Friday

New Fireplace Mantel With Fusion Mineral Paint

Our family room has gone through many changes over the years.  Half round log siding, an addition, changing couches and changing colors.

But one thing stays the same.... it's a well used room.

I mentioned that I would like to update the mantel to something bigger and brighter, and the man with the power tools and Fusion Mineral Paint accomplished both.

Fireplace Hearth Vintage Crates, Bliss-Ranch.com

When we built this house it had a rustic-living-in-the-woods-by-the-lake feel.  Most of that style has been gone for quite a while, but the old worn rustic wood mantel stayed on.

I liked my rustic old mantel................

Old Wood Mantel With Hammered Aluminum Display, Bliss-Ranch.com

But I love my new mantel.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

I spent a lot of time in the same location while Brawn was working on the mantel.  Blanket over my toes, cell phone in hand to take pictures of the process.

Then when the mantel was complete I spent a lot of time admiring it with the same blanket over my toes.

 I have reclined a lot this winter.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry, Bliss-Ranch.com
Using masking tape to decide on two doors or one large door.
The new cabinetry posed some design issues, which resulted in a reconfigure after one side cabinet had been built.

The edge of the rocks are jagged which doesn't allow for a board to sit flush against the rock.  Could each notch be "whittled" out?  Yes they could, but we've been there and done that on past projects since we have field rock all over our house - it's time consuming and won't necessarily result in a good looking project.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com
 
So after a couple different options were discussed, the cabinet to the right was redesigned smaller and to NOT go over the hearth, instead opting to leave a dead space to stack wood.

The new white mantel however goes all the way around.

Every bit of white you see is Fusion Mineral Paint - my paint of choice - in Picket Fence.  It's a nice bright white and exactly what I wanted for this project. 

One of the many virtues of Fusion Mineral Paint is that it doesn't stink.  That's very important when you are cooped up under a warm blanket in the winter supervising your husbands paint job. 

Fusion Mineral Paint also glides on and needs no top coat.  My mantel is smooth, and the white paint brought the vision I had in my head to life.  I was going for a bit of a "cottage-y" look with the field rocks, did I succeed?

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

The other design-around's were the heat vent that is in the floor, and two different stacks of electrical outlets that we didn't want to move, and on the left of the fireplace was the previous wood box where the rocks jot off toward the wall.

I needed this to be a on the quicker side for a project, without too many time consuming structural changes - this wasn't the only thing on the to-do list for winter!

I chose MDF for the build because I knew we would be painting the mantel and I wanted it smooth without any grain.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

Working mostly when he got home from work, the Brawn of the operation started the process after dark, while simultaneously building a bar area at the home of Daughter #1, and working on a breakfast nook update right around the corner from the fireplace.

I hold him captive during the cold winter, because once the temp's are above freezing I lose him to the great outdoor projects.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

It wasn't quite midnight when the holes were getting putty, but the flashlight was still needed to help the eyes.  It was dark by 5:00 most days of the job.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

The cabinet doors received recycled glass from old windows we keep on hand for just this purpose.

Or maybe we keep them on hand because I'm a window hoarder?

Whatever, we didn't have to buy new glass.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

That little light type looking thing in the bottom top right cabinet corner is a laser beam that will cut you in half if you try to cross it after breaking into our house.

Not all of the above statement is true.

The corbels.  Ahhhhhhh, the search for the perfect corbels took me weeks.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com
Cash register prototypes.

Why you ask?

Well first of all they had to be made of that heavy weight foam stuff so they could be sliced to fit against the rock.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

I've said before, when Brawn is 90 you will find him in his porch rocker whittling wood toys for his great great grand-kids, but if they need a corbel sized to order, he'll be the great great granddad for that job too.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

Before the sides were finished or the corbels were installed, but when the mantel top was done, I loaded it up with my vintage hammered aluminum to get it out of the way on the floor where I had to keep stepping over it.

It was looking pretty good already, but those corbels, oh those corbels that I hunted for online till my fingers bled, how I love them.........

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

The family room is where we watch tv and eat popcorn, lay around when we are on the mend from some ailment and throw down the gauntlet for a competitive game of Uno.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

I can't remember who holds the current Uno Champion title, we don't get the chance to play as often as we used to, but I think a certain 6 year old is the reigning champ.

Family Room Fireplace Mantel Cabinetry with Fusion Mineral Paint, Bliss-Ranch.com

Maybe I should have had a fire blazing in the pit for that photo instead of just a half charred log.

And then again, maybe not - I would have had to get up out of my spot on the couch to do that, which would have interrupted the admiring of my new view.



To see all the colors of Fusion Mineral Paint, click HERE.


Follow on Bloglovin

15 comments :

  1. Bliss, that turned out amazing. I love how it wraps around. What's even more perfect is how ya'll enjoy and love that room.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow - it looks stunning, Bliss!

    ReplyDelete
  3. wonderful!!! Thanks for the info on using Fusion on woodwork. I have been wondering if it would do a good job and must say it looks fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my gosh, Bliss! This looks amazing! I love that you used MDF... I used it a lot in the house before this one, and it cuts and paints so smooth, but man that stuff weighs a ton!! (And I love that Brawn is a whittler. That makes me feel like I could have a beverage with him.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous!!! I love how the mantel wraps around! ❤ your corbels!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is just stunning, Bliss...you two create the magic, that's for sure! The whole room is full of your personality and creativity...and it is good.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love it! Great job, Brawn. And great job of supervising from the sofa and blanket.
    It looks fantastic- the whole thing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yeah- get right on that! I want a fire!!!! lol
    Hubby did a fantastic job working with that stone. Your mantle looks gorgeous and the corbels are the perfect finishing touch. We are getting ready to put a door in to divide downstairs from upstairs and it will be a nightmare because the door jamb will have to be attached to the side of a chunk marble floor to ceiling fireplace. UGH! What a mess that will be---xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think you two outdid yourselves on this one! Awesome! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's absolutely gorgeous! I think the revised plans were a great fix - I love the asymmetrical look!

    ReplyDelete
  11. It looks wonderful!!! You two are a great team!,

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh my. OH MY!!! You've not only succeeded with a cottage-y look but this is a magazine worthy look. Still rustic and I love your use of space, especially for the firewood.

    On a side note: I'm going to be painting my kitchen cabinets and a dining table. Do think the Fusion Mineral paint would be a good fit for those projects?

    Just amazing in both the style and workmanship!

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's just perfect. I don't blame you for just sitting and staring at it.yhsts what I will do if I ever get to fix up my fireplace.

    ReplyDelete

I read every.single.comment. If comments are turned off on a post it's due to spam, so drop me an email instead BlissRanchBoss@hotmail.com.

BB
Disclosure Policy for Bliss Ranch:
From time to time there might be a written review of services or products on this blog for which Bliss Ranch may or may not have received that service or product for free. Receiving a product or service for free or at a discount will never dictate what is written on this blog or guarantee a favorable review. All opinions here belong to Bliss Ranch and Bliss Ranch alone. Bliss Ranch is not monetarily compensated to write anything on this blog... period! For the complete privacy policy please see the tab at the top of the blog.