Inspiration image: Skonahem via Brown Button
A couple of weeks ago I shared my faux fireplace mantel and the little dilemma I was trying to solve. I wanted to use a mantel surround in my entry to add character, even though there isn’t a real fireplace there. The problem was an awkwardly placed cold air return vent on the wall where I wanted to install the mantel. Story of my life — there’s always a dilemma, right?
My main question was: how do I keep the mantel on that wall and hide the vent without blocking airflow? I also wanted the mantel to read like an intentional architectural element in the room, not an afterthought.
To get ideas flowing I opened the comments and you all delivered — more than 200 creative suggestions! I truly read and considered every option and appreciated the time people took to share their thoughts.
As I weighed the suggestions, I had to be realistic about time, skill and budget. I didn’t want a complicated DIY project, I wanted to keep costs modest, and I wanted something that would look right in the actual room — not just in a photo. I also had to consider my personal style and how the mantel would fit our home.
Many readers sent inspiration photos and helpful ideas. My friend Darlene from Fieldstone Hill kindly emailed links to beautiful antique grates. She understood my goal to make the mantel an intentional, attractive architectural statement rather than something that reads fake. I loved her suggestions.
In the end I couldn’t find an antique or distinctive grate locally — living on a peninsula makes that kind of hunting difficult unless you travel or order online. I also hesitated to order something sight unseen in case it didn’t work with the space.
One suggestion that stood out came from Patti, who pointed me to a photo on Brown Button that matched the angle and feel of my wall. That image felt especially relevant to my situation and sparked an idea.
Skonahem via Brown Button
What I liked about that inspiration photo was how the screen covers the air return without restricting airflow, while visually unifying the mantel and screen as a single, solid architectural element. The screen in the photo is white rather than black, which gives the mantel a chunkier, more cohesive appearance — a detail I ended up liking.
With that image stored on my phone, I went hunting locally. I wasn’t expecting to find a perfect match on our limited peninsula, but I did discover what I think will be a solid solution. It won’t be an exact copy of the inspiration photo, and that’s fine — inspiration should inform your own interpretation and style.
Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll show what I found!