Mantel shelves are quickly stealing the spotlight from its counterpart the fireplace. A mantel is an ideal place for your most treasured items that you want those who visit your home to see.

Choosing wood would definitely bring out the beauty of surrounding wooden furniture, the uniformity of it all making it easy on the eyes with continuity throughout the room.

Wood mantels have been around since World War I and are still one of the most chosen, simply because it's easy to install without the help of a professional.

Like everything else, there are pros and cons when choosing wood for building your mantel shelf. Since this material is combustible you may want to check with your fire safety code department and building officer to find out about the distance of constructing your wood shelf around the fireplace.

A rustic room will benefit from an oak mantle shelf. This durable hardwood replaced the darker cast-iron, stone and slate mantels that were popular back in the Victorian era.

Oak is indeed a superior wood, which brings its outdoor beauty into the home. Because this is a versatile type of wood, it blends nicely with other natural textures.

For instance, an oak mantel will go well with a marble surround over a brick fireplace. And when it comes to accessories, brass and or wrought iron would just about do the trick.

These are just suggestions, but the final details are up to you.

Let your decorating skills shine!

Oak comes with a price tag of $1,600 and up and some hardware stores and some may want to go with a less expensive type of wood, say fiberboard for instance.

But when you consider that selecting an oak mantel could be used as a family heirloom for generations to come, the amount you pay to have the job done may not be an issue after all.