with the size of the tv. The basement door is right there and anything too big will block it. Sigh...it is what it is. 🙂
Rose says
I do not have a fireplace but I have read that one of the most important things is to have the mantel wide enough to block the heat from the fireplace.
Also, in my daughters home, they have all their components in the room behind the TV. They make remotes that work through the wall. One remote for all-cable and DVD player.
Kristi says
Yes Rose, you are correct. The mantel should be wide enough to block the heat. With our new addition, I think we will be ok. Our fireplace isn't in working order, yet, but it's a good reminder to take the extreme heat into consideration when your tv is on the mantel. Unfortunately our small dining room is on the other side of the wall so there isn't any open space to put the boxes. Thanks for the great suggestions though. 🙂
pamela crossland says
What is the depth of your finished mantle? I'm having a hard time trying to find a stand that will fit my mantle at 8.5" :/ Thank you!
Kristi says
Hi Pamela! Our finished mantle is 11" deep. The one that we there when we moved in was only 7 3/4" which was way too small to fit our TV. Hope that helps.
Kim says
Moving is never easy, there are always so many new decor challenges. I think you guys did a great job with the fireplace. I can't wait to see the other 499 projects!! 😉
Kristi says
Moving isn't easy. You would think that we would have learned our lesson 7 houses ago. 😉 It's fun though (sometimes).
jamin mills says
Turned out great, even if you don't consider it the "space of your dreams" I think you knocked it out of the park with the execution. Great job!
Kristi says
Thanks so much, that's so sweet of you to say. 🙂
Sara says
I love the look of your mantle and would like to replicate it. Would you mind sharing the length, thickness, and depth of the top 2 boards? Thanks for sharing your pictures and considering my request. Cheers!
Kristi says
Hi Sara! I sent you an email with the info that you requested!