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Originally Posted On: https://www.oldwestiron.com/blogs/news/how-fireplace-mantel-straps-can-add-style-to-your-home

 

Your home should stand out from the crowd. In a world where well-decorated interiors are becoming more of the norm, it’s easy for your interior design to look like your friends’, family’s, and strangers’ homes.

But you don’t want your home to look like everyone else’s. If you’re the kind of person that’s always looking for a way to add unique details to your home decor, then here’s a little design secret.

You’re missing a design opportunity with your fireplace mantel. This small area can add a huge pop of style to your home. Here are a few reasons why you should try fireplace mantel straps in your home design.

What Are Fireplace Mantel Straps?

First, let’s get the obvious question out of the way. What are mantel straps? Mantel straps are a piece of metal that offers support and reinforcement to the wood.

These pieces of metal wrap around the beam or mantel as a way of bracing the joists. They could also be used to repair or add extra support to a broken piece of wood.

They were common in older timber architecture and can still be seen in many antique structures. However, with modern building practices, these features are not as widely used. Though you may see hints of it in some homes.

For example, one place they are often used is on mantles. If you have a wood beam used as a mantel, these can offer extra support to hold the beam in place as well as add a decorative touch.

With a variety of styles for the strapping, you can create a totally unique fireplace mantel that is the showpiece of the room.

Ways to Use Mantel Strapping

As stated, there is no one way to use mantle strapping in your home. In fact, you can find a way to incorporate the metal into your design that complements your interior design style and offers some utility to your mantelpiece.

A common style is a metal inlay. This is an ornamental style where the piece of metal runs through the piece of wood, embedded so the two materials would be flush against each other.

An inlay style might also feature decorative details like buttons or be pieces of shaped metal placed into the wood. Another decorative piece of inlay may include a functional drawer.

However, the most common style for metal mantle straps is the bracket-style. These pieces of metal wrap around either end of the wood beam in the classic way that offered support.

Though popular and common, there are many ways to dress up this classic style. There could be ornamentation like double layers of metal and decorative metal ivy. The mantel strapping could also feature hooks and rings.

Hooks and rings offer a decorative detail with some function. You may choose to hang your fireplace poker, hang lights or holiday garland, or even display your Christmas stockings.

You can find a way to work in utility while maintaining a stylish decorative detail for your fireplace mantel decor.

 

Complementing Interior Styles

If you’re looking to add mantel straps to your fireplace at home, you may first wonder if it will fit with your other decor and overall styling. While there are ways to fit most decorative details into all interior styles, some may pair better.

Because of their classic use in architecture, mantel straps may best pair with homes that feature more traditional interior styles. Farmhouse and rustic decor are the top options as they call back to the roots of those styles.

Mantel strapping can be a great way to highlight a rustic fireplace in an older home. They could even be used to make the fireplace look more rustic and antique to better fit an interior aesthetic.

However, you may also find them in modern traditional homes as an antique-like showpiece that stands out from more contemporary designs. Another contemporary style that would pair well would be the industrial style.

Industrial already incorporates a lot of metalwork into the design. Pieces that feature a mix of metal and wood are commonplace, so mantel strapping would be the perfect addition.

Of course, these are not hard and fast rules. If your home does not have one of these styles, that does not mean that you are not allowed to use mantel strapping in your design.

If you love the look of mantel strapping, you can find a way to incorporate it into almost any interior design. This just means being creative with your choices of wood and strapping style to fit your overall aesthetic.

How to Dress Up a Fireplace

While the fireplace is a decorative area on its own, that doesn’t mean you can’t dress it up a little. Here are a few fireplace mantel ideas that will draw attention to this centerpiece so you can show off the new mantel strapping.

If you’re looking for a classic, simple way to dress up your fireplace, consider using candles. Candles can be elegant, creating a stylish decor piece whether they’re lit or not.

Garland is another common piece of decor that’s not only for the holiday season. You can find mantel garland that doesn’t pertain to a particular holiday but rather adds some greenery to your home.

You may also choose to decorate with objects like vases, flowers and plants, books, mirrors, and photos. However you choose to decorate, just be sure to show off the mantel strapping.

 

Transform Your Home with Style

Have you ever stared at your fireplace and thought that something was missing? Your home might be lacking some decor details that could possibly transform your space into somewhere extraordinary.

Your fireplace could use an extra detail to allow it to stand out from the crowd? Fireplace mantel straps can be that detail that adds a little something extra to your home. Small details can make the design.

Are you looking for more ideas for ironwork throughout your home? Contact our experts and allow them to help you find all the details to transform your home!