2 Best Woods for Fireplace Mantel Shelves

If you're looking for a great way to breathe some new life into your home's fireplace, you may want to consider adding fireplace mantel shelves. Before proceeding to purchase and install these shelves, however, make a point of familiarizing yourself with the two best types of wood to use for this project.

Rustic Timber

If you want to give your fireplace an outdoorsy feel, rustic timber is a great material for your fireplace mantel shelves. Because this type of wood doesn't feature the clean, meticulously sanded look you get with most varieties of lumber, timber is best suited for mantel shelves found in rural homes or log cabins. This type of wood also conveys a strong sense of nature appreciation, making it the ideal shelving wood for environmentally conscious individuals.

Store-Bought Lumber

If you'd like to give your home's fireplace a more contemporary look, store-bought lumber is the best type of wood for your fireplace mantel shelves. Unlike the above-mentioned timber, this type of wood has undergone extensive cleaning and sanding and comes in a variety of different shades, colors and stains. Additionally, because of its smoothness, this type of wood is very easy to paint, ensuring that your mantel shelves will be able to sport your favorite color.