Pearl Mantels 495-60-70 The Auburn Mantel Shelf, 60", Cherry Distressed Finish

I got my mantel very soon after ordering it. It arrived in excellent condition (I was a litlle concerned after reading certain reviews). The finish is distressed so it has tiny holes and marks; they are not defects as some reviews have mentioned. The pearl inlay in the back right is their mark of authenticity, not a defect either. Easy to install. I love it on top of my fireplace; this mantel makes a great statement in my living room! I would recommend it 100%!

I am very happy with this product. It is beautiful and well made. No, it is not a solid wood product, but what can you expect from a product like this that shows up in a box from Amazon? That said, it is like a battleship. It is heavy, durable, and well finished. More importantly, it looks great on my wall. I actually don’t have a fireplace, but hung this above my entertainment center in the living room. It is the closest thing I have to a fireplace. It really dressed up the wall and I can’t help but smile when I look at it. Note, it takes some effort and home improvement knowledge to hang this baby. Yet when your are done, you will be glad you made the purchase. I wish they made other furniture as well. As a “put it together yourself” type furniture product, it is just great quality!

If you want to add a thing of beauty and functionality to your fireplace, this is it. I bought the Auburn pre-finished in Cherry. Some assembly was required but very simple with clear and concise directions. I was mounting the Mantel to a brick fireplace so the hardest thing was deciding the best way to do it. After talking with several carpenter friends I went with 3/16" x 1 3/4" long "Tapper" concrete screws. A hammer drill is a must though. I also bought the hex head screws instead of the Philips head ones. The drill required for the screws was a 5/32" masonry bit drill. The pre-drilled holes in the included "Hanger Board" were a good fit for the 5/32" drill bit so I used it as a guide. I marked off the center line of the fireplace and the center line of the hanger board. After determining the height I wanted for the shelf I came down 3 1/2" for the first hole. I placed the hanger board on the brick face and drilled my first hole thru the center hole of the Hanger board. Changed the bit to a clearance hole for the screw then installed the first concrete screw in "Hammer" mode. They drive harder then I thought so once you start don't stop. I then placed a level on the hanger board and repeated the process for each screw. This worked perfect!! My only disappointment with the Mantel was finding out that it was "Made in China" :-(

We are extremely happy with this purchase. I am restoring an old fireplace and ripped off the old existing wrap around mantel. We hung this mantel on the wall and then mortared in stacked stone to look very similar to the picture on the add. It looks amazing. I really liked that there were several ways you can use the mantel (with/without the arch and even with/without the support columns). The wood is nicely finished and the best part is that it is easy to install - just screw the mounting bar to the wall where you want it (check level - must hit studs) and simply hang the mantel on the bar.

A fantastic upgrade, as long as you know what you are getting.This was a huge upgrade above the builder grade drywall that my house came with. It arrived quickly and while the box had a ding or two, the packaging did its job and the mantel was just fine. One person installed it, without much of an issue. We rebuilt the entertainment center at the same time as working on the fireplace dress up and the results turned out great. Just realize you are not getting a solid piece of wood that is going to weigh 200 lbs and require 8 inch lag bolts to hold up. Its well made and while I won't be using it for a chair any time soon, holding up nicknacks and Christmas stockings will be perfect.

Pretty bad out of the box. Looked like it got ran over by a gravel train. It looks great otherwise if not for the pock marks, but this thing is laminate so it won't last anyway. I bought a handcrafted one from another site that does hand made mantels... doesn't look as nice but at least it's real wood.

If you are looking for a fireplace mantel shelf, then I highly recommend the Auburn Arched mantel by Pearl Mantels. We could not make anything of this quality for the price. The finish is beautiful and the pieces are easy to install. (You will need to install the corbels and the arch.) You also have the option of not installing the arch and using the shelf with the corbels only. If you don't like the look of corbels, you an also install the shelf by itself. The installation is easy.The only reason I do not give it 5 stars is that what we got - is not exactly as pictured here on Amazon or the Pearl Mantels website. The corbels are not as heavy or as nice as in the picture. We can live with it - but it is not entirely what I thought we were purchasing. But I would rather pay Amazon's price that twice as much somewhere else!We hope to enjoy this mantel for years to come!

love love love this mantel!!! super easy to put together!! the only thing is, they have set screw marks for hanging the main board to the wall, which you then hang the mantel from. studs are different in different houses, unless you just happen to know where the studs are, i would get a stud finder and screw it in on a stud. it is very heavy and if you dont find one, the dry wall is never going to hold it. one corner had a slight ding, but not a huge deal. beautiful and looks even better in person! would buy again!!!