I was lucky that the antique mantle already had a back to it. Someone else had added it to use in their home. What I did was add a tin ceiling panel painted black to the inside to add depth and interest. I placed the fireplace up on to a faux brick mat, picked up at a home center. Next I wanted to keep the chippy look of the paint, but still need to be able to dust the thing. So, I painted on three coats of watered down Elmer's white glue. Dry between coatings, and sand lightly. Over that I painted on three coats of varnish, sanded lightly between coats. What all this does is seals the original paint in place, makes the surface smooth and protects the exposed wood.
After that I touched up the carved pieces of decoration with my magic gold marker and sealed that to with a light coating of varnish. Once this was complete I added a firescreen, and a pair of old cast iron lamp bases made into legs to hold all in place. A remote control appliance switch from the hardware store, and a cozy fireplace with no mess is now installed.
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