Fireplace Plans

I have some basic plans to update the fireplace mantel and surround!  This is something anyone can do with the right tools and the help of a handyman if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.  I don't think the plans that I have will take more than a few hours to execute and a couple hundred dollars in materials (fingers crossed I'm close)!

Here is what the fireplace looks like now:

Here is the first sketch of how I wanted it to look:

 

I realized after sketching it that I didn't think the barn wood on the sides would look right unless I also put barn wood at the top and made a square.  The more I thought about that I decided it was too much wood and I would prefer to just have the mantel be covered in wood so I modified my sketch(white-out to the rescue):

Something to note is that this plan does not involve any changes to the fireplace below the mantel but once I get the top complete I'll see if it would make sense to add white trim to the sides of the tile on the bottom portion instead of leaving it as painted drywall.  I am planning on having Home Depot cut a board for me that I will use for the planks, just not sure what I'll be using for the trim quite yet.  Figuring it out and shopping for materials is the fun part though!