The Fireplace Mantel:
I really want to tell everyone I meet about my fireplace mantel. I’m just THAT IN LOVE! I knew in my head exactly what I wanted, turn of the century barn wood beam, all banged up, weathered, worn, and aged, light in color… pretty specific, and if you know how much original barn wood costs, a very large price tag.
I found my inspiration photo on Pinterest. Then I hit the internet to see what I could find.
For those that don’t know me… I’m a Craigslist fanatic and that’s exactly where I found it. (See “How to Shop Craigslist” for my tips and tricks) I came across a posting in College Station, TX entitled “Beautiful hand-hewn Beams”. I clicked on it, and it was love at first sight. I emailed, and right away I received a nice email in return, asking me what exactly I wanted, and when I needed it. I asked a ton of questions about his work and mantels. He again quickly answered all of them, and then said he could have it ready right away! (Instant gratification is the best) So I summoned the husband and informed him we would be driving to College Station that next weekend to pick it up! And of course that was followed by “are you sure this is what you want”, “we haven’t even picked paint colors yet”, and “you know there are no returns on this”. ….Maybe he knows me too well…. Anywho, the answer was YES! I was already in love!
So we drive to College Station, TX, pull up in the dark to an older house with hardly any light, and a nice voice says “pull around back”. We drive down a narrow drive to his workshop, all lit up in the darkness. He introduces himself as Jeremy, he’s tall and as nice as can be. He then shows me my mantel and corbels, perfection. He cuts, hand hews, and distresses all the beams himself. Nothing looks machine-made or mass-produced. And the corbels were a perfect match to the mantel, just the way I love.
I think I smiled the whole way home, and I cannot wait to hang them up! Stay tuned for more pictures!
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Artist information: Jeremy with Weathered Frog || [email protected]
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