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Steel the Show: Metal Clad Black Fireplace Mantel

Metal Clad Black Fireplace Mantel

In the living room, a fireplace has always been the main interior design focal point of the room. It is an excellent centerpiece that brings warmth to the room. It makes the room feel more welcoming and cozy. Without a fireplace, the room can seem cold, both in temperature and aesthetic. Of course, there are many styles of fireplace aesthetics. These different styles work with different home decorating themes. In this article, we are going to focus on metal clad black fireplace mantel options. This bold fireplace style has a lot to offer in terms of enhancing a room visually.

This Post Covers These Topics:

  • What Is a Metal Clad Fireplace Mantel? – An explanation of what we mean by metal clad is how we will begin this post.

  • Does a Black Metal Mantel Look Good With All Types of Home Decor Styles? – We cover some of the challenges with using black metals in different decorating styles.

  • For a Metal Clad Living Room Fireplace, Can You Use MDF Instead of a Solid Wood Fireplace Mantel? – We discuss engineered wood and its use with metal clad fireplace mantels.

  • What are Some Different Ideas For a Metal Clad Black Fireplace Mantel? – The bulk of this post will focus on different ideas of mantels that use a metal clad design.

  • Is a DIY Install Possible For a Black Fireplace Mantel or Do You Need a Professional? – We discuss installing metal clad mantels alone.

  • What Issues Will You Face Buying a Generic Brand of Fireplace Mantel Shelf or Surround? – Generic have their pros and cons. Both are discussed here.

  • Is Pearl Mantels a Good Place To Get Fireplace Mantels & Surrounds? – We cover this third-party mantel manufacturer.

  • How Is an Electric Fireplace Superior To a Wood or Gas Fireplace? – Whether you use a metal clad mantel or some other type, this section focuses on the importance of electric fireplaces versus other types.

  • Can You Use an Electric Insert With a Third-Party Fireplace Mantel? – The versatility of inserts is mentioned in detail.

  • Why Is MagikFlame The Best Brand To Purchase a Fireplace Insert From? – The merits and advantages you get with an insert from MagikFlame are how this post finishes.

What Is a Metal Clad Fireplace Mantel?

Fireplace mantels that are metal clad have been covered in metals sheets. These can be sheets that are only around a single part of the mantel or they can be sheets that cover an entire surround going from the floor to the ceiling. Metal sheets don’t necessarily need to be black. They can be stainless steel or other colored metal looks.

Of course, metal clad fireplaces can be purchased as entire mantel packages, or they can be customized as a specific look that is unique to your home. By customizing the fireplace aesthetics, you can make it work better with the room as a whole.

Does a Black Metal Mantel Look Good With All Types of Home Decor Styles?

The room design aesthetics play a big part in how a metal clad fireplace will work with it. While a talented interior designer can make many different styles work with a darker metal clad fireplace, some styles may prove difficult.

A rustic fireplace is one of the styles that can prove difficult. A rustic fireplace will typically have a wood shelf. A rustic wood will be used. This will be a wood that has a deep grain, rich texture, and often a darker color. It can be an aged wood that looks like it was repurposed from a farm.

This makes using larger metal sheets for a metal clad fireplace difficult to match with a rustic style. Black may not be the best choice unless you used wrought iron in other parts of the decorating. You may be better off with a metal with a brownish color to it like an aged copper. When it comes to using metal sheets with a fireplace that has a rustic style, the subtle details, and additional accessories will be what makes the biggest difference in the style.

A modern farmhouse is another style that you may have trouble mixing with black metals. Modern farmhouse is similar to rustic, but it is just a little cleaner, updated for the times, and often more minimalistic. Using black for the metal sheets can contrast with this style. Instead, you can try standard metal sheets and try a matte white effect using paint. Give the metal texture with the paint. You don’t want it to look completely painted with a thick coat, otherwise, it defeats the purpose of using metal sheets, to begin with.

For a Metal Clad Living Room Fireplace, Can You Use MDF Instead of a Solid Wood Fireplace Mantel?

MDF is a type of engineered wood. It is lighter, cheaper, and easier to install. Unfortunately, it often doesn’t look as good as standard wood mantels. It certainly won’t last as long. Because of this, it is usually recommended to avoid using engineered wood like this for a mantel. If you’re going with a mantel with a wood aesthetic, you’re better off increasing your budget and going with solid quality wood.

When adding metal sheets to a mantel, this is where engineered wood options become more viable. Because the engineered wood will be hidden by the metal sheets, how good the engineered looks aren’t an issue. Additionally, the metal sheets protect the engineered wood from chips, scratches, and more. This means that using engineered wood is a great choice if the mantel will be completely clad in metal sheets. The cheaper engineered wood option will offset the cost of the metal sheets. Additionally, the lighter weight of the engineered wood can also help with weight issues when installing a mantel with metal sheets.

While engineered options like MDF are usually not recommended in many cases, the scenario where it is most viable is when the mantel or surround will be covered by slick metal sheets.

What are Some Different Ideas For a Metal Clad Black Fireplace Mantel?

Below are several ideas where you can use black mantels covered with metals sheets in your fireplace design. Use these ideas as a great jumping-off point and customize them to fit your home decorating style of choice. Here are the ideas:

One idea is a fireplace that combines darkened steel sheets with faux stone. The sheets don’t need to be midnight black. Instead, you can have a matte black treatment that matches well with a faux stone backing. While using real stone will last longer and can look great, faux stone is significantly cheaper and easier to install. While they won’t last as long, you can get some faux stone panels to go on the wall behind the fireplace. These panels can look as good as the real thing.

For a clean and modern fireplace, Build and large surround that vertically extends to the ceiling. Use sleek midnight black sheets that have high contrast with the clean white paint on the walls. For balance, you can use midnight black or another black paint on a single accent wall on the opposite side of the room.

Another idea is to use a fireplace clad with blackened steel sheets that have a slight color tint to them. If you use track lighting or warm spotlights near the top of the fireplace mantel shelf, the reflections add a beautiful element. Even the glow of the flames can have an interesting effect on a fireplace mantel shelf with this treatment.

Another interesting look is a midnight black monochromatic mantel shelf with a firewood storage niche built nearby. The firewood storage can be built using shelving directly into a recessed wall on one or both sides of the fireplace. The mantel shelf can be made to sit flush with the niche, or it can be slightly further from the wall for an added focus.

Instead of a standard mantel shelf, you can try a floating shelf using corbels. Typically, a floating shelf is simply made of wood. However, by adding metal sheets that match the corbels, your floating shelf will have a unique look. Due to the weight, consider using thinner metal sheets for this style of fireplace. This will eliminate strain on the studs in the walls and allow you to add items on top of the mantel as well.

It’s common for people to use a TV stand fireplace for the TV in their home. However, instead of a TV stand, you can mount your TV above a fireplace. Instead of regular wall decor above the fireplace, mount the TV so that it is recessed cleanly in the metal sheets. This can have a great modern and sophisticated appeal to it.

If you have a beautiful brick fireplace and you want to continue showing off the beautiful exposed bricks, use metal sheets as a backing on the wall around and above the fireplace. Depending on the wall size, you may even want to cover that entire wall in metal sheets. Add wall sconces, artwork, and more to fill out the space.

Is a DIY Install Possible For a Black Fireplace Mantel or Do You Need a Professional?

Home improvement is something that many people enjoy doing themselves if it is possible to do so. Of course, some jobs are larger undertakings than others. Once in a while, these larger jobs require professionals to help. This can be because the specific knowledge required is advanced to a point that people shouldn’t attempt them without training. This will be things like plumbing and electric work. Of course, there are a lot of home projects that are all about aesthetics. Often, these types of jobs are something that many homeowners can handle without any outside help. One of these projects is installing fireplace mantels or surrounds.

If you have a surround that you purchased that is ready to be placed around your fireplace, this is usually something most people can handle by themselves. The additional weight of the metal sheets could mean you need an extra pair of hands to help out, however, a friend or family member is usually enough.

If you are doing a recessed wall installation of your metal sheet clad mantel, this is going to be more involved. While the work is trickier to get it to look perfect, the skill required and the tools needed are usually fine for most people. In the end, you usually just need some patience and an eye for detail. Many professionals can do a great job with custom projects like this, and they can usually finish it faster than you would be able to yourself. However, if you enjoy the adventure of improving your home with your own hands, it is worth giving it a shot by yourself.

If you have an installation in mind that seems difficult and you don’t know where to begin, take a look online. Do a search on YouTube for an installation that is similar to the one that you want to attempt. There are so many amazing step-by-step tutorials that you can find. Since it is a YouTube video, it is easier to see exactly what is involved compared to trying to read instructions from a blog. After you have seen the installation being finished in a video, you’ll have a better idea of what will be involved. If it looks doable, then you won’t need to hire any kind of professional help for your mantel installation. Even if it looks like something that you might want to hire a professional for instead, you can still get some great aesthetic ideas from any installation or tutorials that you watch.

What Issues Will You Face Buying a Generic Brand of Fireplace Mantel Shelf or Surround?

Don’t pull out your debit or credit card to buy the first generic mantel that you see. There are many issues that people are commonly met with when they purchase generic fireplace mantels. Quality of the materials used and the build quality itself are two aspects that often fall short with generic mantel brands. You don’t want to spend money on a cheaper generic brand. Truthfully, it will cost you even more money than if you just bought a nicer mantel from a trusted brand to start with. This is because the mantel will not last as long. You’ll have to replace it after only a few years of use.

Commonly, these generic brands of mantels are listed in best seller sections of online retailers like Amazon. Just because they are listed as best sellers doesn’t mean they are the best mantel. It simply means that many people were convinced to purchase based on the pricing alone. Understandably, people want a good deal, but for such an important focus piece in your home, a cheap mantel isn’t a good investment or a good deal.

Even if the mantel is listed under new arrivals, you need to be careful when purchasing. Check to see if it is from a trusted brand. Read the product details and see what kind of material is used. Is it a higher-quality material? Will the size work for your home? Additionally, check the reviews thoroughly. Having no reviews is a red flag that the product isn’t good. If it has many positive reviews, make sure that they seem like real reviews. Don’t be tricked by shadier sites that put up artificial reviews on their website. Going with a trusted brand will eliminate all of these issues and help with any doubt you may have.

Is Pearl Mantels a Good Place To Get Fireplace Mantels & Surrounds?

This is a great place to get both mantels and surrounds for your fireplace. If you are worried about getting a third-party mantel for your fireplace from a trusted brand, this is the manufacturer that you may want to consider. You can get their mantels directly from their website, or you can get them on large online retailers like Amazon or Wayfair.

One of their most popular mantel models is the Crestwood mantel. The Crestwood is a mantel shelf with a crown molding design. This can look good with certain styles of metal clad surrounds or fireplace back walls.

Of course, they have many other mantel styles for you to choose from. If you browse their mantels, you can find many types that will look good with metal clad designs. You can also consider getting a simple surround from them to do your metal sheet cladding to the outside of it. Look through what they have to offer and see what types of ideas it sparks for you.

How Is an Electric Fireplace Superior To a Wood or Gas Fireplace?

Fireplace type matters a lot in modern homes. If you have recently started working with an architect to design a new home, you’ve likely talked about fireplace type and placement. However, before you move on to a home builder starting the construction of your home, you will want to consider using an electric fireplace over other types.

Traditional fireplaces that involve burning wood logs are outdated and come with too many issues. Safety is a major concern with these types of fireplaces. They are both a fire hazard and a breathing hazard. The same can be said about gas fireplaces. Additionally, both require maintenance and cleaning on a regular schedule. Without this maintenance and cleaning, your fireplace can have some issues performing optimally.

Electric fireplaces are the better choice. Nothing is burning to produce heat, so they are free of the same fire hazards. Additionally, if you prefer clean air to breathe, electric fireplaces will be the choice to go with over wood or gas.

Maintenance and cleaning of electric fireplaces is rarely something that is needed. High-quality electric fireplaces rarely need maintenance. Cleaning is usually just taken care of when you do your general dusting in the room. Nothing needs to be internally cleaned like traditional fireplaces.

Installation is another place where electric fireplaces excel. Install them in any room with ease. No chimney or ventilation flues are required. Instead of your main room, enjoy a dining room fireplace or one in the family room at the other end of the house. Installation is easy. After you’ve got your fireplace where you want it, it only needs to be plugged into the normal wall outlet found in your house.

Commonly, electric fireplaces are more efficient with the heat that they produce compared to other fireplace types. This is once again due to the lack of a ventilation requirement. Traditional fireplaces lose a significant portion of their heat through the ventilation system like a flue or chimney. Electric fireplaces use all of the heat they produce to warm the room.

If you don’t want to get up from your seat to change the temperature, electric fireplaces have remote control devices. With them, you can turn the fireplace on, select the temperature that you would like, and change any of the additional effects the fireplace offers.

Can You Use an Electric Insert With a Third-Party Fireplace Mantel?

Electric fireplaces usually come in freestanding models, often with an included mantel. Of course, for people that already have an older existing fireplace in their home that burns fuel like wood or a type of gas, electric inserts are an option. They can update these older fireplaces without needing to completely rebuild them during a home remodel. They slip right into the fireplace’s firebox. However, electric fireplaces are more versatile than this. They can also be used with third-party mantels like the ones from Pearl Mantels. You can use them as the fireplace in any design involving metal sheet cladding. Even if you were going to build your custom mantel instead of buying one from a third-party company, an insert will be your best friend. You can build your mantel to perfectly fit around an electric insert.

Why Is MagikFlame The Best Brand

Why Is MagikFlame The Best Brand To Purchase a Fireplace Insert From?

The MagikFlame 28 Insert is one of the best models on the market. This is due to:

  • Ultrarealistic Fire Effects – 30 beautiful styles of flickering flames are 3D projected using holographic technology.

  • Crackling Log Sounds – The sounds of burning logs add to the immersive atmosphere of MagikFlame fireplaces. Nature sounds are available as well.

  • 5,200 BTU Heat – The efficient heating power of the infrared quartz coils will keep your home cozy and your heating bill low.

  • Smartphone App – An impressive app is used to remotely control your MagikFlame from any spot in your home.

Check out the detailed MagikFlame Electric Fireplace Buying Guide for more information.

Traditional White Electric Fireplace Mantel & Insert with Sound and Heater
Stand-Alone Electric Fireplace Insert with Sound and Heater
Modern White Electric Fireplace Mantel & Insert with Sound and Heater
European Style White Electric Fireplace Mantel & Insert with Sound and Heater
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