The Craftsman Fireplace Mantel
Shelf...Crafted To Perfection!

The Craftsman fireplace mantel shelf is back . . . . . and more popular than ever!  The use of natural materials and quality workmanship is, once again, gaining momentum as many of us tire of today's fast paced, "throwaway" society.

Design above from Hazelmere Mantel

The American Craftsman Style,  a dis-
tinctive offshoot of England's Arts and Crafts Movement,   was  very  popular during the latter part of the 19th cen-
tury  and  the  early years of the 20th century.   It is currently enjoying a re-
surgence  in  popularity as new homes are built -- and older 1960s and 1970s vintage  homes  are remodeled  --  in-
corporating  a  variety  of   Craftsman elements and motifs in their design.  A renewed appreciation  for handcrafted quality  using  natural  materials  is on
the rise.

Not to be left behind,  the  Craftsman fireplace mantel shelf  is reclaiming its rightful  place as the focal point in to-
day's living room.   Some, such as the example pictured at right,  above, are going  even further by creating an en-
tire  inglenook  similar  to one found in the landmark  Gamble house (pictured below) -- a masterpiece of American Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman, design in Pasadena, California!

A common feature of Craftsman design was  to  incorporate bookcases on one or  both  sides  of  the fireplace and to extend  the  mantel shelf as a unifying element  to  tie  it all together,  as de-
picted  in  the  period drawing at right. The  two fireplaces pictured below are great  examples  of  that particular de-
sign feature.

However, the design of the fireplace mantel shelf, itself, often differed sig-
nificantly from one Craftsman Style home to another. The sculpted profiles of  the  mantel  shelves  pictured  below  contrast  sharply with the simple, squared-off edges in the examples above . . . . . . . yet they all very much embody Craftsman design.    The emphasis is on quality workmanship using natural materials and, to a lesser extent, design originality.

The handsome profile of the painted mantel  shelf   pictured  at  right  is available as a separate component .
. . . . or as part of an entire mantel-
piece,  complete  with "legs."    It is
also  available  with  or  without cor-
bels,  or brackets,  another common
Craftsman design element. (from Hazelmere Mantel)

The beautiful profile and finish of the richly stained mantel shelf from Hazelmere in the close-up pictured below is also appropriate for Craftsman Style mantels.

More Craftsman Fireplace Mantel Shelf Designs

The fireplace photos  below  reflect the design diversity of Craftsman Style or  Craftsman-inspired  designs  for  fireplace mantel shelves.     The three images  on  the  left,  though different from one another,  all have rounded profiles which give them a softer, more "formal" look. In stark contrast, the squared-off  fireplace mantel shelf  in each of the examples pictured below, right,  imparts  a  more casual -- even "lodge-like" -- look and feel.    Once again,  the  emphasis is on quality workmanship and the use of natural ma-
terials.

Please check back often or subscribe to our RSS feed,  as  we  fre-
quently add new images of fire mantel shelves to our site.

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