Mantel Love

One of my favorite home purchases to date is an antique solid wood mantel that was pulled out of a farmhouse that I purchased for $75 on Craigslist. Upon driving 35 minutes to pick up this hunk of wood, I discovered that I measured incorrectly and the mantel would not, in fact, fit into my car. So the sweet couple that sold it to me offered to deliver. So wonderful! It has been sitting in the garage waiting for my hubs to find the time to help me fix it up and get it ready to move into the office. You will remember from this mood board that it is going to be part of our office renovation. It is a showstopper for sure.
It just had a little wobble going on and some of the wood pieces were coming loose, so we did a little bit of repair work. All it took was a little wood glue, some clamps, and a brad nailer to make this solid and stable.
Now it is gracing the wall perfectly. I can’t wait to install a round mirror above it and find something to fill the space below! I am super inspired by this, this, and this.

At first I thought I might paint the wood white; I’m so glad Jeremy convinced me to leave the original wood. It’s so rich!
And here is a little sneak peek at the windows and seating space. The light fixture is going up next!
Now…I’m taking a poll! Should I recover that green ottoman or leave it? And if I recover it, should I do a neutral or a pop of color? I kinda like this.

Thanks for visiting!