Stone’s Odyssey: Crafting a Limestone Mantle with Ancient Surfaces

In the heart of a bustling home, where stories are shared, and memories are made, the fireplace often stands as a silent witness. But what if the mantle could talk? What tales would it tell? Let’s journey through the creation and installation of a limestone mantle, a masterpiece crafted by the artisans at Ancient Surfaces.

Ancient surfaces
Antique limestone fireplace
stone mantle
Antique custom carved limestone mantle
Haut-relief carving

Deep within the earth, in age-old quarries, our story begins. Here, limestone has rested for eons, holding within it tales of ancient seas and long-forgotten landscapes. The artisans of Ancient Surfaces, with their trained eyes, select the perfect slab, seeing potential where others see mere rock.

In the skilled hands of these craftsmen, the limestone begins its transformation. Every chisel mark, every curve carved, is done with precision and passion. The design is not just about aesthetics; it’s about honoring the stone’s legacy. As the days pass, what was once a rugged slab starts to take the shape of a mantle, ready to become the centerpiece of a home.

Ancient surfaces
Antique limestone fireplace
stone mantle
Antique limestone mantle
Haut-relief carving
Limestone wall cladding
Antique millennium planks

With the mantle crafted to perfection, it’s time for its final destination: the fireplace of a loving home. The team from Ancient Surfaces ensures that the installation is seamless. As the mantle is set in place, it’s not just stone meeting brick; it’s history meeting the present. The space, with its new limestone mantle, is now not just a source of warmth but also a testament to timeless craftsmanship.

Every time a fire crackles in the hearth, and shadows dance on the antique limestone mantle, remember the journey it has undertaken. From the depths of a quarry to the heart of a home, this mantle by Ancient Surfaces is more than just stone; it’s a story, a legacy, and a piece of art.

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30 Inspiring Cottage Ideas in Stone

Cottage are usually well known in several countries European nations and are a homier version of a farmhouse is such a thing was even possible in the first place!

An exhaustive number of Cottage comes in various locations in France, Italy and even Eastern Europe and Russia. A cottage is frequently as spacious or small as you desire but typically is under 1,500 sqft. Cottage provide a house abroad experience if you ever decided to build one on a spacious multi-acreage parcel of land.

The preferred cottage style is one you imagine out of natural ecological material such as wood or stone, with some contemporary furniture pieces thrown into the interior design. Whether a Montana style mountain fishing lodge or a warm Mexican hacienda adobe, all cottage share some basic common element focusing on simplicity and wabi-sabi.

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Chahaignes - Chateau de la Jaille (10) (w)

If your house is reminiscent of an outdated European villa, you wouldn’t wish to choose something like concrete Decking that is more appropriate for a modern soho gallery setting.

Cottage furniture is normally envisioned with a washed off light painted and finding the proper furniture can be well worth the effort.

Stone and wood dominates the interiors of Cottages and the ideal flooring for a cottage is a big sized antique limestone flooring pavers coupled with ancient reclaimed stone fireplace the end up working off of each other in making the cottage even more lived-in and homie.

-Kelso Dining Chairs-Kelso Lounge Chairs-Kelso Square Folding Dining Tablein the terrace of aCountry House in Sonoma;Designer: The Wiseman GroupLandscape: Marta Fry

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French vs Italian beautiful fireplaces, a head to head match up you don’t wanna miss

An Antique fireplace mantel is doubtless the most momentous item of furniture that you’ll invest for your house because it’s a permanent fixture that will survive and fit any of the house remodeling and endless redecoration and style changes that a home will have to endure over its lifetime.

French Fireplace:

A French Mantel is identified by its quintessential finesse regardless of carving style and design period. They are a bit lower and deeper than those of the Italians.

All along the 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, and 18th centuries, the extravagant style of fireplaces were generally correlated with French mantels and characterized by floral carvings,

detailed coats of arms and focused more on ‘story telling’. This genre of Neo-classical style came to lead during the reign of Louis XVI.

Ancient Surfaces’ wide gallery of fireplaces contains a trove of French and Italian antique limestone mantel fireplaces which is considered by many expert to be one of the world most significant in both size and importance.

Here’s an antique limestone mantle above was salvaged from France and was raised by a hearth to perfectly fit an existing fireplace box in California.

As for the style of mantles goes, the most sought after are 14^th to 17^th century gems that are Southern Italian, Tuscan or French Bastide also called French Farmhouse of Countryside fireplace which are characterized by their simplicity.

We, at Ancient surfaces, believe that beauty comes from simplicity, we take our time in restoring each original fireplace back to its former glory.

21d947c9e90201b4de619e514ff5d91c — French Fireplace fitting in perfectly with this living room’s atmosphere

Nowadays, Newly hand carved limestone stone fireplaces are custom tailored to accommodate any firebox opening and can be carved out in any design.

Italian Fireplace:

Villa-Baroncino-fireplace — An Antique Italian Limestone fireplace restored in its original Tuscan villa

Untitled-1 — An original Antique limestone fireplace mantle installed in an Italian inspired villa in Southern California.

Pallazo Terranova Collanata — This lovely antique Italian Limestone Fireplace was installed in a recently renovated bed Italian bed and breakfast

IMG_0138-B — An impressive antique Italian Limestone Fireplace installed in a private home inside an acclaimed gated community in Southern California.

i1sa-012-b — An original ancient Italian Limestone Fireplace fully and carefully restored to its former glory.

home-design — An authentic Italian Limestone Fireplace sitting in situ.

1314709588_10 — an imposing clean line antique reclaimed Italian Limestone Fireplace.

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Outdoor Stone Fireplace Ideas that will make you sizzle

Are you having problems coming up with the right design ideas for your outdoor stone fireplace?

Do you feel like what’s out there on the market looks so cookie cutter and low quality that it could cheapen instead of enrich your backyard experience?

If you are hoping to include a unique looking stone fireplace into your wild outdoors you just might be in luck.

Installing a real elegant stone fireplace could be a step in the right direction. Tired of the same ole copy paste Slam Depot stacked stone ‘fireplace kits’ that are “so easy you can install them yourself”?!

They are quite frankly the saddest thing to look at and are littered across the dot-com world that import all sorts of substandard goods guaranteed not to impress you nor enrich your outdoor living experience.

Poof! So glad we got that out of our system for a change. So now back to our regular dose of kumbaya and political correctness…

Here are some real Outdoor Stone Fireplace Masterpieces that deserve to be in your Backyard and should be worthy of setting the stage for your upcoming best memories you’ll be creating with your love ones.

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Top 10 most beautiful ancient fireplace

Sometimes functional items are designed so beautifully that they blur the line between architecture and art. The stone fireplace surrounds in our collection are beautifully hand carved ancient works of art.
As the evenings growing colder, no wonder many of us start turning on the glow of their beloved fireplaces. Many of us think that it might be a little too late to remodel their fireplaces and replace them with the real deal. Well, think again! With some extra motivation fueled by your desire to enjoy your winter season in a European flair, you can have your own masterpiece.

Here are the top 10 most beautiful, inspiring, ancient and cozy fireplaces that maybe still within your grasp:

342N1314 — Our primal connection to art and fire have gone hand-in-hand ever since cavemen created art on the walls of caves by firelight. This mantel fireplace gives a feeling to be simultaneously ancient and modern.

0-la-fi-hotprop-laguna-beach-compound-20141209 — The sculptural elements of this classic fireplace rival anything I saw in the castles of Europe or France! It makes you want to relax in front of the fire while listening to Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto Number 3 in G Major.” That music always makes me feel uplifted in spirit, and I think it fits the fireplace.

Bahia Serena - Newport Beach — This splendid Italian 16th century stone fireplace mantle has been restored sold and shipped to the Americas were it was installed by a team of professional master masons that have perfected to installation process down to a science

This amazing fireplace was custom designed for the client and hand carved from stone. I would listen to Bach again, but this time it would have to be “Tocata and Fugue in D Minor,” a much heavier piece.

2996700671_e202eab866_a-small — This stunning French limestone fireplace mantel was realized in the Provence style and was the main feature of this frugal French farmhouse in Provence.

total-1 — This stunning French limestone fireplace mantel was realized in the Provence style and was the main feature of this frugal French farmhouse in Provence.

Camina Di Massa-3 — This simply designed French fireplace making tradition of the 18th and 17th centuries. Its classical simplicity speaks volumes about the period in which it was conceived.

Reclaimed Mantle-Suzan-L-03 — Selecting the right piece of stone and choosing the direction of placement shows off a stunningly beautiful natural work of art. It’s an ancient piece of stone, yet it reads like a contemporary abstract painting with all the artistic carvings.

greatroom1a — This is a unique Louis XV limestone fireplace from Provence dating back to the 17th century.

Montecito-034 — Baroque and Medieval inspired bedroom fireplace with a modern flair.

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Deck your fireplace during Christmas

A fireplace is often a focal point already, but when holidays come, it takes on added significance —with Santa coming down the chimney and all. Encircle your Christmas stockings with mantel decorations to suit the holiday spirit. Once your fireplace is cheerful, it’s time to light a fire, sit back with a glass of wine and soak up that heart-warming feeling of the holidays at home.
A fireplace is always on display, but this time of year it’s especially under the spot lights, with friends and family warming up in front of a roaring fire or huddling in the living room for an evening of games or movies. The stone mantel, which usually is an added value actor throughout the year, lands a starring role around the holidays, with beautiful, stockings and string lights draped across it.
Here’s few of Ancient surfaces mantel fireplaces decorated in a very stunning way to add Christmas spirit into the room

92035061_o — A mostly white color palette with pottery, tea lights and snowflakes contrasts dark foliage and garlands. Looks beautifully matched with the Christmas tree. Gives feeling of warmth.

sedona 003 — The stone fireplace shown in here follows a Romanesque Revival or, more specifically, Romanesque style. Located in the home’s formal living room, it has a very robust and masculine look.

sedona 101 — A French Provence Antique Limestone Fireplace adorned by Garlands, flanked by stockings and decorated with Mistletoe, Red Roses and Christmas shrubbery.

P1250441 — Natural greenery, wreaths, candles, silver, gold and white … white bee lights covers this beautifully cared mantel stone fireplace that sets a truly Christmas spirit for this room.

c2fa8f4f1e8c31782350a1e97d7b4af0 — Very simple and clean fireplace, very warm yellow lights are dispersed around the fireplace and on the stove along with reindeer and a tiny Christmas tree to create a special mood and get into the Christmas holiday feeling.

DSC_0388-b — A traditional Southern Italian Fireplace with a Baroque Puglia Style Christmas Decoration focused on Angelic Cherub decoration and Sicilian ceramic in the Majolica Melograno style

DSC_0417-c — An Authentic French Pyrénée mountains Fireplace carved in the style known locally as the “Cheminee Montagnard Des Pyrénées” finished with a minimalist natural garlands, wine flasks, organic homemade Bees wax candles and an antique Candelabrum.

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Simple vs. Classical Beauties. which fireplaces will you choose?

They say nothing lasts forever, but we all know that one can own a few items that may last for generations to come. No, we’re not talking about a girl’s best friend to quote Marline Monroe. Even though our stones can’t be worn on your wrists or fingers, they still can be a crowd pleaser none the less. Installing an antique limestone fireplace in your family room can be the one design element that everyone in your family agrees with and is comforted by especially when it starts raining or snowing outside.

Pedigree (History and Provenance) of the fireplace aside, what design elements one should consider when selecting a fireplace that may last you a lifetime in some cases?

You always need to keep in mind that your fireplace selection will have to be a permanent fixture in your home and is supposed to live through any design change your room or home will be going through in the future. What would you rather go for? A well carved fireplace or a simply hand carved one? Let’s consider the positive aspects of both choices and see how they may pertain to your taste buds.

Fully carved stone mantles:

When considering a fully hand carved limestone fireplace close your eyes and think of a complex and rich multi-layered ‘Taurasi’ wine blend from ‘Campania’ that’s been well aged in oak barrels.

What nuances would your eyes savor? Can you envision tasting the Southern Italian Baroque acanthus leaves free flowing on this mantle corbeled sides or the rich and velvety pallet of the sprawling and spiraling vined foliage that can grace the front face of your unique fireplace?

Can you imagine the glowing heat radiating from inside the stone built firebox of such a captivating mantle? The reflected shadow of the flame dancing on the medieval carved limestone coupled with the intoxicating sound on the flickering burning wood becoming one with the melody of slowly decanted bottle of Barolo from Piedmont…

If you picture yourself in that frame, allow yourself to be captured by an antique well carved limestone fireplace that’s been salvaged from centuries old Renaissance or Baroque castles by Ancient Surfaces.

A fully carved fireplace of that era will define the look of your entire room and anchor your whole house with an authentic design persona.

Simple carved Fireplace:

Simply carved fireplaces allow visual evenhandedness between styles, finish patina and shade of the room and the stone of the fireplace. In a simple fireplace the design focus shifts from the carving to the actual antique limestone itself as it becomes the predominant design feature of the mantel instead of its minimal carved elements.

When it’s simple it goes with everything else right? Well yes that is true, but one has to be careful that going with everything doesn’t turn into a disappearing act where the mantle itself totally blends with its environment in the same way a window frame blends with the wall.

Simple architectural fireplaces when realized symmetrically and when created and carved under the golden ratio and the golden mean will carry more of a creative punch than most of its other ornately carved counterparts. Minimalism when portrayed in well-defined and harmonic ratios, guarantees you a powerful visual output and a soothing organic feel that will satisfy your design vision for that space.

With a simple yet elegant antique hand carved fireplace you’ll be looking more at the architecture, structure and patina of the fireplace and how its various component simply integrate together with your space.

As a wise man once said: “the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.” William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347)

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Our Salvaging Yard 50 years in the making.

Vignettes of our architectural antique stone elements in our showrooms and yards.

Architectural antiques contemplation. — Architectural antiques contemplation as featured in one of our clients homes in Belgium… By Ancient Surfaces.

It is no secret that we carry one of the worlds most massive and varied range stock of reclaimed stone architectural elements such as garden ornaments stone pavers, limestone fireplaces antique stone sinks and much more.

We are trying to move with the times by making our entire Yard stocks becoming digitally available for online viewing. We hope that one day we can also show most of our published projects that now neighbor in the low hundreds.

Our antique stone yards are a true sight to behold since they look like lost cities out of temporal and physical continuum.

We don’t meant to go all Philosophical on you on a blog but we do find it hard to pick the right words to describe our reclaimed finds.

At the end of the day it’s now what we amass but what we transfer and how much we help to safeguard to the next generation hoping that each generation that follows may some day have the appreciation, respect and passion for what came before it.

Till that moment a significant segment of our written, painted, carved and cataloged human heritage will have to be preserved by conscientious patrons that will respect and preserve those pieces of art down their lineage.

This massive undertaking required tens of thousands of man hours worth of documentation, data entry, archiving and classifications.

We’ll be keeping everyone updated on this herculean undertaking as the months or even maybe years role by!

To learn more about those fascinating and unique architectural gems as well as their hand carved exact replicas feel free to please contact us through our website at Ancient Surfaces.

Reclamation Images

Come visit our interactive digital online catalog

Call us at: 212-461-0245 // 212-913-9588

Sales@AncientSurfaces.com