This mantel was designed and built for good friends just a block away. I had been in their home many times and they had discussed wanting a mantel to replace the ceramic frieze that was in place for some time. The living room and front sun room had large white quarter sawn oak columns with  distinctive trim that was original to the home. We agreed that using the aesthetic on those elements was appropriate for consistency and also offered some unique design opportunities. I started by creating a series of design drawings in Photoshop and after dialing in on those built a full size prototype out of simple plywood and scrap I had in the shop. Seeing that in place was really helpful and after making a few adjustments I moved forward building the finished piece in quarter sawn white oak. The mantel was finished with layers of aniline dyes, sealed and then topped with gel stain and finally three coats of satin oil base polyurethane. The frieze and floor tiles were removed and re-mortared where necessary and the mantel was secured to the wall sparely using finishing nails shot into cleats that were attached inside with masonry screws. The tile installer followed after that was finished. A very cool piece and process at all stages. (click on right side of photo to see multiple views)