Fireplace mantle on mantle/Queene Anne bedside table

Beautiful architectural woodwork but I am wondering why you've obviously just stacked one mantle on top of another?

I know the look you're trying to achieve but this was definitely not the way to do it.

Next time (while you're at the drawing board)try applying the "Golden Rectangle Rule" or any number of well established guidelines or examples to assist you with the design process.

"No amount of A-One craftsmanship can make up for poor design." Sorry!

However...an A-One craftsman (such as your self) coupled with a little classic design discipline, can produce masterpieces.

Just think about it before directing me to the nearest lake.

interesting style and choice of details. was this your design for a client?

i really like the selection of wood and the finish.

next time when you are designing a large piece like this try to think in terms of a "mantle" and an "over mantle". this way you will achieve the look you were going for with out looking like you stacked two mantles on top of each other.

other than that the rest of the details are really nice, especially the undulating front paired with the flat, square pieces. nice work.

I do appreciate the advice. The top mantle was bit large but built to space as built one yr after bookcases and around large TV. I sought to build it close to ceiling and around pre-existing TV. I did scale back some of the upper mantle and even left a few beautiful pieces off upper region to avoid overweighting the already large upper mantle.Balancing the need to outsize surrounding bookcases and around TV and to size of premilled carved columns dictated some of the dimensions. Next time I would make upper half smaller. In answer to your query this was for my own home.

Very nice!! Jim should be quiet. There is always a Know it all, and they are usually on the city bus telling the driver how to drive. Your work Your design.. VERY IMPRESSIVE

I really don't mind Jim's comments as they are constructive and I will go back and see if I can figure a way to incorporate the 5:8 (.618:1) golden ratio for upper mantle while confined by TV size/carved column leglengths.The lower mantle was confined by need for center speaker of surround sound be placed at lower edge of TV. I added panels on side walls of lower mantle to beef up lower mantle in comparison to upper mantle. The panels on walls and upper mantle are free floating cabinet door styled cope and stick method.

I think the look would have been fine if 2 things would have happened. #1 you took the top section to the ceiling #2 you put a matching back behind the TV to cover the wall. I personally would have widened the mantle and so the TV would look more centered, and not so overtaking. I also would have transitioned the mantle around to the adjacent woodwork like you did the wainscot panels. It doesn't look like you have enough clearance on the sides of the fireplace, althouh I'm sure codes very. It also looks like you used a capital for a keystone. We could all sit here and pick at it. Bottom line is what does the client think? The work itself looks beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

wow this is stunning.
I just have one problem with this:
You guys are spending way too much money with Ekeboll. You must have spend at least 10k on carvings.
again, very nice work

Thanks for all the input. The total price on the carvings was around 2K. The angel corbels, carved columns of upper mantle, corinthian capitals were all between 100-200 USD. The carved lady mantle legs were most expensive at around $400 each. The appliques were dirt cheap as I got them on yr end closeout for inventory clearance. I have not used Enkeboll. The local millworks obtains most of their carvings from Romania. Funny thing is I have a cabin near Osborne wood products in Toccoa GA but haven't visited their wood products store yet but have seen some of their beautiful carvings at woodworking shows.

It's sounds like you know what your talking about when you bring up things like "the golden rectangle". But the truth (in the real world) is that; as often as not, the space you're provide to work with or the client's wishes aren't compatible with the golden rectangle. This is a marvelous piece of craftsmanship and should be appreciated simply for that.
I know that it's very popular to stick a flatscreen in the middle of fireplace these days. But I sincerely believe it's out of context and detracting. Put the TV in an entertainment center and put some nice woodwork in the upper mantle.
I hope the rest of the room is as ornate as the mantle(s), but otherwise... once again, I am humbled by a true craftsman.

This is a nice mantel but is totally ruined by the TV. Your customers don't deserve your work if they want that monstrosity stuck to the wall hiding it.

Everybody wants to put these big flat screens over the fireplace. Then they decide to redue the mantel.