Updating my blah mantel

Having a fireplace is supposed to be a great selling point for a house. We NEVER use ours. It makes the living room too hot and throws off the household thermostat which prevents the furnace from kicking on resulting in the rest of the house being too cold. But it looks nice, right? No. It had just a plain builder grade oak mantle (set too high) and is surrounded by the same tiles used in the master bathroom. Blah.

Before:


It has been a very loooong, cold, snowy winter here and I have been itching to start painting my oak woodwork. My sister keeps trying to talk me out of it but I tend to be just a wee bit stubborn once I set my mind to it. I decided to start small and paint just the mantel.

I tried liquid deglosser but the smell was very strong and I wasn't sure if it would be enough so I also lightly sanded before priming.  The paint was Benjamin Moore Cloud White in a pearl (satin) finish.

It was a great start and just the inspiration I needed for a little accessorizing. The only thing new is the picture that I found at Hobby Lobby for 50% off of $59.99. The remaining items were "shopped" from my home. In the end, it was a very affordable change!

After: