How could they have covered this up?

One of our greatest discoveries yet was finding this tiger wood mantel. All that it required was about twenty hours over a week or two removing the paint. Then we covered the wood with three coats of polyurethane. The results are remarkable. For the fireplace portion we removed the 1950s insert that had been a gift to the previous owner from our neighbor Lee. While an interesting period piece we did not feel comfortable lighting it up again.

When trying to figure out what to put in the fireplace space we discovered the original coal/wood cradle that fit perfectly with the existing surround. Chrissy taped everything around the surround with several layers of painters tape. Then she used a black spray paint for use on metal to refinish the surround. The results really pop compared to what was there before.

We've already done a fair amount of wall work getting things smooth, level, and painted. With a  bit of patching on the wall and stripping of the moldings and door surrounds this room should really pop.