We use kiln dried, select grade Pine for our products and samples. It is important to note that every piece of wood is truly unique and absorbs stain differently than the next. Pine naturally contains knots and grain variations - and some color variance. The natural wood is most commonly a creamy white or a pale yellow and knots (small and tight with this grade of lumber) are brownish, providing a nice contrast. Occasionally, the wood can have reddish/brown areas (that is from the inner most portions of the tree, aka: heartwood). With oil-based stains and certain grains of wood, some blotching is possible.

Our mantels are more modern & contemporary than rustic. The lines are straight, surfaces smooth, & the corners are lightly softened so that they're not sharp. With the exception of the Unfinished option, they're finished in a Satin polyurethane finish.

They are made as a hollow design, & as a result are lighter weight. The front facing corners are mitred, giving them the illusion of being one piece. The tops & bottoms are not mitred. Those seams are neat & tight though (can provide photos).

If you prefer a mantel that's mitred on all faces, or that it not have the customary finished pin holes (that have varying levels of visibility), we are able to do that (and more) as a customization - please inquire prior to placing your order.

Unfinished Pine – Raw natural Pine, ready for stain or paint. See above description of Pine for greater detail.

Finished Pine w/ Poly – Natural unstained Pine with two coats of Satin Polyurethane finish.

Driftwood – Warm yellow mid tones with gray (and occasional olive) undertones.

Early American – Warm orange.

Special Walnut – Light brown with a touch of reddish warmth.

Provincial – Dark orange-ish brown with black undertones – like Tiger’s Eye.

Dark Walnut – Brown with black undertones.

Espresso – Dark brown with black undertones.

Red Mahogany – Darker red with some black undertones.

Weathered Gray – A true gray – like the gray crayon color.

Light Walnut – Our own stain mixture. Light to medium brown that can sometimes allow the natural creamy/pale yellow tone of Pine to come through

Ebony – Black with some brown tones.

With a distressed mantel, minor blemishes (ie small dents, dings, scratches, chips, cracks and color variance) are deemed acceptable because of the nature of the distressing process, and by definition the primary objective of a distressed finish is having the appearance of being weathered/worn and a bit battered. With solid finishes, the objective is a much more refined, blemish free/clean contemporary look. The distressing process is done to provide the aged/seasoned look of an older piece whereby the character of the piece is enhanced, not reduced.

What we usually ask folks to do is order the Unfinished option from the drop down and make a note on the order for the requested stain based on the color samples you received. Please include the letters that indicate the brand (M, V, S, V. Classic etc.), as the name is written on the sample. We can take it from there in the shop and there's no additional fee for the color customization :)

If it happens that the notes section doesn't appear during the transaction, please just send us a message once the order has been completed and we can make a note of the stain request on the order for you :)

Depending on where we are in the process of building your mantel, there may be a restocking fee deducted from your refund. The restocking fee would be based on the size of the item/s and how close to completion we were at the time of the cancellation request.