Our AirStone Fireplace Barn Beam Mantel Reveal!

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Our Barn Beam Mantel paired with our AirStone fireplace is finally finished!

Today I’m finally sharing our Barn Beam Mantel Reveal! This project was much more simple than I thought it would be, and I could not be more happy with the results! 

I have long anticipated this barn beam mantel reveal, it’s something that I envisioned for so long and it’s surreal to be finally sharing it today!

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Wow…what a transformation this fireplace has gone through over the last 8 years since moving in. When we decided to move the TV above the fireplace, my husband added built-ins on either side and a cabinet above to hide the television. 

A Before shot of our fireplace!

In 2017 I had the awesome opportunity to work with AirStone, and my fireplace went from painted brick to stone

After adding AirStone to our brick fireplace!

In 2018, I gave the fireplace an update and decided to try the German Schmear technique on my stone. This gave it an old world feel which I absolutely love! We also added shutters to hide the television.

How we added the German Schmear technique to our stone fireplace!

Just last year I accented the back of my built-in shelves with dark gray for a pop of color. 

How to use the German Schmear on Stone
Adding a pop of gray on the back of our fireplace builtins allows the decor to pop!

About a month ago I was inspired by a vintage fireplace grate that we found on Facebook marketplace, and we purchased another box of AirStone in order to add an archway over the fireplace opening. 

How to add an Arched Opening to your fireplace using Airstone

We then switched from our ventless gas log set to an electric wood burning stove. 

Stone Archway using AirStone

In the antique haul I shared this past March, I showed you guys another Facebook marketplace treasure. The beautiful 100 year old beam that we scored for $60. 

The color and texture of this beam will be so beautiful against the stone!

I have always wanted an authentic reclaimed beam on our stone fireplace, and I was so thrilled because this one was literally the perfect width and length! It was meant to be haha!!

Our DIY Barn Beam Mantel adds so much warmth and character to our living room!
Our AirStone fireplace now has a Barn Beam Mantel!

We took it home, let it dry out and sanded it down with 120 grit sand paper. This helped to lighten the finish and soften the rough wood. 

We sanded down the barn beam to lighten and soften the wood

Since our old mantel held our DVD player and cable box, we were a little torn about replacing it with a barn beam. After a lot of thought, though, we decided that we were paying a lot for cable when we rarely watched TV. So we decided to upgrade to a smart tv and get rid of the cable box. I hope we made the right decision! So far it hasn’t been an issue at all, though. 🙂

Our rustic 100 year old barn beam mantel in our cottage style home!
Our reclaimed beam mantel pairs perfectly with the stone on our fireplace!

The beam naturally sloped upward, so I knew that I wanted the shorter side to sit on bottom.

There are so many beautiful details in our new mantel
Gorgeous tenon end on our barn beam mantel

I also ended up keeping the tenon (thank you guys for telling me what that was!) because it was just so cool! 

We kept the tenon on this reclaimed beam!
Our DIY Barn Beam Mantel Reveal

Thankfully most of the beam is supported by the fireplace, but my husband did put a 2×4 in the wall right above the fireplace, attaching it to studs on either side using 2.5 inch deck screws.

He then created a frame using more 2×4’s that the barn beam would attach to. In order to secure the beam to the frame, he used 3.5 inch deck screws.

Rustic details in our new mantel
This mantel adds so much character to our fireplace
Barn Beam mantel on our Airstone fireplace

I wish I had taken more photos of this process, but my husband did all of this while I was outside with the boys. I thought he was just taking measurements…little did I know he was installing the beam! If you would like to see more of the installation process, please watch the YouTube video linked at the top of this post! 🙂

Our Barn Beam Mantel Reveal

Once the beam was in place, I filled the gap between the stone and wood using joint compound, the same product I used for the German Schmear technique. 

How to add a barn beam mantel to a stone fireplace
Barn Beam Mantel details

Honestly, that was it! I just love the character and warmth this beam adds to my living space. It’s very different than the simple white mantel that was there before, so at first it was something I had to get used to!

A barn beam mantel reveal in our cottage style home

With each day that goes by, I fall in love with the beam more and more. I truly feel like it adds old world charm to my home and fits in so well with my cottage style!

Our AirStone fireplace with a barn beam mantel
How we installed a barn beam mantel
Our barn beam mantel reveal is finally here!

What do you guys think about our new barn beam mantel? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

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Our Barn Beam Mantel paired with our AirStone fireplace is finally finished!

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20 Comments

  1. It’s gorgeous!! How long did you let the beam dry out? How long before you purchased it,had it been drying? Any idea? We recently cut down some trees on our property, and our son saved one of the logs for such a project..so I am curious about all this! PS.. your photos are serious inspiration for me!!

    1. Aww thank you so much Rosanna!! We let it dry out for about a month 🙂 And that sounds like such a neat project!

  2. This is so lovely, Andrea. Your creativity is inspiring. I have enjoyed each video you have posted. It’s motivational to watch them. Thank you very much for sharing. Your sweet spirit is contagious.

  3. 4/27/20

    Hi Andrea,

    I just found your vlogs on You Tube. Since SIP I’ve been watching a lot of T.V.!!! Anyway, I am very interested in how you did your German Schmear on your Airstone wall and fireplace? I don’t notice here in your blog, but realize you may have written it somewhere else. I can’t imagine the number of requests you have already had for it!!!

    Love your vlogs!

    Thank you,
    Linda Abbey
    [email protected]

  4. Love the beam and what you have done with your home. I just recently discovered you blog and You tube videos. We recently built a home in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I would have to say my style is what I refer to as Rustic elegant with some Farmstyle thrown in. I dont have as much white, more soft beiges and medium wood tones. I have used the white worn look as accents. Definitely a work in progress. Thanks for all your ideas. Oh, by the way, your paintings are beautiful and so soft and peaceful. I am trying to decide what I want and how I would use them.
    Deb

    1. Aww Deborah thank you so much!! What a kind comment to leave for me. 🙂 Your home sounds stunning!! And thank you so much for the compliment on my paintings, it has been a fun adventure! 🙂 Thanks again for following along, it means so much! 🙂

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