Presidentially-Worthy Fireplaces Mantels: 28 in the White House

With 28 fireplaces within the White House, America's most prestigious home is full of home design inspiration. From ornate marble designs to classic wood mantels, the White House is the perfect place to begin planning your dream fireplace mantel.

4 Reasons You Need A Fireplace Mantel In Your Home

A fireplace mantel is more than just a cozy ambiance and a gorgeous design piece within your home, it's also one of the best ways to increase your home's resale value. With so many reasons to invest in a fireplace mantel, why wouldn't you consider one for your home?

Fireside Romance: Valentine’s Date Ideas

Product Spotlight: Tabletop Gel Fireplaces

Invest in a modern tabletop gel fireplace to create a stunning and romantic ambiance in your home or business. Environmentally-friendly and affordable, these fireplaces are too good to pass up.

Olympic-Inspired Mantels For Your Home

Cheer on your favorite Olympians in style with one of these gorgeous Olympics-inspired fireplace mantels for your home. With the scenic mountains, ice and snow as inspiration, you'll want one of these medal-worthy mantels in your home, too.

How to Create a Romantic Room for Valentine’s Day

Entertain Year-Round With Outdoor Patio Heaters

Create inspirational and stylish entertainment areas with these outdoor patio heaters. Perfect for tabletops, tiki torches or floor standing situations, a patio heater will allow your spring entertaining to begin a little earlier this year.

Cabinet and Corner Mantels with Bookshelves

Make It Unique with a Custom Mantel Shelf

Custom mantel shelves are perfect for the situations when "standard" just won't do. From corner mantels to peninsula mantels to mantels just in need of a facelift, there is a custom fireplace mantel and a simple measuring guide for it.

Wood Fireplace Mantels for the Modern Home

Oftentimes wood mantels bring to mind formal, stiff images of a Victorian-era home, but with various stains and paints to choose from, a wood fireplace mantel could easily hold its own amongst modern design elements. With the right colors, patterns and textures, these mantels will fit seamlessly into your modern home.

Must-Have Mantel Accessories

Dressing up your mantel isn’t something to do just at holiday time. Mantel accessories are a way to keep your fireplace and ultimately living space looking hip and trendy. From brilliant bronze to copper, pewter, iron, or gold, choose one metal finish for all your fireplace tools and lay them out strategically around the fire as accent pieces. The metal will beautifully reflect and setoff the light and colors from the flame.

How to Install a Mantel Surround Facing Kit

With the right features, a fireplace can easily become your family’s favorite part of a room. Beautiful mantel surround facing kits offer more than just another design element to a fireplace, though, as they are functional, too, acting as a protective heat barrier around the firebox. Available in four-piece kits, these surrounds are simple to install for the layman or experienced DIYer.

The Newest Trends in Mantel Designs: Surround Facing Kits

Fireplaces are as popular as ever and with 2014 just beginning, it’s apparent that trend won’t be going away anytime soon. In an effort to maintain the traditional beauty of their pre-existing fireplace mantels, many homeowners have opted for small “facelift” updates for their fireplaces with mantel surrounds. Available in four-piece facing kits, the stone serves as a stylish, protective barrier between the fireplace and mantel. With granite and marble being some of the most prominent design materials, it’s easy to see why this trend will stick around for several years to come.

Mantels fit for a king

The mantel is no doubt meant to be a statement piece. Designed of regal stone or impressive marble, mantels were originally associated with mansions and palaces. Adorned with gilded mirrors, candelabras and dripping with florals, make a massive statement with rich finishes and intricate detail to turn your own drab living space into a place fit for a king. Even if you’re not royal or famous just yet, what’s stopping you from living like you are?

Warm up with a Ventless Fireplace

Outdoor Gel Fuel Fireplaces and Bio Ethanol Fireplaces create real fire without the mess or hassle of traditional wood or propane gas fireplaces. They offer the look of a log fire and provide a genuine combustible flame, allowing you to enjoy the ambiance of an outdoor fire without the odor, smoke, fumes or heavy fire logs associated with real wood. MantelsDirect.com offers a variety of outdoor gel fuel models including pagodas and log sets that may be used to convert existing wood or gas logs in a fireplace or fire pit or smaller tabletop models for a portable, convenient indoor version. The gel is made mostly of isopropyl alcohol that is sold in 12-18 oz cans.

You’re Four Simple Steps from Your Dream Fireplace Mantel

As you return home from a fun holiday break, you can’t help recalling some of the best memories you shared with your loved ones — most of which occurred in front your relatives’ amazing fireplace. With a few months of winter left, it’s not too late to purchase and install your own fireplace mantel or makeover an existing hearth to be able to enjoy it before the weather turns. With this 4-step checklist and tons of monthly deals to choose from, you may find this is the easiest decision you’ve made all in awhile.

The Best Backyard Products for the Entertainer

Some people are just born entertainers and hosts. You know, those friends who are finding an excuse to throw a party any time of the year. But in order to throw the backyard bash of the century, you have to have the right setup, design and accessories to turn your yard into an outdoor oasis. Encourage mixing and mingling with oversized furniture, waterscapes (pools, fountains, etc.) and a central location to house food and drinks like a bar or outdoor kitchen. Here are a few jaw-dropping backyard products that break the mold and will make you the envy of everyone in the neighborhood.

Staycation Gathered Around The Firepit

The budget-conscious say vacation is a mindset. With a tent, gear like a portable fire pit and sightseeing spots right at our fingertips, why not stay at home? Have you thought about relaxing in your own yard, pitching a tent, building a campfire and taking in the night sky? Many parents, in fact, find the staycation more relaxing than going away, not having to deal with airports or crowds, especially if they have young children.

Modern Materials for Modern Outdoor Spaces

In the 21st century, outdoor patio furniture became sophisticated. Creating a visual flow from indoor to outdoor spaces extended living areas and draws you outdoors. Select pieces that suit your aesthetic in a variety of interesting materials other than wicker or wrought iron, more similar to what is used in high end interior design.

Outdoor Fireplace Design Decisions

Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are all about ambiance. If you’re dreaming of what one could look like in your backyard, consider the following design issues: views from the yard and house, large structures, direction of wind, and existing hardscapes.