Do you have a fireplace that would look great with a mantel mounted above it? This type of mantel can be built for a fraction of the cost of buying one custom built for you. This mantel was built by one of my customers (see Customer Projects page).
The cost of purchasing these mantels will be about the same as cornices and crown molding shelves, about $5 per inch.
This 60" mantel would cost about $300 to have made for you. Build it yourself for about $30.
Chapter 10 of our new book provides detailed information on how to build your own for a fractions of the cost.