Man-Sitional Mantle

One of my "Favorite 5" of 2016 was definitely the mantle we designed at our "North Shore" custom home build. (Scherber Properties) From start to finish a lot of thought went into this Great Room focal point that overlooked Lake Minnetonka. 

There were several DESIGN factors that were important to me.

1. MAN-SITIONAL. That's right. I'm getting really really tired of the all white everything women love - what about the rich textured woods and dark stain he's longing for. That's not just for the basement. So we did a mixture of both stained (Sherwin Williams Brazilnut) and painted (Sherwin Williams Alabaster) wood. 

2. A NAUTICAL touch. This room had an expansive view of Lake Minnetonka so to be true to the surroundings I added a half dowel molding by Osborn Wood Products that looked like rope Found Here.  I ordered it in Knotty Alder so it could be stained which tied  into that Man-Sitional element that was important to me. 

3. ARCHES on ARCHES. They were a main theme in this home because I'm obssessed with them. From the Marvin Windows to the Restoration Hardware Orb Lighting they were EVERYWHERE so this baby had layers of ARCHES! 

The installation posed a few challenges but nothing a good BOSCH sawzall and RIDGID sander can't fix. This masterpiece was heavy as hell but now sits perfectly in the great room. I was happy with the budget overall which after adding the Bianco Rhino Marble backing came to just over $20,000, well worth it for this Mansitional Masterpiece that will be enjoyed by both the woman, and the man, for generations to come. 

xo