Reclaimed Limestone Mantel

A reclaimed limestone fireplace mantel with sweeping legs, a thick lintel and a broad, tiered rectangular shelf. The lower jambs curve deeply and carry the heavy masonry above with a quiet, grounded weight. The stone is mineral gray and chalk cream, with faint warm traces caught in the grain. A single shell in relief sits at the center of the frieze, the only decoration on a broad, flat lintel. Up close the surface shows small pits, old marks and a deeply matte texture, and the edges are softly worn from decades of use rather than freshly cut.

It measures 72 inches wide, 21 1/2 inches deep and 63 inches high; the opening is 46 1/2 inches wide and 46 inches high.

An antique fireplace mantel of this height and mass belongs in a main living room, an entry hall or a large library, and it does well in rooms with higher ceilings where the tall shaped legs can be read in full. It frames a working fireplace or stands as a dry surround, and the thick ledge holds an antique mirror, a framed drawing or a heavy vessel. The limestone fireplace mantel is in our yard in Marina Del Rey; come and see it, or ask for photographs and a quote.