This primitive mantle in white oak was handmade by an early 20th century craftsman and salvaged from a three-story Philadelphia brownstone that had been burned by an arsonist. We saw beyond the soot, recognizing its clean, simple lines, and brought it back to our workshop. Although badly fire damaged, with layers of old paint burnt and blistered into the grain of wood, we were able to completely revive it and bring back its original turn-of-the-century handcrafted appearance.