When selecting a mantel for your home there are several factors which ought to be considered. The first is: where will the mantel be installed? Are you requiring a mantel for an existing space or for a newly constructed room? If you are wanting to add a mantel to an already existing room then you may want to consider certain architectural and design elements of the space, as well as the furnishings in the room. Ultimately you may want to employ the services of a design professional to help you make your selection. Also, it may be wise to consult an architect and mason prior to selecting your mantel. Together with the help of these professionals, you will be able to make a selection which not only suits your design aesthetic but which is also suitable and feasible for the space in question.

If you are selecting a mantel for a space which is being newly constructed, then your design options become ever greater and your limitations, fewer. Remember, however, that a mantel serves a variety of purposes; before making a purchase you should decide which purpose the mantel will best serve in its new location. Will the room be a formal entertaining space or an intimate part of the house designed mostly as a private sanctuary? Would you prefer the mantel to enhance the surrounding furnishings by subtly adding to the overall visual appearance of the room or do you want the mantel to be a significant focal point of the room? In other words, what is the primary purpose of the mantel?

Once these issues have been addressed, you are ready to make your selection. Be sure to choose a mantel which suits your needs and satisfies your senses. Make your selection carefully; your mantel will add value to your home as well as offering a lifetime of visual pleasure.

There are several things you should consider before selecting accessories for your mantel. They include: the size and style of your mantel, the size of the room, the purpose of the mantel, the design elements in the room, and whether or not you will be having a real wood-burning fire in the fireplace. Think about these things before you start adding accessories; how you dress your mantel is important for both aesthetic purposes and function.

The size of the mantel is important in helping you or your design professional decide on the correct size of accessories needed. For example, you do not want to select a pair of andirons or a fire fender larger than your hearth can accommodate. Nor do you want to choose a screen which is disproportionate to your mantel opening.

The size of the room is also important. Some rooms, for example, may be too small for the additional heat radiated by a fireback. Large rooms, on the other hand, lend themselves to large mantels and grand scale accessories. So be careful to select fireplace accessories which suit the size of the mantel and the size of the room.

Something else to consider is the purpose of the mantel. Will it serve as a focal point of the room? If so, then you may want to select an important pair of andirons which will draw attention to your mantel. If, however, the mantel's purpose is simply to enhance the room but not to draw too much attention, then perhaps a simpler pair of andirons would be more suitable.

Fire tools are almost always a requisite. Even if you are not constructing a wood-burning fireplace and even if you will not be having a real fire, fire tools add a certain decorative element which - even if purely ornamental - is essential. Choosing the appropriate set of tools for your mantel is therefore important in helping complete the statement you are trying to make. In earlier times, a fine set of fire tools was often reserved for purely decorative purposes while an additional more basic set of tools was kept hidden away for actually tending the fire.

So accessorize your mantel to suit your taste, your life-style and the particular design elements of your room. Beautiful accessories add a sense of grandeur to any fireplace.