No matter what your style in interior design, you can find wood fireplace mantels to accentuate and dramatize it. The fireplace, after all, has been the focal point of homes ever since--this is guesswork, admittedly--we lived in caves. We no longer cook at the hearth, or heat our houses from it. Nonetheless, as a decor element, the fireplace evokes character, style, warmth, and welcome as nothing else can.

Wood fireplace mantels are probably the most flexible in terms of design. At one extreme are formal paneled rooms with crown moulding, chair rails, and brick hearths. At the other are rough-hewn oak or pine beams in a stone chimney wall. Somewhere in the middle are the clean lines of a country cottage overmantel above a ceramic tile surround. There are any number of amazing decorative effects you can achieve.

If you're lucky enough to have a fine mahogany, walnut, or cherry mantel, you won't want to paint it. Thanks to faux painting effects, however, on other wood fireplace mantels--such as pine or birch--you have countless decorating possibilities. These include marble, granite block, tile, and grained wood, to name just a few. Look at the design and decorating shelves of your local Borders or Barnes and Noble, or browse online. Let your imagination go!

Last but Not Least: Wood Fireplace Mantels throughout the Year

The pleasure of fireplaces is how well they change with the seasons. You're not stuck with the exact same look throughout the year. In winter you might want to drape garlands of evergreens over the fireplace. In summer you might enjoy fresh flowers on the hearth, or perhaps an array of scented candles. Dried flower arrangements are very effective as well.