Drum Roll Please: THE OCTAGON ROOM MANTEL!
In January, I bang to work on the pitiful mantel in the Octagon Bedroom. It had suffered decades of water damage…
…ruining the finish, and causing the mantel shelf to badly warp on one end. The poor dear.
While looking as bad as can be, there was, by some miracle, no loss. Wanna see the mantel today? Scroll way down. And prepare to SQUEE!!!!!!!!
SQUEE!!!!!!!! SQUEE!!!!!!!! SQUEE!!!!!!!! SQUEE!!!!!!!! SQUEE!!!!!!!! SQUEE!!!!!!!! Kenny stripped off all the old shellac on the lower mantel, and I have not yet added new shellac. But…holy moly!
With the help of sunlight, I was able to unwarp the shelf!!!!!!!!
BEFORE
AFTER
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CRISPY!
OMG! Kenny and you are true miracle workers.
What a beautiful labor of love. Squee is the only sound that describes such work. You and Kenny must be deeply satisfied at the result.
Bit by bit, the house regains its self-respect.
Now, get some varnish on that lower mantel!
OH!!! My heart!!!! What a beautiful ‘after’!!!!!
What’s with the one red tile?
Splendid!
Damage, undone!
Bravo Kenny and Ross!
I can’t believe my eyes. You got that warp out? That is amazing.
You are going to love it when it is all refinished with shellac.
Is there a tile missing or is that red tile in the center original.
You have all of the pieces to this fireplace. Now, will it work? Or was it designed for coal instead of wood.
Beautiful! Good job Ross, I love how you so lovingly and patiently restored this beautiful piece of history.
Just WOW!! The transformation is simply remarkable. Once you do the walls the room will sing again.
Well done!
Kenny, you did a fabulous job! Ross, you too! What a beautiful piece. They don’t make them like this anymore.
Kenny, it’s beautiful! And Ross: Those Baby Steps (TM) add up to a Big Result.
The transformation is stunning! So happy to see this!
It glows!
The new mantel shelf looks thin the old in looks like it was two parts and a better profile to me.
It’s the same shelf. I just haven’t re-attached the bottom trim yet.
Wow! What a gem! Great job guys! 🙂
Wow what a labor of love the “after” is. Bit by bit the Cross House shines a bit brighter every week. The OCD in me hopes you fix the tile to the right of the red tile when it also gets replaced. Y’all should be so proud of the job you’re doing as you renew, fix, and replace bits and pieces all over the house.
Someday people won’t believe the Before pictures, the house will look so fine.
Wow, I am especially impressed that you reversed the warp! I recall you talking about getting it damp and then putting it damp-side down in the sun; is that how you accomplished it?