• A fireplace mantle in an estate home should reflect the surrounding style of sophistication.mansion image by Felix Chen from Fotolia.com
  
  Estate homes are houses of a large size usually on generously portioned pieces of property. When designing the mantle style for a fireplace in an estate home, you want the fireplace to reflect the sense of sophistication and elegance already present in your home. According to the book, "Design Ideas for Fireplaces," by Karen Stickels and Jessie Walker: "Because the fireplace is an architectural feature, its mantel and surround play an important role in establishing the decorative style." You can convey your style in a variety of new and distinctive ways.
  
  

Marble Mantle

• Marble is a material that will give a fireplace immediate elegance and distinction yet can look as ornate or as subdued as you would like. For example, order an antique marble mantle for your fireplace complete with intricate carvings if you'd like your fireplace to act as a decorative anchor for the room. On the other hand, a simple marble fireplace conveys sophistication rather simply, without being too showy. Marble also allows you a lot of design freedom because it comes in a variety of shades and hues. Select a shade of dark charcoal marble to offset the color scheme of the room or a more neutral cream colored marble to blend in with it.
  
  

Wood Mantel

• Wood is one of the most common materials to use for a fireplace mantel: it's inexpensive, easy to work with and allows you an enormous amount of versatility. Carpenters can cut, style and carve wood in a variety of ways to complement your design style to your exact specifications. Wood is particularly useful if you have an estate in a specific architectural design style as you can cut the mantle to reflect that period -- whether it is the restrained look of a Federalist style mansion, Colonial or Georgian estate. Experts can carve a variety of patterns to gracefully decorate the wood mantle by creating wreaths, garlands, arches or columns into the wood. You always have the freedom to paint or stain it any shade you desire.
  
  

Stone Mantle

• A stone mantel might seem more appropriate for rustic homes and log cabins, but stone mantles can give a room in an estate home a sense of permanence and history. The stone mantels can either contrast the opulence of a given room and thus emphasize it even more or heighten the regal quality, particularly if you're using polished stones. Install one large slab of polished stone for your mantle or several stones placed side by side. Some antique stone fireplaces have gargoyles and other figures carved out into the stone to give your fireplace a completely original look.