DIY floating mantel just in time for Christmas

This is the story of our everchanging TV wall. We finally got it right, mind you after multiple  attempts, but nonetheless we finally got it right. See we started with a black-brown mantel, very simple and there was definitely nothing wrong with it but all the wires hanging out and about for everyone to see was so unpleasing.

 So we tried to build our own TV wall station consisting of two pieces of wood and an insert for the mounted flat-screen TV. Sorry I do not have any pictures of the actual feature but trust me, it really was not photo worthy.
This is the inspiration picture for the TV wall but the one we built was not so glamorous. It sat in our living room for close to six months before we tried something new.

Source: http://www.trendir.com/archives/cat_modern_tv_stands.html

Going back to the drawing board, I found another inspiration for a TV wall and added a large ornate frame into the space with an added conduit setup to hide all of the wires. This was again a not so terrible alternative but definitely did not meet our standards of beauty.

So finally, just a little over one week ago, I went back to change the look with a traditional option. See we still had the old mantel that we took off sitting in our storage so we used the backside of the wood from our first DIY TV wall to bulk up the old mantel and change its stain to be more in trend. My husband took these large pieces of wood and got them cut to the desired size from the Home Depot. My husband knows the sales guy working at the Home Depot on a first name basis so guess what? The cuts were completely free. Then it was as simple fitting the pieces to the mantel, we did this using carpenters nails. For the final two side pieces, my husband measured and cut them manually in very slow and consistent cuts to fit them right in. A little tapping with the hammer and they were a perfect fit.

The Repurposed raw wood installed around the old mantel.

See how we bulked up the old one! This is a side view!

 

Fitting the sides into the opening slots!

Perfect Fit!

Using the old wood plate template, we cut to measure new plywood as the new wood plate. This was securely installed onto the studs in this wall.

the old template!

To reattach the mantel piece, we fit the wood plate into the opening and used 6- three inch screws  on the top and bottom screwed into the wood plate to attach the mantel securely to the wall and allows our mantel to "float".

Finally, after sanding the whole thing down, I stained the whole mantel with Minwax Gunstock Stain for which I still have to apply a second coat. I am hoping to do that in the next few days to complete the whole project and give the mantel a more finished look.  As I mentioned in this earlier post, the warm wood tones of the Gunstock stain add a cozy and warm atmosphere for our otherwise cold space.

All the wires are tucked away.

From now on, I have decided to do a cost breakdown for all of my DIYs.
This was about a two day project consisting of about 4 hours consistent work to complete the project. Ofcourse with a baby in tow, these projects always seem to take a little longer. 
Here is the breakdown for this mantel project:
1. Mantel- already had, came with the apartment but if you are starting from scratch you are creating a long but narrow box
2. Pine wood- repurposed from another TV wall project and cost around 6 dollars for raw wood
3. Wood cuts- Free
4. Stain- I bought this stain for another project for the living room which is completed but I had to let that furniture piece go. Since I had a half a can of the stain left over, I thought this wood tone would be a great addition to the living room.
Until next time, happy decorating!
Ameera