Why do fireplaces have mantels?

Fireplaces have mantels to prevent smoke from entering the room. Initially, mantels functioned as hoods and were installed to protect an interior space and nearby objects from the extreme heat generated by a fireplace.Today, fireplaces and mantels can be seen as a focal point in your decor. Fireplaces were once essential fixtures in a home. Even as HVAC systems would eventually see to it that fireplaces weren’t a necessity, no mechanically engineered thermal heating and ventilation technology can replicate the feeling of warmth and camaraderie that a flickering fire guarantees.Find antique and vintage fireplaces and mantels on 1stDibs.

What is a fireplace mantel surround?

A fireplace mantel surround is an object that extends from the fireplace's exterior wall into the room and frames the opening. It consists of the sides and a mantel, although it may or may not contain the hearth, which is the base of the fireplace. Fireplace surrounds assist in making a fireplace more of a centerpiece and focal point for a home, as well as offering a shelf space above the fireplace for personal objects to be displayed. Find a variety of antique and vintage fireplace mantel surrounds on 1stDibs.

What is a good color for a fireplace mantel?

What color is good for a fireplace mantel depends on your space. Look for shades that complement your palette and fit the interior design theme of the room. Generally, neutral colors like black, white, gray and brown coordinate with many other hues, but other colors may work, too. Find a variety of fireplace mantels on 1stDibs.

What is a good depth for a fireplace mantel?

The ideal depth of a fireplace mantel is 7 inches. This allows enough room to display decorative objects such as candles, figurines, photo frames and more. Shop a collection of antique, vintage and contemporary fireplace mantels from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.

What is the average width of a fireplace mantel?

The average width of a fireplace mantel is 6 inches wider than the fireplace on either side. It can occasionally be even wider. While deciding on the right width for your space, factors to be considered are firebox dimensions, fireplace surround dimensions, hearth and room size. Shop a range of antique and vintage fireplace tools and mantels on 1stDibs.

Can you paint marble fireplace mantel?

Yes, you can paint a marble fireplace mantel. As marble is a heavy natural stone that is expensive to replace, painting it with latex-based or chalk paint will help restore its luster. Find a variety of marble fireplace mantels on 1stDibs.

Sandstone Fireplace Mantels

Castle Fireplace

17th Century Stone Fireplace

French Stone Mantels

Georgian Fire Surround

Castle Antiques

Chateau Fireplace

Materials

Sandstone

Recent Sales

Modern Gothic Mantel in Sandstone

Unavailable

H 69.25 in W 92 in D 32 in

Modern Gothic Mantel in Sandstone

Located in New York, NY

A modern sandstone mantel with shield and ribbon carving to the frieze supporting a deep shelf with lambs tongue decoration. The 3/4 column jambs support acanthus bracket corbels Op...

Category

Early 2000s Gothic Fireplaces and Mantels

Sandstone

19th Century Sandstone Fireplace with a Carved Meander

Unavailable

H 42.92 in W 55.91 in D 13 in

19th Century Sandstone Fireplace with a Carved Meander

Located in London, GB

Sandstone fireplace with a carved meander. This fireplace was made from a hard, soft tone white-grey sandstone, in the second half of the 19th century, somewhere between 1860-188...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Neoclassical Fireplaces and Mantels

Materials

Stone

18th Century Dated Fireplace 1737 in French Sandstone

Unavailable

H 52.37 in W 72.84 in D 9.85 in

18th Century Dated Fireplace 1737 in French Sandstone

Located in Zedelgem, BE

18th century dated fireplace 1737 in sandstone, interesting shape and style. The interior size: 140 cm wide x 99 cm high.

19th Century Sandstone Fireplace

Sold

H 53.15 in W 64.18 in D 26.78 in

19th Century Sandstone Fireplace

Located in Casteren, NL

19th century sandstone fireplace Originates France, dating circa 1820.

Materials

Sandstone

Fireplace in Oak and Green Sandstone, 1904

Sold

H 106.3 in W 61.42 in D 22.05 in

Fireplace in Oak and Green Sandstone, 1904

By Gentil & Bourdet

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

The fireplace is framed by a strong sandstone decorated with large Egyptian beetles in high relief and a leafy motif.

Category

Early 20th Century French Art Deco Fireplaces and Mantels

Materials

Oak, Ceramic

18th Century French Farmhouse Interior Stone Fireplace Mantel

Sold

H 48.04 in W 63.39 in D 9.06 in

18th Century French Farmhouse Interior Stone Fireplace Mantel

Located in Beervelde, BE

Original French sandstone fireplace surround. Timeless texture of the surface. The Fronton has been professionally repaired. Rest is perfect imperfection restoration and artempo cond...

Category

Antique 18th Century French Louis XIV Fireplaces and Mantels

Materials

Limestone, Sandstone

19th Century Sandstone Fireplace in the Tudor Manner

Sold

H 35.83 in W 52.76 in D 4.34 in

19th Century Sandstone Fireplace in the Tudor Manner

Located in Haarlem, Noord-Holland

A low and wide sandstone Tudor fireplace, known provenance. Opening measurements : 30.9 x 38 inch (height x width)

Materials

Materials

Cord, Hardwood

18th Century Painted Six Panelled Screen Depicting an European Landscape

$115,956

H 100.5 in W 151.25 in D 5 in

18th Century Painted Six Panelled Screen Depicting an European Landscape

Located in London, GB

A six panelled screen of the late Baroque period Oil on canvas, depicting a panoramic view of a Capriccio north European landscape, perhaps Schlesweig-Holstein, with distant views o...

Category

Antique 18th Century German Baroque Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Regency Style Statuary Marble Fireplace Mantel

$8,185

$12,000 / set

$2,500

H 26.75 in W 43.875 in D 25.25 in

Antique Swedish Oval Painted Center Table, circa 1900–1910

Located in Atlanta, GA

A Swedish oval center table from the early 20th century, circa 1900–1910, painted in a soft blend of green and grey that has aged into a fine patina. The oval top is supported by a s...

Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Center Tables

Materials

Pine

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Sandstone Fireplace Mantels For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of sandstone fireplace mantels for sale on 1stDibs. Each of these unique sandstone fireplace mantels was constructed with extraordinary care, often using stone, sandstone and limestone. Sandstone fireplace mantels have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. There are many kinds of sandstone fireplace mantels to choose from, but at 1stDibs, Georgian, Baroque and Louis XVI sandstone fireplace mantels are of considerable interest.

How Much are Sandstone Fireplace Mantels?

Sandstone fireplace mantels can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $12,000, while the lowest priced sells for $3,442 and the highest can go for as much as $48,000.

Finding the Right Fireplaces-mantels for You

While we likely wouldn’t mourn the invention of home heating and air-conditioning, these innovations did tragically reduce the widespread need for fireplaces and mantels in our living rooms.

Once an essential fixture in all homes, the fireplace, which, along with the chimney, is as old as the Middle Ages, was actually rendered redundant with the advent of the cast-iron heating stove during the 18th century. Victorian-era heating stoves were popular in the common areas of a living space for their capacity to heat as well as for their lack of smoke compared to fireplaces. However, improvements in craftsmanship as well as the Industrial Revolution meant that fireplaces were evolving in form and functionality.

Even as HVAC systems would eventually see to it that fireplaces weren’t a necessity, no mechanically engineered thermal heating and ventilation technology can replicate the feeling of warmth and camaraderie that a flickering fire guarantees. We just love a good fireplace.

“With antique fireplaces, you get heart, soul, character and architecture,” says Tony Ingrao, a Manhattan-based interior designer who purchased an important 16th-century French limestone fireplace for a client’s Greenwich Village townhouse.

Vintage fireplaces and mantels have earned their coveted position as desirable focal points in any room over the course of a staggering evolution in design that has yielded everything from intricately carved works of limestone to sleek works of wood paneling and rolled steel.

As log after log turns into ash, these iconic designs prove their timelessness and value, monetarily and as prized decorative monuments. Whether you seek to simply warm a space or completely transform it, an eye-catching new mantel for your blazing hearth — be it an elegant neoclassical design, a marvelous work of marble in the Louis XV style or an unconventional contemporary variation — is the perfect solution.

Find a collection of antique and vintage fireplaces and mantels on 1stDibs today.

Questions About Sandstone Fireplace Mantels

Why do fireplaces have mantels?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 29, 2024
Fireplaces have mantels to prevent smoke from entering the room. Initially, mantels functioned as hoods and were installed to protect an interior space and nearby objects from the extreme heat generated by a fireplace.

Today, fireplaces and mantels can be seen as a focal point in your decor. Fireplaces were once essential fixtures in a home. Even as HVAC systems would eventually see to it that fireplaces weren’t a necessity, no mechanically engineered thermal heating and ventilation technology can replicate the feeling of warmth and camaraderie that a flickering fire guarantees.

Find antique and vintage fireplaces and mantels on 1stDibs.
What is a fireplace mantel surround?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
A fireplace mantel surround is an object that extends from the fireplace's exterior wall into the room and frames the opening. It consists of the sides and a mantel, although it may or may not contain the hearth, which is the base of the fireplace. Fireplace surrounds assist in making a fireplace more of a centerpiece and focal point for a home, as well as offering a shelf space above the fireplace for personal objects to be displayed. Find a variety of antique and vintage fireplace mantel surrounds on 1stDibs.
How high should a mantel shelf be above a fireplace?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 29, 2024
A mantel shelf is typically mounted 12 inches above the inner section of a fireplace, which is called the firebox.

Today, fireplaces and mantels can be seen as a focal point in your decor. Vintage fireplaces and mantels have earned their coveted position as desirable focal points in any room over the course of a staggering evolution in design that has yielded everything from intricately carved works of limestone to sleek works of wood paneling and rolled steel.

Find antique and vintage fireplaces and mantels on 1stDibs.
What is a good color for a fireplace mantel?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 31, 2023
What color is good for a fireplace mantel depends on your space. Look for shades that complement your palette and fit the interior design theme of the room. Generally, neutral colors like black, white, gray and brown coordinate with many other hues, but other colors may work, too. Find a variety of fireplace mantels on 1stDibs.
What is a good depth for a fireplace mantel?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021
The ideal depth of a fireplace mantel is 7 inches. This allows enough room to display decorative objects such as candles, figurines, photo frames and more. Shop a collection of antique, vintage and contemporary fireplace mantels from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
What is the average width of a fireplace mantel?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
The average width of a fireplace mantel is 6 inches wider than the fireplace on either side. It can occasionally be even wider. While deciding on the right width for your space, factors to be considered are firebox dimensions, fireplace surround dimensions, hearth and room size. Shop a range of antique and vintage fireplace tools and mantels on 1stDibs.
Can you paint marble fireplace mantel?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertAugust 24, 2021
Yes, you can paint a marble fireplace mantel. As marble is a heavy natural stone that is expensive to replace, painting it with latex-based or chalk paint will help restore its luster. Find a variety of marble fireplace mantels on 1stDibs.

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